Mobile laser spotlight system for law enforcement

• US 5,997,163 A
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LE Sys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LE Sys Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/093,692
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 362/583, 362/558, 362/580, 362/553, 362/511, 362/546, 362/547, 362/543, 362/544, 362/259, 362/293, 362/510, 362/294, 362/373, 362/542
• US Class Current: 362/553
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0483 mounted on a bracket, e.g. details concerning the mouting of the lamps on the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/245 Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle adjustable headlights B60Q1/06
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/008 Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/20 of different form
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/30 Semiconductor lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00

Abstract

A vehicle mounted laser spotlight system employs a coherent/incoherent spotlight as a light source to produce an eyesafe light dispersion pattern to illuminate an ambient environment. The laser spotlight system includes an integrated laser unit having an integrated laser, power supply and control unit for selectively transmitting coherent light. A fiber optic cable optically couples the laser unit to a spotlight which receives the coherent light from the laser and transmits a beam of coherent light into the ambient environment. An incoherent light transmitter selectively transmits a beam of incoherent light coincident with the beam of coherent light. A converter module may be disposed intermediate the laser and the spotlight to convert the frequency and wavelength of the coherent light.

Claims

1. A vehicle mounted laser spotlight system for emitting a light dispersion pattern into an ambient environment comprising:

an integral laser unit having a control unit, a power supply and a laser for selectively emitting a coherent light;

a spotlight mounted to the vehicle for receiving the coherent light from the laser unit and transmitting a beam of coherent light into the ambient environment;

fiber optic cable means for optically coupling the laser unit and the spotlight; and

an incoherent light transmitter for selectively transmitting a beam of incoherent light coincident with the beam of coherent light.

2. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 further comprising a control panel in electronic communication with the laser unit and the incoherent light transmitter.

3. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein said laser unit further has an integral heat sink.

4. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the coherent light emitted by the laser unit defines a first laser beam having a first frequency and a first wavelength and the laser spot light further comprises a converter disposed intermediate the laser and the spotlight for receiving the first laser beam from the laser, converting the first frequency and first wavelength to a second frequency and a second wavelength, respectively, and emitting a second laser beam having the second frequency and second wavelength to the spotlight.

5. The laser spotlight system of claim 4 wherein the converter comprises a resonator and a second harmonic generating crystal to shift the first wavelength of the first laser beam to the second wavelength of the second laser beam.

6. The laser spotlight system of claim 5 wherein the first wavelength is substantially equal to 808 nm, the resonator shifts the first wavelength of the first laser beam to an intermediate wave length substantially equal to 1064 nm and the second harmonic generating crystal shifts the intermediate wave length to the second wavelength of the second laser beam, wherein the second wavelength is substantially equal to 532 nm.

7. The laser spotlight system of claim 4 wherein the second laser beam has an intensity and the spotlight includes a beam expander for dispersing the second laser beam, wherein the intensity of the dispersed second laser beam is safe for a human eye.

8. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the spotlight comprises a housing having an optically transmissive cover and defining an optical axis, the fiber optic cable means comprises a fiber optic cable having a distal end disposed in the housing, and the incoherent light transmitter is disposed in the housing.

9. The laser spotlight system of claim 8 wherein the spotlight further comprises at least one collimating lens disposed on the optical axis intermediate the cover and the second end of the fiber optic cable for receiving and expanding the coherent light and a prism disposed on the optical axis intermediate the collimating lens and the cover for forming and directing the beam of coherent light through the cover along the optical axis of the spotlight.

10. The laser spotlight system of claim 9 wherein the spotlight further comprises a reflector disposed within the housing for reflecting incoherent light transmitted by the incoherent light transmitter, at least partially collimating the incoherent light, forming the beam of incoherent light, and directing the beam of incoherent light through the cover along the optical axis of the spotlight.

11. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the spotlight comprises a housing having a collimating lens and defining an optical axis, the fiber optic cable means comprises a fiber optic cable having a distal end disposed in the housing on the optical axis, whereby the distal end of the fiber optic cable transmits the coherent light through the collimating lens along the optical axis of the spotlight to form the beam of coherent light.

12. The laser spotlight system of claim 11 wherein the spotlight further comprises a reflector disposed within the housing for reflecting the coherent light and forming the beam of coherent light and a mirror disposed on the optical axis intermediate the distal end of the fiber optic cable and the collimating lens, the mirror having a convex surface disposed adjacent the distal end of the fiber optic cable, whereby the coherent light emitted from the distal end of the fiber optic cable is directed to the reflector by the mirror.

13. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the spotlight comprises a housing having a collimating lens and defining an optical axis, the laser unit is mounted on the housing, the fiber optic cable means extending into the housing on the optical axis, whereby the distal end of the fiber optic cable transmits the coherent light through the collimating lens along the optical axis of the spotlight to form the beam of coherent light.

14. The laser spotlight system of claim 13 further comprising a short f-number lens disposed intermediate the distal end of the fiber optic cable and the collimating lens for rapidly diverging the coherent light emitted from the distal end of the fiber optic cable to fill the collimating lens.

15. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the spotlight defines a first spotlight for emitting the beam of coherent light along a first optical axis and the laser spotlight system further comprises a second spotlight for emitting the beam of incoherent light along a second optical axis, the beam of incoherent light overlapping the beam of coherent light at a predetermined distance from the first and second spotlights.

16. The laser spotlight system of claim 15 wherein the laser unit is mounted to the first spotlight and the first spotlight comprises a beam expansion and collimation module.

17. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the laser defines a first laser source emitting a first laser beam and the laser unit further comprises a second laser source emitting a second laser beam, whereby the fiber optic cable means receives the first and second laser beams from the first and second laser sources and transmits the first and second laser beams to the spotlight.

18. The laser spotlight system of claim 17 wherein the laser unit further comprises first and second lenses disposed intermediate the first and second laser sources and the fiber optic cable means for focusing the first and second laser beams and a polarizer disposed intermediate the first and second lenses and the fiber optic cable means for polarizing the first and second laser beams.

19. The laser spotlight system of claim 18 wherein the fiber optic cable means comprises a fiber bulkhead disposed within the laser unit for receiving the first and second laser beams.

20. The laser spotlight system of claim 17 wherein the first and second laser beams each have a wavelength, the wavelength of the second laser beam being different from the wavelength of the first laser beam.

21. The laser spotlight system of claim 1 wherein the laser unit further comprises the incoherent light transmitter, whereby the fiber optic cable means receives the incoherent light beam and the coherent light for transmittal to the spotlight.

22. The laser spotlight system of claim 21 wherein the laser unit further comprises first and second lenses disposed intermediate the laser and the incoherent light source and the fiber optic cable means for focusing the coherent light and the incoherent light beam and a polarizer disposed intermediate the first and second lenses and the fiber optic cable means for polarizing the coherent light and the incoherent light beam.

23. The laser spotlight system of claim 18 wherein the fiber optic cable means comprises a fiber bulkhead disposed within the laser unit for receiving the coherent light and the incoherent light beam.

24. A vehicle mounted laser spotlight system for emitting a light dispersion pattern into an ambient environment comprising:

an integral laser unit having a control unit, a power supply and a laser for selectively emitting a coherent light;

fiber optic cable means comprising at least one fiber optic cable for optically coupling the laser unit and the spotlight, the fiber optic cable having a first end disposed in the laser unit for receiving the coherent light and a distal second end for transmitting the coherent light; and

a spotlight mounted to the vehicle comprising a housing defining an optical axis, an incoherent light transmitter disposed within the housing for selectively transmitting a beam of incoherent light along the optical axis, the second end of the fiber optic cable being disposed within the housing.

25. The laser spotlight system of claim 24 wherein the spotlight further comprises an optically transmissive cover disposed on the optical axis, at least one collimating lens disposed on the optical axis intermediate the cover and the second end of the fiber optic cable for receiving and expanding the coherent light, and a prism disposed on the optical axis intermediate the collimating lens and the cover for forming and directing the beam of coherent light through the cover along the optical axis of the spotlight.

26. The laser spotlight system of claim 25 wherein the spotlight further comprises a reflector disposed within the housing for reflecting incoherent light transmitted by the incoherent light transmitter, at least partially collimating the incoherent light, forming the beam of incoherent light, and directing the beam of incoherent light through the cover along the optical axis of the spotlight.

27. A spotlight for a vehicle mounted laser spotlight system comprising:

a housing defining an optical axis, the housing having an interior reflective surface and an optically transmissive cover disposed on the axis;

coherent light means for selectively transmitting a coherent light along the optical axis disposed within the housing; and

incoherent light means for selectively transmitting an incoherent light along the optical axis disposed within the housing.

28. The spotlight of claim 27 wherein the coherent light means comprises fiber optic cable means having a first end connectable to a coherent light source and a second end disposed within the housing, at least one collimating lens disposed on the optical axis intermediate the cover and the second end of the fiber optic cable means for receiving and expanding the coherent light, and a prism disposed on the optical axis intermediate the collimating lens and the cover for forming and directing the beam of coherent light through the cover along the optical axis of the spotlight.