Airborne RF Beam Redirection for Obstructed Target Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RF radiation systems face challenges in illuminating targets when a direct line of transmission is obstructed or not feasible, as they require maneuvering to maintain focus and accuracy, which can be impractical or impossible in certain circumstances.
Innovation Solution
An airborne redirection unit (ARU) comprising a dome-shaped canopy and a steerable beam director, which can focus and redirect RF energy beams, allowing for indirect illumination of targets by presenting a larger target area and maintaining constant illumination through position adjustments and sensor-driven reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a direct line of transmission is used between RF source and target, then illumination focus and accuracy are improved, but maneuverability and adaptability to obstructed environments deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an airborne redirection unit (ARU) as an intermediary component between the RF source and the target. The ARU receives RF energy from the source, redirects it via a beam director, and focuses it onto the target. This mediator enables indirect illumination paths, allowing the system to illuminate targets that are not directly accessible from the source position, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining focus/accuracy and adapting to obstructed environments.
2Measurement precision
If the source of RF radiation is maneuvered to maintain direct line of transmission, then illumination accuracy is improved, but system complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ARU serves as a stationary or semi-stationary intermediary that performs the redirection and focusing function, eliminating the need for the RF source to maneuver. The beam director within the ARU can be steered to adjust the redirected beam direction, maintaining illumination accuracy without requiring complex maneuvers of the entire RF source system.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam director within the ARU incorporates steerable elements that can dynamically adjust the direction of the redirected RF beam. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to maintain accurate illumination on the target while the ARU remains in a relatively fixed position, reducing the operational complexity compared to maneuvering the entire RF source.
3Ease of operation
If a larger target area is presented by the ARU, then tolerance to inexact aiming is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ARU employs a dome-shaped canopy with a reflective interior surface. This curved geometry naturally focuses incoming RF energy from a relatively large area onto a smaller focal region where the beam director is positioned. The curved surface provides a larger effective target area for the RF source to illuminate, increasing tolerance to aiming inaccuracies, while the geometric focusing property performs the concentration function without requiring additional complex focusing mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables illumination of otherwise inaccessible targets by providing a larger target area and maintaining focus through inexact aiming and position adjustments, allowing for continuous and effective RF energy transmission even when direct lines of transmission are obstructed.
Implementation Method 1
The canopy is configured to, upon illumination with the RF energy beam in a predetermined way, focus the RF energy beam onto the beam director
Implementation Method 2
The ARU is configured as a parachute... The ARU being configured to focus the RF energy beam
Implementation Method 3
The beam director is for reflecting the RF energy beam
Implementation Method 4
a dome-shaped canopy comprising a surface for slowing the rate of descent
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
An airborne redirection unit (ARU), for deflecting an RF energy beam, the ARU comprising: A canopy comprising a surface for slowing the rate of descent, A beam director supported at the canopy, the ARU being configured to focus the RF energy beam.