Helicopter Landing Zone Designation Using Coded Laser Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Military personnel face challenges in accurately designating and communicating a desired landing zone for aircraft in a combat zone without additional equipment, and aircraft struggle to find and navigate to these zones without extra components.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing laser transmitters on the ground, such as standard-issue rifles, to output coded laser signals indicating the landing zone, which are received by an aircraft's EO/IR turret, allowing a processor to determine the zone's location and ingress path, using existing equipment on both personnel and aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If military personnel use specialized devices to designate landing zones, then landing zone designation accuracy is improved, but equipment burden on personnel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by enabling standard-issue military equipment (rifles with laser designators, EO/IR turrets on helicopters) to perform multiple functions. The laser designator, originally intended for target designation, is used to mark landing zones. The EO/IR turret, designed for surveillance and target acquisition, is utilized to detect and navigate to landing zones. This eliminates the need for specialized landing zone designation equipment while maintaining accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If aircraft carry additional components for finding and navigating to landing zones, then navigation accuracy to landing zone is improved, but aircraft equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by utilizing the helicopter's existing EO/IR turret and onboard systems for multiple purposes. The EO/IR turret detects laser signals from landing zones, and the onboard navigation computer processes this information to determine position and calculate ingress paths. This approach allows the aircraft to navigate accurately to landing zones without requiring specialized additional components.
3Ease of operation
If military personnel communicate landing zone location using normal equipment, then communication simplicity is improved, but communication reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces verbal or radio communication of landing zone coordinates with an optical signaling system. The laser designator creates a visible optical signal that directly indicates the landing zone location to the aircraft. This substitution maintains simplicity for the personnel (using existing laser designators) while significantly improving reliability, as the optical signal provides direct, unambiguous spatial information that cannot be misinterpreted or lost in communication.
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 accurate and efficient designation and navigation to landing zones by aircraft, reducing the need for additional equipment and minimizing exposure of personnel, while ensuring secure authentication and minimal incremental cost to existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a laser transmitter provided at or near a desired landing zone for an aircraft that outputs a coded laser signal to indicate a location of the desired landing zone
Implementation Method 2
a laser receiver provided on the aircraft that picks up the coded laser signal and that determines a location of where the coded laser signal is being transmitted
Data Source
AI summary
A method of designating and communicating a desired LZ to an aircraft includes outputting a coded laser signal at or near a desired landing zone to indicate a location of the desired landing zone. The coded laser signal is received by an aircraft that desires to land at the desired landing zone. The location of the desired landing zone and an ingress path from a current location of the aircraft to the desired landing zone are determined by a processor provided with the aircraft.