Laser Backrange and Marksmanship Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser engagement systems for military training exercises face challenges in accurately determining range and marksmanship, especially in clustered environments, due to limitations in direct fire systems and the potential for incorrect hits or damage assessment caused by atmospheric obstructions and scattering, which can lead to safety issues and inaccurate targeting.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of cooperative time-of-flight measurements using GPS-disciplined oscillators to synchronize clock signals for precise range estimation and the use of multiple laser beam profiles to accurately determine marksmanship, allowing for unambiguous pairing of shooters and targets, even in close proximity, and enabling operation at higher power levels to penetrate murky atmospheres safely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laser power is increased to penetrate atmospheric obstructions, then range estimation accuracy is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential retinal damage
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam is divided into multiple discrete pulses rather than continuous operation. Each pulse is short in duration, allowing the system to achieve high peak power for penetration while keeping the average power low enough for safety. The receiver integrates signals from multiple pulses to maintain measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser transmitter operates in periodic pulses rather than continuous mode. This allows the system to deliver high power only during brief pulse intervals when needed for penetration, while maintaining safety through zero power emission during the majority of the time cycle, thus resolving the contradiction between penetration capability and safety.
2Illumination intensity
If atmospheric power is increased to compensate for scattering losses, then signal strength is improved, but false hits increase due to scattered light affecting non-targeted combatants
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and utilizes only the backscattered light that returns to the receiver after interacting with the target. By focusing detection on the specific return path and using temporal filtering through pulse timing, the system separates useful target information from harmful scattered light that would cause false hits, thereby maintaining reliability even at high atmospheric power levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver uses feedback from the returned laser pulses to determine both range and marksmanship. The timing and intensity information from the returned pulses allow the system to verify that the detected signal corresponds to the intended target, filtering out false positives from scattered light and maintaining hit accuracy despite increased atmospheric power.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple combatants are positioned in close proximity, then training realism is improved, but measurement ambiguity increases due to difficulty in distinguishing between targets
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds temporal dimension to spatial separation by using pulsed laser emission with unique timing patterns for each combatant. Each combatant's laser pulses are transmitted at distinguishable time intervals or with unique pulse sequences, allowing the receiver to temporally separate and identify signals from multiple closely spaced targets, thus maintaining measurement precision in high-density training scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs asymmetric pulse timing patterns where each combatant uses a unique pulse sequence or timing offset. This asymmetry in temporal encoding allows the receiver to unambiguously identify which combatant transmitted which pulse, even when combatants are in close proximity, thereby maintaining target identification accuracy while allowing flexible training scenario configuration.
4Measurement precision
If time-of-flight measurement is used for range determination, then measurement precision is improved, but system complexity increases due to synchronization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Each combatant's laser transmitter and receiver system uses its own locally generated clock signals for time-of-flight measurement. The systems are designed to be self-synchronizing through mutual timing exchanges, where each side adjusts its local clock based on received signals from the other. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex external synchronization infrastructure while maintaining high measurement precision.
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
This solution provides more accurate range and marksmanship determinations, enhancing safety by allowing full-power laser operation and reducing errors in clustered environments, thereby improving the precision and reliability of military training simulations.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared laser beam is fired from a laser transmitter mounted on a weapon to simulate firing of the weapon towards a target
Implementation Method 2
cooperative measurements of the flight time of a laser pulse to more accurately determine the backwards range
Implementation Method 3
use GPS-disciplined oscillators to synchronize clock signals for precise range estimation
Implementation Method 4
the use of multiple laser beam profiles to accurately determine marksmanship
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for making more accurate range and marksmanship determinations in laser-based military engagements. These methods and systems allow a shooter and a target in a laser engagement system to be paired with one another in a substantially unambiguous manner. Such pairing allows the lasers to be used at full power and is particularly well suited for clustered environments in which multiple combatants may be in close proximity to one another. The methods and systems are also particularly well suited for testing new or experimental weapon systems by virtue of the more accurate range and marksmanship estimates provided.