153results about "Directed energy weapons" patented technology

A method, system, and computer-readable media for providing a mountable directed-energy system comprising a directed-energy source for generating and transmitting directed-energy. At least a portion of the directed-energy system may be mounted to one or more other devices such as any of a vehicle, drone, or other manually operated, autonomous, or semi-autonomous system.

The airborne photoelectric confrontation pod comprises a pod body, a U-shaped frame is fixedly arranged at the top of the pod body, side cover plates are arranged on the two sides of the U-shaped frame respectively, a servo control module and an orientation assembly which are used for controlling an image stabilization system are installed in the side cover plates, and the top of the U-shaped frame and an unmanned joint are assembled together through a damping assembly; a front cover for sealing and protecting is arranged at the front end of the cabin body; a power supply module, a power supply system connecting frame and a subsystem connecting frame are sequentially arranged in the cabin body from top to bottom, the power supply module is fixed on the power supply system connecting frame, the power supply system connecting frame is fixedly connected with the subsystem connecting frame, and the subsystem connecting frame is fixedly connected with the inner side of the cabin body. Through control of the upper computer system, stable observation, distance measurement and automatic tracking of ground and low-altitude targets can be realized, and a laser suppression system of the unmanned aerial vehicle is guided to emit strong laser to perform interference blinding and disposal on the unmanned aerial vehicle target.

A coherent fiber array laser power projection system scalable to large number of subapertures and includes sensors that produce signals dependent upon beam characteristics, and controllers configured to control beam characteristics to achieve either phasing of outgoing beams at transmitter plane or coherent beam combining at a remote target or both.

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) countering method and device for interfering the AI vision of a UAV, and a medium, and the method comprises the steps: determining a fixed countering point information set in a protection region, including the unique identification, type and position information of countering points, generating a countering patrol route based on the position information, and issuing the countering patrol route to a target countering UAV; when temporary threat reporting information is received, judging whether the threat point is a to-be-added threat point; and if yes, adding the temporary threat report information into a temporary threat report information set, generating an updated countering route in combination with the set and the countering patrol route, and controlling the target countering unmanned aerial vehicle to execute a laser interference action according to the updated route. The method can efficiently and flexibly deal with the threat of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the protection area, and improves the safety protection capability of the area.

A high energy laser (HEL) weapon system for counter-UAS (C-UAS) use comprises a fully self-contained laser system including a power supply, thermal management, high-capacity batteries, and integrated radar and electronic warfare subsystems.

Methods and systems for the generation of non-lethal and lethal effects using ultra-short pulse lasers. A laser source generates pulses at the direction of a controller and directs the pulses along an optical path to one or more high-speed beam steering devices, also directed by the controller, which then directs the laser pulses to achieve the desired effects. A computerized controller receives a specification of one or more desired effects for one or more targets and calculates a distribution of ultra-short laser pulses as well as the required characteristics for each of the pulses.

A multifunction portable illumination system includes a housing having a power source. A broadband illumination source connected to the power source and capable of producing broadband illuminating light. The system includes an imaging disruption assembly including at least one narrow-band light source capable of generating one or more high intensity light beams (HILB) and a light modifying assembly configured to modify the one or more HILB to produce a Modified HILB. At least one Modified HILB may have the requisite irradiance to cause disruption of an imaging system.

A system for illuminating a target in the presence of atmospheric turbulence includes a coherent beam combining (CBC) subsystem, an atmospheric wave-front sensor (AWS) subsystem, a multi-channel photo-detector (MCPD) subsystem, an auxiliary light source, and a receiving optical aperture. The CBC subsystem forms a multiplicity of CBC sub-beams and an reference beam, all of which fall in a wavelength band that is different from that of the auxiliary light source. The auxiliary light source may be a laser or a portion of the solar spectrum of the Sun. An AWS controller provides closed-loop compensation of atmospheric turbulence for low power auxiliary reflection and reference beams. A MCPD controller provides closed-loop compensation of high-frequency laser noise and transfers the wavefront correction from the reference to the high power CBC laser. The frequency of the MCPD controller is at least an order of magnitude greater than the bandwidth of the AWS controller.

Self-cleaning laser beam device (10), comprising: a beam window (1) through which a laser beam can be emitted and / or received; and a drive device (3) which is designed on the edge side of the beam window (1) with respect to a beam axis of the laser beam in order to rotate and / or oscillate the beam window (1) relative to a surrounding window frame (5) in order to remove dirt from the beam window (1).

A laser weapon system is described. Particularly, embodiments describe subsystems of a laser weapon system including those necessary for laser generation, operational control, optical emission, and heat dissipation configured to provide a lightweight unit of reduced dimensions.

A shipboard platform is provided for azimuth and elevation pivoting of a targeting payload. The platform is coupled to a ship and includes a pedestal, an azimuth drive trunnion, a yoke having first and second struts, an elevation drive trunnion and an elevation support trunnion. The pedestal is disposed on the ship. The azimuth drive trunnion is disposed in the pedestal. The yoke is rotatably disposed on the azimuth drive trunnion. The elevation drive and support trunnions are rotatably disposed in their respective first and second struts. The payload is mountable to the elevation drive and support trunnions. Further, a gimbal trunnion is provided for pivoting a payload along an axis. The trunnion includes an annular shaft, an interface mounting plate, an annular rotor, an annular stator, and inner and outer annular housings. The shaft turns the payload along the axis. The interface mounting plate is axially disposed between the payload and the shaft. The annular rotor extends radially outward from the shaft for turning the mounting plate. The annular stator extends radially outward from the rotor to laterally constrain the rotor. The inner and outer annular housings extending radially outward from the stator for encasing the axially tandem bearings.

An air-based counter-countermeasure (CCM) system includes an autonomous or semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft capable of deployment to an area of a countermeasure system having (1) a laser detector to receive and identify an incident laser signal as a target designator signal and (2) one or more countermeasure subsystems operative in response to an output of the laser detector to deploy corresponding countermeasures against a laser target designator. The CCM system further includes a laser-based CCM subsystem carried by the aircraft, the CCM subsystem being configured and operative, during the deployment of the aircraft, to direct a simulated target designator laser signal to the laser detector of the countermeasure system to trigger one or more of the countermeasures and thereby reduce protective ability of the countermeasure system against subsequent laser-guided attack.

A laser weapon system is described. Particularly, embodiments describe subsystems of a laser weapon system including those necessary for laser generation, operational control, optical emission, and heat dissipation configured to provide a lightweight unit of reduced dimensions.

A system for illuminating a target in the presence of atmospheric turbulence includes a coherent beam combining (CBC) subsystem, an atmospheric wave-front sensor (AWS) subsystem, a multi-channel photo-detector (MCPD) subsystem, an auxiliary light source, and a receiving optical aperture. The CBC subsystem forms a multiplicity of CBC sub-beams and an reference beam, all of which fall in a wavelength band that is different from that of the auxiliary light source. The auxiliary light source may be a laser or a portion of the solar spectrum of the Sun. An AWS controller provides closed-loop compensation of atmospheric turbulence for low power auxiliary reflection and reference beams. A MCPD controller provides closed-loop compensation of high-frequency laser noise and transfers the wavefront correction from the reference to the high power CBC laser. The frequency of the MCPD controller is at least an order of magnitude greater than the bandwidth of the AWS controller.

An apparatus for reducing thermal blooming in an optical subsystem of a high energy laser (HEL) comprises a fluid pump that receives a first fluid containing diatomic oxygen at a first concentration and a combustion chamber that combusts the first fluid to develop a second fluid containing diatomic oxygen at a second concentration, wherein the second concentration is less than the first concentration, and wherein the second fluid is supplied to the optical subsystem of the HEL. A method of operating an HEL having an optical subsystem is also disclosed.

A tactical laser defense system includes one or more tactical lasers configured to emit one or more respective laser beams at a particular target; one or more other tactical devices comprising at least one of: (i) a camera to capture images and / or video of an area surrounding the tactical laser defense system, (ii) a light source for illuminating the area surrounding the tactical laser defense system, (iii) a microphone for capturing audio information from the area surrounding the tactical laser defense system, and (iv) radar equipment for detecting enemy threats; and a power source operatively coupled to the one or more tactical lasers and the one or more other tactical devices, the power source configured to provide electrical power to the one or more tactical lasers and the one or more other tactical devices.

A method for measuring the influence of turbulent disturbances on laser irradiation of a target as it passes through a turbulent atmosphere comprises focusing a measuring laser beam onto the target with an optical device; collimating a reflected laser beam, which is reflected back from the target due to irradiation with the measuring laser beam and received by the optical device, in a sensor plane of a sensor device; repeatedly measuring a spatially dependent gradient field of a wavefront of the collimated reflected laser beam in the sensor plane in a number of individual measurements, wherein the measuring laser beam is adjusted after each individual measurement such that the individual measurements are statistically independent of each other;and averaging the measured gradient field over the number of individual measurements to estimate a turbulence disturbance of the measuring laser beam, whereby a corresponding turbulence-disturbed wavefront is reconstructed from the averaged gradient field using digital signal processing.

An optical source (100) comprising a primary optical signal source (110), a first optical tap (102) for forming an optical tap signal, a first fast optical switch (104), a secondary optical signal source (120) and a second fast optical switch (106). Each optical signal source comprises a seed laser (112, 122) for generating a seed laser signal and spectral broadening apparatus (114, 124) to broaden the seed laser signal to output a broadened laser signal. The optical source further comprises an optical fibre amplifier (108), an optical combiner (128), optical monitoring apparatus (118) and control circuitry (126). The optical monitoring apparatus is configured to output an alarm signal responsive to determining that the optical tap signal is indicative of a fault in the spectral broadening apparatus of the primary optical signal source resulting in insufficient broadening of the seed laser signal. The control circuitry (126) is configured to output: an initial control signal to cause the first fast optical switch to pass optical signals and the second fast optical switch to block optical signals; and a switching control signal, responsive to receiving the first alarm signal, to cause the first fast optical switch to block optical signals and to cause the second fast optical switch to pass optical signals.

The present invention discloses a passive ultra-low frequency angular vibration control system and an application method thereof. The system comprises a mounting frame and an upper cover plate. A plurality of vertical anti-shock devices are fixed in the middle area of ​​the bottom plate of the mounting frame. Transverse anti-shock devices are symmetrically fixed around the bottom plate. Quasi-zero stiffness supports are respectively fixed in the length, width and corner of the bottom plate. The upper ends of the vertical anti-shock devices and the quasi-zero stiffness supports are both fixed on the upper cover plate. There is a height spacing between the upper cover plate and the mounting frame. The quasi-zero stiffness supports provide large static stiffness to support the deadweight of the equipment. The quasi-zero stiffness supports introduce a cam-convex ring and a leaf spring negative stiffness mechanism to offset the positive stiffness of the disc spring, thereby realizing quasi-zero stiffness characteristics and ultra-low frequency angular vibration control. The vertical anti-shock devices play a role in limiting and resisting vertical, pitch angle and roll angle directions when the vibration amplitude exceeds the design threshold. The transverse anti-shock devices are arranged along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the mounting frame, respectively, so as to realize transverse, longitudinal and attitude angle direction anti-shock protection.

Embodiments pertain to a system for controlling outputting of light towards objects, the system comprising a detection subsystem configured to detect, for at least one object, one or more values of object characteristics, the object characteristics comprising, at least, electromagnetic absorption characteristics, wherein detection of object characteristic values is performed such that the object remains structurally intact; a light source subsystem comprising at least one light source for generating output light and directing the output light towards an object; and a controller configured to control, based on the detected object characteristics values, at least one operational parameter value of the at least one light source such that at least some of the output light that is directed towards the object has electromagnetic characteristics that correspond to the detected values of the electromagnetic absorption characteristics of the object, in order to structurally change at least part of the respective object.

The present invention relates to a method of marking and identifying a target (110), and in particular, a method of using a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) to heat a target without damaging it so that the target may be clearly identified by detectors and systems using thermally sensitive imaging.

A method of assembling a two-dimensional fiber array launcher assembly. The method includes providing an alignment structure including a two-dimensional alignment plate having holes at one end and a two-dimensional beam shaper having microlenses at the opposite end. An end cap with a fiber attached thereto is systematically positioned within each hole and aligned with one of the microlenses to high precision tolerances. The aligned end cap is then secured within the hole with a curable adhesive. This process continues until all of the holes have aligned end caps. If one of the end caps becomes misaligned or damaged, the adhesive can be heated and the end cap realigned or replaced.

The invention relates to a target (C) aiming device (10), which comprises: - a set of lasers (12) comprising: • a continuous or quasi-continuous power laser (20), and • a pulsed beacon laser (22), having a common line of sight; -a tracking assembly (14) comprising: • a tracking camera (30) able to acquire images of the target (C) and of the spot of the beacon laser (22) on the target (C), having a line of sight different from the lines of sight of the power laser (20) and beacon laser (22); • a unit (32) for generating a control setpoint; and • an actuator (34) able to modify the orientation of the line of sight of the lasers according to the control setpoint, the power laser (20) being activated only when the spot of the beacon laser (22) on the target (C) is controlled.

An electrified military vehicle system includes a military vehicle and a laser system supported by the military vehicle. The military vehicle includes an export power interface, an engine, an axle selectively driven by the engine, and a generator selectively driven by the engine to generate electric power. The generator is configured to provide the electric power at least one of directly to the export power interface or indirectly to the export power interface through an energy storage system. The laser system includes an input interface configured to engage with the export power interface.

A high energy laser (HEL) weapon system for counter-UAS (C-UAS) use comprises a fully self-contained laser system including a power supply, thermal management, high-capacity batteries, and integrated radar and electronic warfare subsystems.

Target Pointing Device The target pointing device (10) for a target (C) comprises: - a reference set including a reference laser with intensity variations of known period, - an additional set (12A) including an additional laser with intensity variations of known period, time-shifted from those of the reference laser, - a tracking set (14) comprising: • a camera (30) for acquiring images of the target (C) and the laser spots on the target (C), • a main processing unit (32) for: o identifying the spots of the reference and additional lasers based on known time signatures, o generating a servo command based on the images and the identification, and • an actuation unit (34) for modifying the orientation of the line of sight of the reference and additional sets (12A) based on the servo command. Figure for the abstract: 1

Apparatus and methods for providing situational awareness for laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) operators are disclosed. One such apparatus includes a processor and a memory, which obtain tracking data for each of a plurality of air objects, orbital trajectory forecast data for each of a plurality of space objects, and data identifying a targeted sky region. The processor identifies a subset of to intersect the targeted sky region during a given time range from the pluralities of air objects and space objects, based on their respective tracking data or orbital trajectory forecast data. The apparatus then transmits or stores a dataset comprising data for each object in the subset. This information can be used to generate firing recommendations for the targeted sky region, enhancing crew safety and preventing unintentional collateral damage.

Weapon system (100) with at least two HEL effectors (5.1, 5.2, 5.3), each of which has at least one beam guidance system (2.1, 2.2, 2.3), wherein the at least two HEL effectors (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) comprise at least one jointly usable pump source (10), characterized in that the at least one pump source (10) can be connected via at least one optical switching unit (4) arranged between an output of the pump source (10) and an input of an oscillator (21.1, 21.2, 21.3) of the respective HEL effector (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) to create the HEL effectors (5.1, 5.2, 5.3).

A transmitter generates a first optical signal 106 and a second optical signal 108. A first signal characteristic of the first optical signal differs from a first signal characteristic of the second o