Method and apparatus for battle damage assessment of electric or electronic devices and systems

• US 9,285,463 B1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokomis Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nokomis Inc.
• Inventors: Freeman, Stephen Dorn, Keller, Walter John
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/712,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 342/192, 342/90, 342 13- 15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0043 Directed energy weapons, i.e. devices that direct a beam of high energy content toward a target for incapacitating or destroying the target

Abstract

A method for assessing results from application of energy onto one or more electric or electronic devices includes the steps of acquiring an electromagnetic emission from the one or more devices, directing energy onto the one or more devices, acquiring another electromagnetic emission from the one or more devices having the energy directed thereonto and determining, in accordance with at least one logic algorithm state and/or change in state of the one or more devices. There is also a microprocessor based apparatus that is employed for acquiring the electromagnetic emissions and executing the at least one logic algorithm. Energy is directed by either a weapon or electromagnetic phenomena.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) directing, from a distance with one of a directed energy weapon, directed energy device and a directed energy event, energy onto one or more devices;

(b) acquiring, with an apparatus receiving and processing intentional or unintentional electromagnetic emissions, an electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices having said energy directed thereonto in step (a); and

(c) determining, with said apparatus, based on differences between said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) and another electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices, a change of said one or more devices resulting from an application of said directed energy thereonto.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) includes the step of comparing, with said apparatus, said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) against an electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices acquired prior to said energy directed thereonto.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step (c) further includes the step of assessing, with said apparatus, differences between said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) and said previously acquired electromagnetic emission.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the step of determining, with said apparatus, a complete destruction or a degradation of said one or more devices in absence of said electromagnetic emission being acquired in step (b).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the step of determining, with said apparatus, a destruction or a degradation of a sub-component of said one or more devices or a partial destruction or a partial degradation of said one or more devices in absence of a component of said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the step of determining, with said apparatus, a disruption in operation of said one or more devices in presence of at least one difference in said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) relative to a previously acquired electromagnetic emission prior to applying energy in step (a).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (a) includes the step of striking said one or more devices with said directed energy weapon.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing at least one of narrowband, wideband and ultra-wideband high powered microwave weapon.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing a high energy laser weapon.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing a kinetic weapon.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing an electromagnetic pulse weapon.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing at least one of missile, artillery ordinance, grenade, bomb and explosive device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying, with said apparatus, said one or more devices susceptible to additional directed energy events.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the step of executing, with said apparatus, at least one measurement.

15. The method of claim 14, further including the step of additional events of directing energy onto said one or more devices and the step of executing said at least one measurement before, after and between said additional events.

16. The method of claim 1, further including the step of determining and/or defining, with said apparatus, classes of said one or more devices and determining and/or defining the number of devices within a specific class.

17. The method of claim 1, further including the step of detecting, with said apparatus, functional state and changes due to directed energy engagements in real-time and the step of collecting and analyzing key spectral slices within the Electro-Magnetic Environment (EME).

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises an amplifier, a filter disposed between and coupled to said coupled to said antenna and said amplifier, a tuner, an analog to digital converter, and a controller having a processor configured to execute one or more logic algorithms, said filter configured to block energy from the direct energy source from damaging said amplifier.

19. The method of claim 1, further including the step of geo-locating, with said apparatus, said one or more devices emitting electromagnetic energy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said step of geo-locating said one or more devices emitting electromagnetic energy includes the steps of:

(a) mounting said apparatus on a platform configured for movement;

(b) operatively coupling said apparatus to at least a pair of antennas positioned in a spaced apart relationship with each other, each of said at least pair of antennas configured to collect the electromagnetic energy emission, wherein at least one of said at least pair of antennas is mounted on or within said platform;

(c) moving said apparatus toward to or away from said one or more devices;

(d) collecting, with each of said at least pair of antennas, at least a pair of successive samples of electromagnetic energy emitted by said one or more devices;

(e) receiving, at said apparatus, said at least pair of successive samples; and

(f) defining, with a processor provided within said apparatus, in accordance to a predetermined logic, angular and spatial coordinates of said one or more devices.

21. A method of determining condition of one or more electric or electronic devices after a weapon strike, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring, with an apparatus receiving and processing intentional or unintentional electromagnetic emissions, a first electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices;

(b) acquiring, with said apparatus, a second electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices having energy applied thereto by said weapon strike; and

(c) determining, with said apparatus, differences between said first and second electromagnetic emissions to further determine a state and/or a change in said state of said one or more devices resulting from application of said energy thereonto.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing said apparatus as comprising an amplifier, a filter disposed between and coupled to said antenna and said amplifier, a tuner, an analog to digital converter, and a controller having a processor configured to execute one or more logic algorithms, said filter configured to block energy from damaging said amplifier.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of installing said apparatus on at least one of an airborne platform, a seaborne platform and a ground borne platform.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of installing said apparatus on or in at least one of missile, cruise missile, interceptor, aircraft, spacecraft, unmanned aerial vehicle, ground vehicle, stationary ground based facility or platform, a marine vehicle, a submarine, a sea based platform.

25. The method of claim 22, further including the step of using said apparatus to at least acquire one of said first and second electromagnetic emissions.

26. The method of claim 21, further including the step of stimulating and/or illuminating said one or more devices with a source.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said source is a high powered microwave source.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said source is a radio-frequency source.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said source is a high energy laser source.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step positioning said source in a proximity to said apparatus.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of positioning said source remotely from said apparatus.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein step (d) includes the step of weighting, with said processor, a plurality of algorithms.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the step (d) further includes the step of identifying, with said apparatus, new electromagnetic emissions that are created after striking, with said weapon, said one or more devices in step (b).

34. An apparatus comprising:

(a) an antenna configured to receive one or more electromagnetic emissions from one or more devices subjected to an application of energy;

(b) an amplifier;

(c) a filter disposed between and coupled to said antenna and said amplifier, said filter configured to block energy emitted by an energy source from damaging said amplifier;

(d) a tuner coupled to said amplifier;

(e) an analog to digital converter (ADC) coupled to said tuner; and

(f) a controller coupled to said ADC and having a processor configured to execute one or more logic algorithms to determine differences between a pair of electromagnetic emissions and further determine a change of said one or more devices resulting from the application of the energy thereonto.

35. The apparatus, according to claim 34, wherein said one or more logic algorithms are configured to assess data collected from said electromagnetic emissions received before and/or after an energy directed onto said one or more devices.

36. The apparatus, according to claim 34, wherein said one or more logic algorithms is a plurality of algorithms executed in parallel to each other and wherein each of said plurality of algorithms is configured to assess unique aspect or parameter of said one or more devices.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is installed on or in at least one of missile, cruise missile, interceptor, aircraft, spacecraft, unmanned aerial vehicle, ground vehicle, stationary ground based facility or platform, a marine vehicle, a submarine, a sea based platform.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to monitor and/or assess at least one of state, change in state and operating condition of electrical or electronic manufacturing equipment having energy directed thereonto.

39. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising an energy source.

40. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to monitor and/or assess, after a directed energy event, at least one of state, change in state and operating condition of components of said one or more devices being incorporated into a manufactured product.

41. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to provide a battle damage assessment of at least one of narrowband, wideband and ultra-wideband High Power Microwave (HPM) weapons.

42. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to provide a battle damage assessment of High Energy Laser Weapons.

43. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to monitor and/or assess at least one of state, change in state and operating condition of a power plant for damage by an electromagnetic phenomena, wherein said electromagnetic phenomena is selected form a group consisting of lightning strikes, cosmic ray events, and solar flares.

44. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to monitor and/or assess at least one of state, change in state and operating condition of manufactured and/or manufacturing equipment for damage by an electromagnetic phenomena, wherein said electromagnetic phenomena is selected from a group consisting of lightning strikes, cosmic ray events, and solar flares.

45. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to monitor and/or assess at least one of state, change in state and operating condition of electronic and/or electrical devices for damage by an electromagnetic phenomena, wherein said electromagnetic phenomena is selected from a group consisting of lightning strikes, cosmic ray events, and solar flares.

46. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to monitor and/or assess at least one of state, change in state and operating condition of at least one of electronic devices, electrical devices, manufactured equipment, manufacturing equipment and facilities for damage by power surges.

47. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to detect counterfeit semiconductors.

48. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus is configured to detect a change, a degradation, a nominal status, a non-operational status, a damage or a detected status of the one more devices subjected to the application of energy.

49. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring, with an apparatus comprising an amplifier, a filter disposed between and coupled to an antenna and said amplifier, a tuner coupled to said amplifier, an analog to digital converter (ADC) coupled to said tuner, and a controller coupled to said ADC and comprising a processor, an electromagnetic emission from one or more devices having energy applied thereto by a weapon strike; and

(b) determining, with said apparatus, based on differences between said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) and another electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices, a state and/or a change in said state of said one or more devices resulting from application of said energy thereonto.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said electromagnetic phenomena includes at least one of lightning strike, cosmic ray event, and solar flare.

51. The method of claim 50, further including the step of monitoring a power plant for damage or change in operation and/or state from said electromagnetic phenomena.

52. The method of claim 50, further including the step of monitoring manufactured and/or manufacturing equipment for damage or change in operation and/or state from said electromagnetic phenomena.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein said step (a) includes the step of exposing, intentionally or unintentionally, said one or more devices to power surges.

54. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring, with an apparatus receiving and processing intentional or unintentional electromagnetic emissions, an electromagnetic emission from one or more electric devices having said energy applied thereonto by an electromagnetic phenomena and/or a power surge; and

(b) determining, with said apparatus, based on differences between said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) and another electromagnetic emission from said one or more electric devices, a state and/or a change in said state of said one or more device resulting from said application of said energy thereto.