Millimeter Wave Proximity Sensor for Covert Aerial Refueling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional systems for providing 3D depth perception in tasks like aerial refueling suffer from low contrast, shadowing effects, and size, weight, and cost issues, making them unsuitable for accurate distance and closure rate measurement, especially in covert operations.

Innovation Solution

A situational awareness system using millimeter wave devices on a tanker aircraft to transmit and receive signals, determining distance and closure rate, and adjusting output power based on environmental characteristics to facilitate covert operations while reducing size, weight, and cost.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional active emitter techniques (LIDAR, radar, laser radar) are used to measure distance and closure rate, then measurement capability is provided, but size, weight, power, and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistance and closure rate measurementVSAvoidsystem weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical/optical active emitter systems (LIDAR, radar) with a passive millimeter wave sensor system. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy active transmitters while maintaining measurement capability through passive detection of millimeter wave emissions from the other aircraft, thereby reducing size, weight, and complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If conventional active emitter techniques are used, then distance measurement is achieved, but the system becomes easily detectible and unsuitable for covert operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistance measurementVSAvoiddetectability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces active emission-based detection with passive detection of millimeter wave signals. By listening for emissions from the other aircraft rather than actively transmitting, the system achieves distance measurement without creating detectable emissions, enabling covert operations while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If conventional 3D depth perception systems are used, then depth information is provided, but low contrast and shadowing effects reduce accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improve3D depth perceptionVSAvoiddepth perception accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces optical/visual 3D perception systems with millimeter wave sensing. This substitution eliminates dependence on visual contrast and lighting conditions that cause shadowing effects. Millimeter waves penetrate atmospheric conditions and provide reliable distance measurements independent of visual contrast, thereby improving depth perception accuracy in various environmental conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

The system effectively determines distance and closure rate with reduced size, weight, and cost, enabling efficient and safe operations, including covert aerial refueling, with improved performance in various environments and conditions.

Implementation Method 1

The one or more millimeter wave devices may be configured to transmit one or more emitter signals toward an aircraft to be refueled, and receive one or more reflected signals reflected from the aircraft to be refueled

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

the one or more emitter signals include an emitter signal frequency corresponding to an atmospheric attenuation frequency of a surrounding environment of the tanker aircraft... at least one of an absorption frequency of oxygen (O2) or an absorption frequency of water vapor (H2O)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAtmospheric absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS11573318B1Covert distance determination via millimeter wave proximity sensor

Publication Date: 2023.02.07 ROCKWELL COLLINS INC

AI summary

A situational awareness system for aerial refueling is disclosed. In embodiments, the situational awareness system may include one or more millimeter wave devices of a tanker aircraft configured to transmit one or more emitter signals toward an aircraft to be refueled, and receive one or more reflected signals reflected from the aircraft to be refueled. In embodiments, the situational awareness system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more millimeter wave devices and the display device, the controller configured to determine a distance between a refueling assembly of the tanker aircraft and the aircraft to be refueled based on the one or more reflected signals, and generate one or more control signals configured to cause a display substrate of a display device to display at least one of a metric or image indicative of the determined distance.