SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTERACTION WITH THERMAL DETECTORS

• US 20160139248A1
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LMD Applied Science LLC
• Original Assignee: LaserMax Incorporated
• Inventors: Houde-Walter, Susan, Gagliano, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,864,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0056 for blinding or dazzling, i.e. by overstimulating the opponent's eyes or the enemy's sensor equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/36 for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/10 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/495 Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures using electronic or electro-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/34 involving multiple cooperating jammers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/60 Jamming involving special techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/62 by exposing communication, processing or storing systems to electromagnetic wave radiation, e.g. causing disturbance, disruption or damage of electronic circuits, or causing external injection of faults in the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/822 by detecting the presence of a surveillance, interception or detection

Abstract

A system for interacting with a thermal detector includes at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and a sensor mounted to the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle. The sensor is configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component. The system also includes a beam emitter mounted to the at least one unmanned vehicle and in communication with the sensor. The beam emitter includes a beam source configured to direct a beam of thermal radiation to the thermal detector in response to the signal from the sensor.

Claims

1. A system for interacting with a thermal detector, comprising:

at least one unmanned aerial vehicle;

a sensor mounted to the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle, the sensor configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component; and

a beam emitter mounted to the at least one unmanned vehicle and in communication with the sensor, the beam emitter including a beam source configured to direct a beam of thermal radiation to the thermal detector in response to the signal from the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the beam source comprises a quantum cascade laser and the beam of thermal radiation has a wavelength between approximately 2 μ

m and approximately 30 μ

m.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the component of the thermal detector comprises a lens.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a wavefront of radiation reflected by the lens and to determine the presence of the lens based on the detected wavefront.

5. The system of claim 1, further including a remote source in communication with at least one of the beam emitter and the at least one unmanned vehicle, wherein the remote source is configured to direct a control signal to the at least one of the beam emitter and the at least one unmanned vehicle indicative of a first location of the thermal detector.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one unmanned vehicle is configured to move to the first location, in response to the control signal, from a second location outside of a detection range of the thermal detector.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection range comprises a field of view of a focal plane array associated with the thermal detector.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein directing the beam to the thermal detector renders at least one pixel of a focal plane array associated with the thermal detector inoperable.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to move within a field of view of a focal plane array associated with the thermal detector while the beam source directs the beam of thermal radiation to the thermal detector, and wherein movement of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle within the field of view rastors the beam across the focal plane array.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the beam emitter and the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle includes an aiming device configured to rastor the beam of thermal radiation across a focal plane array associated with the thermal detector while the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.

11. A system for interacting with a thermal detector, comprising:

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes

a beam emitter having a quantum cascade laser, and

a sensor configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component,

wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move, in concert, relative to the thermal detector and each quantum cascade laser is configured to impinge a respective beam of thermal radiation upon a focal plane array of the thermal detector in response to the signal, thereby rendering a portion of the focal plane array inoperable; and

a remote source in communication with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the portion of the focal plane array comprises a plurality of pixels.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the component of the thermal detector comprises a lens, and the sensor is configured to determine the presence of the lens by detecting a wavefront of radiation reflected by the lens.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein upon determining the presence of the lens, at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in concert, in response to a signal from the remote source, from a location outside of a field of view of the focal plane array to a location within the field of view.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes a respective communicator, each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles being in communication with at least one other vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles via the communicator.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move within a field of view of the focal plane array while each respective beam of thermal radiation impinges upon the focal plane array, and wherein movement of each vehicle within the field of view rastors each respective beam across the focal plane array.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the beam emitter and at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes an aiming device configured to rastor the respective beam of thermal radiation across the focal plane array while the at least one vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.

19. A method of interacting with a thermal detector, comprising:

determining the presence of the thermal detector by detecting a wavefront of radiation reflected by a lens of the thermal detector;

moving at least one unmanned aerial vehicle from a first location outside of a detection range of the thermal detector to a location within the detection range of the thermal detector; and

impinging a beam of thermal radiation onto a component of the thermal detector with a beam source carried by the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein impinging the beam onto the component renders the component inoperable.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the thermal detector comprises a focal plane array and the component comprises a pixel of the focal plane array.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens, thereby impinging the beam onto a plurality of pixels of the focal plane array.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle within a field of view of the focal plane array while impinging the beam of thermal radiation onto the focal plane array, thereby rastoring the beam across the focal plane array.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising rastoring the beam of thermal radiation across the focal plane array while the at least one vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.