Identification system

• US 6,450,816 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oerlikon Contraves AG (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Oerlikon Contraves AG (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Gerber, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/099,837
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 434/11, 434/16, 434/19, 434/21, 434/22
• US Class Current: 434/11
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2666 with means for selecting or varying PRF or time coding of the emitted beam

Abstract

A soldier (A) carries a weapon, on which a laser device (1) is mounted, which is used for illuminating a harness device (6) on the body of another soldier (B). The laser device and the target device each include a microprocessor as well as an ultrasound unit and/or a radio unit (72, 71) such that, if the laser device does not receive a response from the target device within a period of time Ta following the transmission of a bundled, coded laser beam, it transmits another laser beam with different coding, which causes the ultrasound unit and/or the radio unit of the target device to transmit an acknowledgement which can be received by the ultrasound unit and/or the radio unit of the laser device.

Claims

1. An identification system comprising:

a laser device which is capable of emitting a laser beam with a first code and a laser beam with a different second code;

a target device having a sensor for detecting said first and second coded laser beams from said laser device, a microprocessor for formulating a response, a laser response transmitter and a radio frequency or ultrasound response transmitter; and

,

receivers associated with said laser device which are collectively capable of receiving a laser response and either a radio frequency or ultrasound response from said target device;

wherein said laser device initially emits said laser beam with a first code to said target device to solicit a laser response and, if said laser device does not receive a laser response from said target device within a predetermined period of time after transmission, said laser device then emits said laser beam with a second code to solicit either a radio frequency or ultrasound response.

2. The identification system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said laser device transmits invisible or visible light and contains means to switch one or several holographic gratings into and out of the laser beam path with the aid of a switching system operated from the outside wherein such grating increases the divergence of the laser beam and results in an illuminated zone in the shape of a ring, a triangle, a square, or of several spots.

5. The identification system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising code management means associated with said laser device in order to make possible the identification of friendly aircraft, tanks, civilians, equipment, or soldiers.

12. An identification system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said laser beams are coded and/or chopped in such a way that the object to be identified is advised on which channel or in what frequency sequence a response is to be transmitted.

13. An identification system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said laser device is used for simulating a shot.

14. An identification system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said laser device can be used for both military training and fighting.

3. An identification system comprising:

a laser device which is capable of emitting a tightly bundled laser beam with a first code and a tightly bundled laser beam with a different second code which are both visible only through night vision goggles;

a target device having a sensor for detecting said first and second coded laser beams from said laser device, a microprocessor for formulating a response, a laser response transmitter and a radio frequency or ultrasound response transmitter;

receivers associated with said laser device which are collectively capable of receiving a laser response and either a radio frequency or ultrasound response from said target device; and

,

an alert device associated with said laser device which can alert the user of said laser device whether the user of said target device is friendly or not,

wherein said laser device initially emits said laser beam with a first code to said target device to solicit a laser response and, if said laser device does not receive a laser response from said target device within a predetermined period of time after transmission, said laser device then emits said laser beam with a second code to solicit either a radio frequency or ultrasound response.

4. An identification system comprising:

a laser device having a laser target illuminating device, a housing element with batteries and a mounting rail for connecting the laser device elements together wherein said laser device is capable of emitting a laser beam with a first code and a laser beam with a different second code;

a target device having a sensor for detecting said first and second coded laser beams from said laser device, a microprocessor for formulating a response, a laser response transmitter and a radio frequency or ultrasound response transmitter;

receivers associated with said laser device which are collectively capable of receiving a laser response and either a radio frequency or ultrasound response from said target device; and

,

parallel extending, partially cylindrical parts on said laser device that a laser device user can use to aim along a gap between said parts and see an alert light between said parts for identifiing whether the user of said target device is friendly or not,

wherein said laser device initially emits said laser beam with a first code to said target device to solicit a laser response and, if said laser device does not receive a laser response from said target device within a predetermined period of time after transmission, said laser device then emits said laser beam with a second code to solicit either a radio frequency or ultrasound response.

6. A target device for an identification system comprising

a portable harness device having a laser transmitter, light detector and regulating unit,

wherein said regulating unit has a memory for storing a harness system identification code, a display, a battery, a keyboard capable of data input and preparing messages, and a control circuit for transmitting both said identification code and any messages by way of radio signals, ultrasound signals, light signals or cable.

7. The target device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said regulating unit may act as a control unit or a controlled unit wherein controlled units have a memory unit for storing the identification code from a control unit, as well as a control circuit for comparing incoming messages with the identification code stored in said memory.

8. The target device in accordance with claim 6, wherein means are provided for using a laser lightbeam from said laser transmitter for distance measuring or communication.

9. The target device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said regulating unit is programmed in such a way that soldiers of a group using said target device can only identify soldiers of their own group using the same said target device.

10. The target device in accordance with claim 6, wherein means are provided for detecting the distance of the regulating unit from its wearer by humidity, temperature, pulse, the human voice or other parameters which infer the nearness of the body of its wearer.

11. The target device in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a chopper means, a pre-amplifier and a discriminator.