John W Garman

7157706, Jan 2, 2007

May 28, 2003

10/250016

Nahum Gat - Manhattan Beach CA, US
John Dwight Garman - Costa Mesa CA, US

Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. - Torrance CA

G01J 5/00

2503381, 250347

A continuously variable diaphragm or swappable fixed aperture for use in thermal infrared cameras, which aperture or diaphragm can be cooled to cryogenic temperatures. The invention contemplates mounting aperture control means, if necessary, in a vacuum or extending the control mechanism through a vacuum in a thermally isolated manner to avoid radiation load on the photocell. The inventive method implements such a diaphragm and control system. The invention makes possible the object of using a single thermal infrared camera under a wide variety of target-scene radiation conditions that may be rapidly changing, with interchangeable or zoom camera lenses requiring matching or different size cold stops, and under other such dynamic situations.

7816650, Oct 19, 2010

Aug 14, 2008

12/192069

John Garman - Long Beach CA, US
Nahum Gat - Manhattan Beach CA, US

Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. - Torrance CA

G02B 7/14

250352, 359434

An external optical relay assembly to allow an infrared camera with a fixed aperture to be used with a variety of fore optics, including refractive compound lenses, reflective telescopes, and reflective/refractive lenses, by providing an external, cooled aperture, that can be adjusted to provide effective f-number matching to the fore optic, allowing any f-number fore optic to be used with the infrared camera. This allows users of large families of similar telescopes, for example, to use their inventory of infrared Ritchie-Chrétien telescopes with a single infrared camera, regardless of f-numbers.

8071947, Dec 6, 2011

Nov 4, 2008

12/264864

John Garman - Long Beach CA, US
Nahum Gat - Manhattan Beach CA, US

Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. - Torrance CA

G01J 5/00

250352

A variable aperture assembly for an infrared camera for use with optics having two or more f-numbers. The variable aperture assembly includes a variable iris disposed substantially along an axis of the infrared camera and is thermally connected to a cooling assembly. The variable iris is capable of causing an infrared radiation admitting opening to vary in size. The infrared radiation admitting openings of the variable aperture assembly can be circular or non-circular, including generally rectangular or racetrack shaped openings. The variable aperture assembly provides f-number matching by adjusting the infrared radiation admitting opening to the size necessary to effectively match the numerous f-numbers of the optics, or by adjusting to a size so that a fixed aperture on the radiation shield becomes the effective aperture stop, providing the f-number matching.

8497479, Jul 30, 2013

Dec 5, 2011

13/311517

John Garman - Long Beach CA, US
Nahum Gat - Manhattan Beach CA, US

Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. - Torrance CA

G01J 5/00

250352, 396505

A thermal infrared camera may be used under a wide variety of target-scene radiation conditions, with interchangeable or zoom lenses requiring matching or different size cold stops. A variable aperture assembly of a thermal infrared camera integrates a rigid open truss-like framework that's capped by an aperture ring and bottomed by a driving ring, and a radiation shield, located inside the framework, that contains an aperture ring at an upper side. A plurality of blades that collectively define an aperture positioned between the upper aperture rings. Opposite blade ends are coupled to respective ones of the two aperture rings, permitting pivotal movement in one ring and radial movement in the other ring, when the rings are rotated relative to one another, to change the size of the formed aperture. Both refractive and reflective infrared telescopes may be retro-fitted with variable aperture devices to enhance infrared imaging performance.

20030194189, Oct 16, 2003

Apr 14, 2003

10/414160

William Grothe - Mission Viejo CA, US
Jianli Ren - Aliso Viejo CA, US
Paul Robbins - Mission Viejo CA, US
Peter McNicol - Huntington Beach CA, US
John Garman - Costa Mesa CA, US

F21V008/00

385/088000, 362/577000, 385/901000

The present invention concerns a light wand including a flashlight, a section of light transmitting flexible fiber optic having a plurality of slits along its length, and a tubular coupling adapted to optimize the transmission of light from the flashlight to the fiber optic.

20050111801, May 26, 2005

Nov 25, 2003

10/707188

John Garman - Long Beach CA, US
Nahum Gat - Manhattan Beach CA, US

OPTO-KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, INC. - Torrance CA

G02B006/44

385114000

The inventive method and apparatus relate to fiber optic ribbon cable capable of being bent and curved through a very small bend radius. The method involves an improvement to the direct-melt ribbon-cable manufacturing process, creating ribbon cables with adhered ends, and un-adhered fiber centers. Such ribbon cable overcomes typical sideways bend radius limitations. This ribbon cable is a second aspect of the invention. A reformatter is further contemplated by this invention, wherein at least two of the inventive ribbon cables are arranged to form a rectangular array of optical fibers at one end and a linear array at the other, provding a compact optical fiber reformattor for use in space limited locations.

20060255275, Nov 16, 2006

Nov 14, 2005

11/273919

John Garman - Los Angeles CA, US
Nahum Gat - Los Angeles CA, US

G01J 5/00

250338100

A thermal infrared camera may be used under a wide variety of target-scene radiation conditions, with interchangeable or zoom lenses requiring matching or different size cold stops. A variable aperture assembly of a thermal infrared camera integrates a rigid open truss-like framework that's capped by an aperture ring and bottomed by a driving ring, and a radiation shield, located inside the framework, that contains an aperture ring at an upper side. A plurality of blades that collectively define an aperture positioned between the upper aperture rings. Opposite blade ends are coupled to respective ones of the two aperture rings, permitting pivotal movement in one ring and radial movement in the other ring, when the rings are rotated relative to one another, to change the size of the formed aperture. Both refractive and reflective infrared telescopes may be retrofitted with variable aperture devices to enhance infrared imaging performance.