Gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode dazzling devices and methods of use

• US 9,250,044 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W., Rudy, Paul, Khosla, Vinod, Lamond, Pierre, Denbaars, Steven P., Nakamura, Shuji, Ogawa, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRA, ANH QUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/938,048
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 315/111.81, 372 4301- 5023
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 15/00 Weapons not otherwise provided for , e.g. nunchakus, throwing knives
• 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: F41H 9/10 Hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellant gases or chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02325 Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/042 Electrical excitation ; Circuits therefor monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0428 for applying pulses to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1096 in a single cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2203 with a transverse junction stripe [TJS] structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4012 Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 Edge-emitting structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength

Abstract

Laser dazzler devices and methods of using laser dazzler devices are disclosed. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide laser dazzling devices power by one or more green laser diodes characterized by a wavelength of about 500 nm to 540 nm. In various embodiments, laser dazzling devices according to the present invention include non-polar and/or semi-polar green laser diodes. In a specific embodiment, a laser dazzling device includes a plurality of green laser diodes.

Claims

1. A laser dazzling apparatus comprising:

a gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode device comprising a first stage, the first stage comprising a non-lethal light emitting stage;

the laser diode device comprising an active region and a laser stripe region configured to emit a first laser beam characterized by one or more wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 540 nm, the active region comprising gallium and nitrogen containing material and having a plurality of well layers and barrier layers stacked in a first direction, the laser stripe region configured to project the first laser beam in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction;

a driving circuit electrically coupled to the laser diode device, the driving circuit being adapted to deliver electrical power to the laser diode device, the electrical power being less than 800 mW;

a power source electrically coupled to the driving circuit;

a sight for aligning the first laser beam; and

a second stage, the second stage comprising a non-lethal stage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

the laser diode device comprises a laser diode dazzler device;

and

the first laser beam is characterized by one or more wavelengths from about 500 nm to about 540 nm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

the laser diode device comprises a laser diode dazzler device;

and

the first laser beam is characterized by one or more wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 500 nm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device comprises a laser pointer device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device comprises a laser aiming device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second stage comprises a laser diode dazzler device configured to emit a second laser beam characterized by a one or more wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 540 nm.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second laser beam is characterized by one or more wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 500 nm, one or more wavelengths from about 500 nm to about 540 nm, or a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second stage comprises a Taser device configured to emit an electroshock.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second stage comprises a pepper spray emitting device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second stage comprises a rubber bullet projectile launching device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third stage.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third stage comprises a non-lethal stage.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third stage comprises a lethal stage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the lethal stage comprises a firearm.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical concentrator aligned with the laser diode device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, where the laser diode device comprises a green laser diode characterized by a polar {0001} surface orientation.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, where the laser diode device comprises a green laser diode characterized by a non-polar surface orientation.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, where the laser diode device comprises a green laser diode characterized by a semi-polar surface orientation.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, where the laser diode device comprises a green laser diode characterized by a semi-polar {20-21} surface orientation.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device comprises a gallium and nitrogen containing bulk substrate.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first laser beam is characterized by a power level less than 100 W.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first laser beam is characterized by a power level less than 1 W.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first laser beam is characterized by a power level less than 10 W.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device comprises a plurality of green laser diodes, each of the plurality of green laser diodes characterized by emission in a wavelength range from 500 nm to 540 nm.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device comprises a plurality of green laser diodes sharing a single package.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optic configured to adjust the size of the laser beam at a predetermined distance.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sight is selected from an open sight, an aperture sight, a red dot sight, a holographic sight, a scope, and a combination of any of the foregoing.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit is configured to deliver pulsed electrical energy.

30. A method of deterring a subject, comprising:

providing the apparatus of claim 1; and

directing the first laser beam at the subject.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the laser diode device comprises a laser diode dazzler device.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising using the second stage.