Composite visible/thermal-infrared imaging apparatus

1. Multispectral imaging apparatus comprising a wavelength independent focus reflecting optical system for receiving visible and infrared radiation from a scene and for focusing the visible and infrared radiation at respective first and second focal planes which are located the same distance from the optical system; first detector means disposed at the first focal plane for receiving the visible radiation and for providing a first signal corresponding thereto; second detector means disposed at the second focal plane for receiving the infrared radiation and for providing a second signal corresponding thereto; and means responsive to the first and second signals for displaying a composite image of the scene, the composite image comprising a black and white visible image of the scene with portions of the image highlighted in color in accordance with the infrared radiation received from corresponding portions of the scene.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical system is non-refractive.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical system comprises a reflective Cassegrain telescope having movable primary and secondary mirrors for focusing the radiation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical system comprises means for splitting the radiation into a first beam of visible radiation and a second beam of infrared radiation, and means for directing the first and second beams onto the first and second detector means, respectively.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the beam splitting means comprising a thin dichroic semiconductor mirror which is transparent to the infrared radiation and which reflects the visible radiation, and wherein the directing means comprises a fully reflecting image erecting mirror positioned to reflect the visible radiation reflected from the mirror to the first detector means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displaying means comprises first means for converting the first signal into a first video signal corresponding to a black and white visible image of the scene, second means for converting the second signal into a second video signal corresponding to a color infrared image of the scene, third means for combining the first and second video signals to produce a composite video signal, and a color display for receiving the composite video signal and for displaying said composite image.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second converting means includes means for setting one or more preselected threshold levels such that only a second signal which corresponds to infrared radiation with a preselected intensity range is converted to the second video signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second converting means comprises means for converting discrete ranges of the second signal into different colors.

9. Multispectral imaging apparatus comprising a non-refractive optical system for receiving visible and infrared radiation from a scene and for providing a beam of combined visible and infrared radiation which is focused at a predetermined distance from the optical system; means for splitting the focused beam into a first beam of visible radiation and a second beam of infrared radiation; first detector means for receiving the first beam and for providing a first signal corresponding to the visible radiation; second detector means for receiving the second beam and for providing a second signal corresponding to the infrared radiation; and means responsive to the first and second signals for displaying a composite image of the scene, the composite image comprising a black and white visible image of the scene with portions of the image highlighted in color in accordance with the infrared radiation received from corresponding portions of the scene.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical system comprises a wavelength independent focus optical telescope.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the optical telescope comprises a reflective Cassegrain telescope having movable primary and secondary mirrors for focusing.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second detector means are located at respective first and second focal planes, and the first and second focal planes are each located at said predetermined distance from the optical system.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said splitting means comprises a thin dichroic semiconductor beam splitter formed to pass the infrared radiation and to reflect the visible radiation, and a fully reflecting mirror for receiving the visible radiation from the beam splitter and for reflecting the visible radiation to the first detector means.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the displaying means comprises means for converting the first signal into a first video signal corresponding to said black and white visible image of the scene, second means for converting the second signal into a second video signal corresponding to a color infrared image of the scene, third means for combining the first and second video signals to produce a composite video signal, and color display means for receiving the composite video signal and for displaying said composite image.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second converting means includes means for setting a preselected range of levels such that only a second signal which corresponds to infrared radiation within the preselected range is converted to the second video signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second converting means comprises a video frame generator, and the setting means comprises voltage threshold means for setting upper and lower threshold levels, the threshold means being arranged such that only a portion of the second signal between said upper and lower levels is converted to said video signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second converting means comprises means for converting discrete ranges of the second signal into different colors.