Jeffrey A Hunt

US Patent:

6385963, May 14, 2002

Filed:

Jun 16, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/595872

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA
Herbert R. Lander - Heber City UT

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seal Beach CA

International Classification:

F02K 968

US Classification:

602031, 60 3912

Abstract:

The optical system includes an optical source capable of producing light having physical characteristics sufficient for optically driven chemical disassociation of a fuel; and, an optical delivery system for providing optical delivery of light from the optical source to a chemical fuel source. The optical system is used for a propulsion producing engine having a chemical fuel source. The endothermic fuel generation is produced by the non-linear, optical interaction of the produced light with the fuel, thereby leading to molecular dissociation of the fuel.

US Patent:

6549323, Apr 15, 2003

Filed:

Oct 1, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/968090

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Irvine CA

International Classification:

G02F 101

US Classification:

359279, 359290, 359291, 359298

Abstract:

A first control optics assembly receives an incoming optical wavefront and adjusts that incoming optical wavefront. A second control optics assembly receives a driver optical wavefront and adjusts that driver optical wavefront. A combiner receives an output from the first control optics assembly and an output from the second control optics assembly. The combiner provides a combined, co-linear output wavefront having an initial beam size. Spatial light modulator (SLM) addressing optics receives the combined, co-linear output wavefront and produces a desired beam size for the combined, co-linear output wavefront. The SLM receives the output from the SLM addressing optics and provides localized phased shifting of the resulting wavefront. SLM egressing optics receives the output of the SLM and returns the beam size of the wavefront to the initial beam size. The output of the SLM egressing element has desired portions of its phase shifted relative to the incoming optical wavefront.

US Patent:

6714568, Mar 30, 2004

Filed:

Oct 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/978821

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

H01S 310

US Classification:

372 21, 372 27

Abstract:

The present invention is an active optical system for beam-steering an incoming laser beam. It includes a first control optics assembly for receiving an incoming laser beam and adjusting that incoming laser beam in accordance with first desired wavelength, polarization and beam propagation parameters. A driver element produces a driver laser beam. A second control optics assembly receives the driver laser beam and adjusts that driver laser beam in accordance with second desired wavelength, polarization and beam propagation parameters. A second order non-linear optical element (SONOE) receives an output from the first control optics assembly and an output from the second control optics assembly. The SONOE provides a non-linear optical interaction between the outputs such that a propagation direction modified laser beam is provided that propagates at a different angle than the incoming laser beam and at a difference wavelength thereof. Egressing optics receives the propagation direction modified laser beam and adjusts that laser beam in accordance with desired wavelength, polarization, and beam propagation parameters, the output of the egressing optics having the laser beam propagation direction shifted relative to the incoming laser beam direction.

US Patent:

6734975, May 11, 2004

Filed:

Nov 26, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/304470

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA
Albert D. Tomassian - West Hills CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01N 2155

US Classification:

356445, 356448

Abstract:

A hidrogen detection system ( ) includes a hydrogen sensor( ) that detects contamination within a reaction member and generates a hydrogen contamination signal. A surface spectroscopic system ( ) is operational in conjuction with the hydrogen sensor ( ) and determines contamination of the hydrogen sensor ( ) and generates a sensor contamination signal. A controller ( ) is electrically coupled to the hydrogen sensor ( ) and the surface spectroscopic system ( ) and compares the hydrogen contamination signal to the sensor contamination signal and generates a corrected hydrogen contamination signal.

US Patent:

6735012, May 11, 2004

Filed:

Mar 22, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/104683

Inventors:

Jeffrey Hunt - Chatsworth CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G02F 101

US Classification:

359279, 359245, 359246

Abstract:

An active optical system and method for phase-shifting desired portions of an incoming optical wavefront. A control optics assembly receives an incoming optical wavefront and adjusts that incoming optical wavefront in accordance with first desired wavelength and beam propagation parameters. Spatial light modulator (SLM) addressing optics receives the control optics output wavefront and produces a desired beam size therefrom. An SLM receives the output from the SLM addressing optics and provides localized phased shifting of the resulting wavefront. The SLM comprises a microscopic array of pixelated silicon nanocluster elements and a voltage source for applying independently controlled voltages on desired nanocluster elements. SLM egressing optics receives the output of the SLM and returns the beam size of the wavefront to the initial beam size. The output of the SLM egressing element has desired portions of its phase shifted relative to the incoming optical wavefront.

US Patent:

6749726, Jun 15, 2004

Filed:

Nov 8, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/007994

Inventors:

Raymond Bernard Edelman - Woodland Hills CA
Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

C07C 402

US Classification:

20415715

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for initiating a combustive reaction in a slurry fuel. A transfer device optically interconnects an optical energy source with a combustion chamber containing slurry fuel and air. The optical energy source generates an output for interacting with the slurry fuel and air mixture to create a combustive reaction. In a first preferred embodiment, the optical energy source generates an excitation pulse having a high power leading edge and low power trailing edge. In a second preferred embodiment the optical energy source generates a first and second excitation pulse, the first excitation pulse having higher power than the second excitation pulse.

US Patent:

6778886, Aug 17, 2004

Filed:

Oct 18, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/273500

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G06F 700

US Classification:

701 13, 701 4, 342357, 342361

Abstract:

A satellite location determination system for a constellation of satellites includes a plurality of optical transceivers. Each optical transceiver is associated with a respective satellite and includes an optical synthesizer, transmission conditioning optics, a telescope assembly, reception conditioning optics, and an optical to electronic signal converter. The optical synthesizer produces phase-coherent optical laser pulses. The transmission conditioning optics appropriately conditions the characteristics of the phase-coherent optical laser pulses. The telescope assembly receives an output of the transmission conditioning optics and transmits an optical transceiver output into space for reception by an optical transceiver associated with another of the satellites. The telescope assembly also receives an optical transceiver output from another of the satellites. Reception conditioning optics appropriately conditions the characteristics of the optical transceiver output received from another of the satellites.

US Patent:

6781686, Aug 24, 2004

Filed:

Jun 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/175470

Inventors:

Jeffrey H. Hunt - Chatsworth CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01N 2188

US Classification:

3562372, 356309, 2505594

Abstract:

Two laser inputs having pulse durations of about 50-100 femtoseconds are directed to an area of a surface to be interrogated. The lasers are aligned so that their surface areas of optical illumination overlap on the interrogated surface. An optical delay line temporarily synchronizes the two inputs. An output wavelength discriminator receives reflections of the inputs from the interrogated surface and is substantially non-transmissive at the frequencies of the first laser input and the second laser input, but is substantially transmissive at the sum-frequency of the first input and the second input. Imaging optics direct the propagation of the output so that a real image is formed. A position sensitive detector monitors the intensity of the real image at the sum-frequency and an electronic signal equivalent to the real image is provided. The femtosecond duration laser inputs generate enhanced peak optical powers on the interrogated surface, producing an optimized sum-frequency reflection, resulting in minimized interrogation times.