EVALUATION OF UNSOLICITED PROPOSAL NUMBER 149/66 ENTITLED A LASER REAR-PROJECTION VIEWING SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B05171A000100030006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2003
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: September 15, 1966
• Content Type: MF

Approved ForBIease 2003/03/28 : CIA-RDP78B0517.A000100030006-0
MOM.,
RPIC
S/D/6-157
September 1966
215X1
)ORANUt FOR: Chief, Development Branch, P&
re
gnec had vitsited their facility to investigate t
nTSnr,ds 40 o ?
n a
CONFIDENTIAL
chief, Exploitation Systems Section, DB
EvMlUation Of Unsolicited Proposal Number 149/66
Entitled "A Laser Rear-Projection Viewing System"
1. prepared the subject proposal
after the urz i
ser df,eplay system being developed for Rome Air
25X1
entirely different ^??+?~??????J +?.wr uss~+.4 +1 Vi iiU
purpose than the proposed rear
ti
-projec
on system,
the components and techniques of both systems are identical. Recog-
nizing this fact, reconfigured the display device
into the proposed ~Tewer.
2. Basically, the I posal envisions the utilisation of a
laser as the illumination medium for film transparencies. The light
beam would be projected through the imagery as in a conventional
rear-projection scheme; however, a small portion (about 3%) of the
light transmitted by the imagery would be split off the optical path
and focused an a photomulti ,ier. The signal produced in the photo-
multiplier would be amplified and electrically processed to drive a
potaesiu -djhydrogen-phosphate ( )P) electro..optic.:light modulator:
The modulator would control the intensity of the beam on its next
er sVVeep. The raster sweep would be faster than the minimum
~
i
pt
b:ility of the human eye; therefore, no visible "flicker"
25X1
beam t"OYk31" the _? .......+..s~s~ L."= .6"Co SZ"
projected image format would depend on the spot size
desired. If only a few hundred sc4n lines per frame are desired a ga1-
ncmzeter. driven moving mirror can be effectively used however,
if over two thousand (five thousand have been achieved5 scan lines are
desired, it developed tortional scanner can be
utilized.
The most important aspect to this proposal is that th
e
rdwore h&s been previously developed and the calculated
leney of the proposed system is well within the stmt 0--t.
~
p
'
determine if z proposed system can .in fact be utilized in a rear-
projection: viewer, Using a one watt laser (larger lasers are available)
.. D
}e< aY
t .
e subject proposal is for a six month feasibilit at
Declass Review by eaii
NIMAM IMA/DOD Approved For Rel N EN ltiRDP78B05171A000100030 Odd from a4tsatat+C
de"U ding And
deC1auuit1Catbba
 P78B05171A000100030006-0
Approved Fo~roRelea
rwi -
the open gate brightness can the screen should be over twenty foot-
lemberts. This calculation takes into account the light losses in
all of the elements between the user and the screen, This project
is to determine the feasibility of developing the laser display and
if feasible, the system performance could easily be increased by
utilizing a more powerful laser.
4+. This proposal basically satisfies the concepts described
in the Development Objectives entitled Modulated-tight Film Viewing
System dated 23 March 1964. If this program is successful many
advantages could be derived from this type of system. In the Laser
Display previously mentioned, has successfully
developed a full color display using the ee primary spectral lines
of two lasers. This could lead to a full color display system that
would have the capability of variation of the color balance. Since
the system is.monochromatio, (using a single la;aer) optical processing
could be ;performed in 'the spatial frequency plane to do such simple,
but important, tasks as eliminate the scan lines produced in the
collection of infrared imagery. An additional aid to interpretation
of infrared i ry would be color coding the information; e.g. hot
objects could be indicated as red and cold targets could be blue.
, 7Fr the above analysis it is z econnended that a project be
established to more thoroughly awe the desirability of a under-
taking feasibility study for A Laser Rear-Projection Viewer for
'Y41.967. It is important that such an effort be started at an early
date to enable the conoepts (assuming success) to be integrated with
other efforts in the same area. Specifically projects such as the
Advanced Rear-Projection Viewer and the Improved Rear-Projection Screen
should be thoroughly coordinated with the subject effort. It is
further recommended that the undersigned be assigned the primary
technical responsibility for this effort,
25
X1
25X1
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
3 - TSB/P&DS
pnf
oh,P S
Approved For Relea N 03/f 1f P78B05171A000100030006-0
GUF