Method of detecting weather conditions in the atmosphere
First Claim
1. A method of detecting adverse weather conditions in the atmosphere which pose a hazard to flying aircraft, the adverse conditions producing sound waves in the atmosphere, comprising providing a laser device which produces an optical beam, directing the optical beam into a probe volume of the atmosphere containing light reflecting matter which moves in response to said sound waves, collecting the light reflected from said matter, and producing output information from said collected light indicative of said sound waves and the weather conditions of the atmosphere.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for detecting conditions in the atmosphere which are hazardous to flying aircraft and providing early warning to pilots or ground personnel. The method includes using a laser beam and a coherent optical receiver to optically sense sound waves produced by those hazardous conditions and measuring the effect of those sound waves on the transmitted and received optical beams.
142 Citations
33 Claims
- 1. A method of detecting adverse weather conditions in the atmosphere which pose a hazard to flying aircraft, the adverse conditions producing sound waves in the atmosphere, comprising providing a laser device which produces an optical beam, directing the optical beam into a probe volume of the atmosphere containing light reflecting matter which moves in response to said sound waves, collecting the light reflected from said matter, and producing output information from said collected light indicative of said sound waves and the weather conditions of the atmosphere.
- 6. A method of detecting adverse weather conditions in the atmosphere which pose a hazard to flying aircraft, the adverse weather conditions producing sound waves in the atmosphere, comprising producing a plurality of optical beams, directing each optical beam into an associated probe volume of the atmosphere containing light reflecting matter which moves in response to said sound waves, collecting the light reflected from said matter in each probe volume, producing a signal from the collected light from each probe volume, combining said signals to produce output information indicative of the characteristics and locations of said sound waves and the weather conditions of the atmosphere.
- 11. A method of detecting conditions in the atmosphere which are hazardous to flying aircraft, said hazardous conditions producing sound waves in the atmosphere, comprising providing a laser device which produces an optical beam, directing said beam into the atmosphere and measuring the effect of said sound waves on said beam as an indicator of said hazardous conditions.
- 21. Apparatus for detecting conditions in the atmosphere which are hazardous to flying aircraft, said hazardous conditions producing sound waves in the atmosphere, comprising laser means for producing an optical beam, means for directing said beam into the atmosphere, and means for measuring the effect of said sound waves on said beam as an indicator of said hazardous conditions.
- 29. Apparatus for detecting adverse weather conditions in the atmosphere which pose a hazard to flying aircraft, the adverse conditions producing sound waves in the atmosphere, comprising laser means for producing an optical beam, means for directing the optical beam into a probe volume of the atmosphere containing light reflecting matter which moves in response to said sound waves, means for collecting the light reflected from said matter, and means for producing output information from said collected light indicative of said sound waves and the weather conditions of the atmosphere.
Specification