Synchronized Flashing and Shutter System for Selective Adversary Blinding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for temporarily blinding adversaries, such as those used by law enforcement, are vulnerable to countermeasures and interference, which can disable both the adversaries and the law enforcement personnel, and lack synchronization to ensure effective operation.
Innovation Solution
A synchronized system comprising flashing units and eye protection units that generate high-intensity flashes and block light respectively, with controllers storing a predetermined time sequence for flash activation and shutter control, ensuring that law enforcement personnel are not affected by the flashes while adversaries are blinded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If light pulses are transmitted to disable adversaries, then adversaries can be temporarily blinded, but law enforcement personnel may also be disabled if the system is not synchronized
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization between the lighting subsystem and viewer subsystem before deploying light pulses. Each viewer unit stores the pulse sequence pattern in advance, allowing the shutters to close before each light pulse arrives and open afterward, ensuring law enforcement personnel are protected while adversaries are blinded.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit transmits synchronized control signals to both the lighting subsystem and viewer subsystems based on a shared pulse sequence pattern. This feedback mechanism ensures that shutter closure is coordinated with light pulse emission, creating a reliable protection system that adapts to the pulse timing.
2Reliability
If trigger pulses are transmitted from control unit to viewer subsystems, then synchronization can be achieved, but the system becomes vulnerable to interference and jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pulse sequence pattern from the control unit and embeds it directly into each viewer unit's controller. This eliminates the need for continuous trigger pulse transmission from the control unit to viewer subsystems, removing the vulnerability to interference and jamming while maintaining synchronization through the pre-stored pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the synchronization information by distributing the pulse sequence pattern to each viewer unit independently. Each viewer unit operates autonomously using its stored pattern, eliminating the need for a centralized control signal transmission that could be intercepted or jammed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adversaries obtain viewer subsystems, then they can use them to protect themselves, but the system loses its effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each viewer unit independent with its own stored pulse sequence pattern. Even if adversaries obtain a viewer unit, it cannot provide protection because the shutter timing is synchronized to protect the wearer, not to block light for others. The local independence of each unit prevents adversaries from using the system against its intended purpose.
4Reliability
If shutters remain closed during light pulses, then law enforcement personnel are protected, but they cannot observe the situation
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic action by opening shutters between light pulses when protection is not needed, allowing law enforcement personnel to observe the situation. The shutters close only during the brief moments when high-intensity light pulses are emitted and open during intervals when no pulses are active, balancing protection with situational awareness.
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 temporoarily blinds adversaries without harming law enforcement personnel, using synchronized flashing and shutter control to prevent countermeasures and maintain operational effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a light source configured to generate flashes of light
Implementation Method 2
a shutter that responds to a second control signal so as to block light when the second control signal is asserted and to transmit light when the second control signal is not asserted
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
A system for temporarily disabling selected occupants of an area includes one or more flashing units and one or more eye protection units. Each flashing unit includes a light source that generates flashes of light sufficiently bright to temporarily disable people who see the flashes. Each eye protection unit includes a shutter that blocks light while the flashes are being generated. Each flashing unit and each eye protection unit stores data that specifies when the flashes will occur, and are synchronized with each other to ensure that the shutters are closed during each flash. A controller in each flashing unit and a controller in each eye protection unit is configured to change, at coordinated times, the data that specifies when the flashes will occur. In some embodiments, the light source comprises LEDs and the flashing units have heat sinks configured to absorb heat generated by the LEDs.