Broad-area laser awareness sensor
| DWPI Title: Broad-area laser warning system for detecting laser strikes on platform e.g. mobile platform, has imaging sensor mounted on platform and used to output image frames indicative of light received at imaging sensor, and optical system forming image of portion of platform at imaging sensor |
| Abstract: A laser-strike detection system includes an imaging sensor mounted on a platform, and a computing device. The imaging sensor outputs image frames that are each representative of a portion of the platform at a different time, during which a laser may be striking the platform. The computing device receives the image frames, and computes a delay map that indicates time-of-arrival delays of the laser beam at points on the portion of the platform. The computing device converts the delay map to a path-length variation map by multiplying the delay map by the propagation speed of light. The computing device fits a plane to the path-length variation map constrained by a topological model of the platform. The computing device computes angular deflections in x- and y-directions based upon the fit, which angular deflections define a direction from the platform to an emitter of the laser beam. |
| Use: Broad-area laser warning system for detecting laser strikes on a platform i.e. mobile platform. Uses include but are not limited to an aircraft, a spacecraft, a ground vehicle, a building, ship or boat. |
| Advantage: The triggering sensor can control the imaging sensor such that the imaging sensor generates image frames when detects that a laser strike is occurring, thus limiting the output of the imaging sensor exceeds the throughput of the communications interface with the computing device. |
| Novelty: The system has an imaging sensor mounted on a platform (100) and used to output image frames indicative of light received at the imaging sensor. An optical system forms an image of a portion of the platform at the imaging sensor. A computing system or a hardware logic component receives the image frames from the imaging sensor, where each of the image frames is representative of the portion of the platform at a different respective time in a period of time. The computing system detects an impingement of light based on the platform, where the light is from a remote laser, computes a direction of propagation of a beam (104) of the light that is incident on the platform during the period of time based on the image frames, and outputs an indication of the direction of propagation of the beam of the light. |
| Filed: 6/3/2021 |
| Application Number: US17337837A |
| Tech ID: SD 14934.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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