Optical Air Data Beam Gating for Sun and Earth Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical air data systems face challenges in data reception due to attenuation by ice or dust and optical noise from the Sun, which can obscure optical receivers and affect the accuracy of air data parameter calculations.
Innovation Solution
The system disables optical emitters whose line of sight points towards Earth or the Sun and selects pairs with the highest signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to determine air data parameters, ensuring compliance with regulations and improving accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If optical emitters transmit beams towards Earth or Sun, then more data can be collected for air data parameters, but signal attenuation and optical noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-determines safe transmission directions by excluding Earthward and Sunward directions before transmitting optical beams. This preliminary filtering prevents signal attenuation and optical noise by avoiding known harmful directions, ensuring only reliable data channels are activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different quality standards to different transmission directions. Directions towards Earth and Sun are completely blocked, while other directions are permitted. This local quality control ensures that only transmissions with acceptable signal quality contribute to air data parameter determination.
2Measurement precision
If all optical emitter pairs are used, then measurement coverage is improved, but accuracy decreases due to noisy signals
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the set of optical emitter pairs into two groups: active pairs with acceptable signal quality and inactive pairs with poor signal quality. By dividing the measurement system this way, the patent maintains measurement coverage through multiple available pairs while ensuring accuracy by using only high-quality signals for parameter determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a selective subset of optical emitter pairs rather than all available pairs. This partial action approach ensures that only pairs contributing positively to measurement accuracy are utilized, while pairs that would degrade accuracy through noise or attenuation are excluded from the measurement process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If optical beams are transmitted towards Earth, then regulatory compliance is violated, but system functionality is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes regulatory compliance by blocking Earthward transmissions before they occur. The control mechanism proactively identifies and disables optical emitters pointing towards Earth, ensuring compliance with regulations that prohibit laser transmissions in certain directions while maintaining functionality through alternative transmission paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing harmful Earthward transmissions through directional blocking. This preemptive measure counteracts potential regulatory violations before they can occur, while the system maintains its air data measurement functionality using permitted transmission directions.
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 approach enhances the performance and safety of optical air data systems by reducing errors and ensuring compliance with governmental regulations, while maintaining accurate air data parameter measurements.
Implementation Method 1
A portion of each transmitted optical beam, is reflected and/or scattered back to the OADS
Implementation Method 2
A portion of each transmitted optical beam, is reflected and/or scattered back to the OADS
Data Source
AI summary
To improve OADS safety and/or performance of an optical air data system (OADS), only when a vehicle including the OADS is above an altitude threshold level may an optical emitter, of a pair of an optical receiver and the optical emitter (or “a pair”), whose transmitting line of sight (LOS) projects towards the Earth, be permitted to emit a transmitted optical beam. Otherwise, laser optical energy can cause eye damage. OADS performance may be improved because reflections from the Earth do not characterize atmosphere around a vehicle, and thus may generate an error in OADS air data parameter calculations. Further to improve OADS performance, only a subset of pair(s), of an optical emitter and an optical receiver, are selected that are necessary to determine desired optical air data parameter(s) and whose optical receiver(s) have the largest signal-to-noise ratio(s) (SNR(s)) of all of the SNR(s) of optical receiver(s).