UV C-band Rescue Beacon for Adverse Weather Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional search and rescue methods face challenges in locating and tracking victims in poor environmental conditions, such as inclement weather, large distances, and obscured line-of-sight, due to the limitations of existing visual and electronic aids.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing UV C-band radiation and detectors to create a system that includes a UV C-band radiation source and detector, allowing for the location and tracking of victims through UV C-band radiation, which is solar blind and reflective, enabling detection even in adverse conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional visual and electronic search aids are used, then search operations can be conducted, but victims cannot be located in poor environmental conditions such as inclement weather, large distances, and obscured line-of-sight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of the radiation used for search operations from visible light to UV C-band (200-280 nm). This parameter change enables the radiation to penetrate through environmental obstacles like rain, fog, and water that block visible light, while the atmosphere remains transparent to UV C-band, allowing effective search operations in poor weather conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses UV C-band radiation as an intermediary carrier to transmit search signals through the atmosphere. The radiation reflects off water and other surfaces to act as a mediator that carries location information through environmental obstacles, enabling detection of victims without direct line-of-sight while the atmosphere serves as a transparent medium for the UV C-band signals.
2Reliability
If UV C-band radiation is used for search and rescue, then detection capability improves in adverse conditions, but the system complexity increases due to specialized detectors and radiation sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional visible light optical systems with UV C-band radiation detection systems. This substitution enables detection in conditions where visible light fails, such as through rain, fog, and water, while the system leverages the atmosphere's natural transparency to UV C-band radiation to simplify the transmission medium requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the UV C-band search system to serve multiple functions: detecting victims at sea, on land, and in air; operating in various weather conditions including rain, fog, and darkness; and providing both location tracking and distance measurement. This multi-functionality justifies the specialized equipment requirements.
3Illumination intensity
If visible light strobes are used for search and rescue, then victims can be located at close distances, but visibility is limited in poor weather and over large distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the radiation wavelength from visible light to UV C-band, which fundamentally alters how the radiation interacts with the environment. UV C-band radiation reflects off water and surfaces in a way that maintains visibility over large distances and through poor weather conditions, overcoming the limitations of visible light strobes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent operates in a different dimension of the electromagnetic spectrum (UV C-band instead of visible light), which provides new capabilities for penetration and reflection properties. This dimensional shift enables the radiation to traverse environmental obstacles that block visible light, extending effective search distance and reliability.
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 effective location and tracking of victims over large distances and through various environmental obstacles, including rain, fog, and water, with UV C-band radiation being visible and reflective, thus improving search and rescue operations.
Implementation Method 1
UV C-band radiation reflects well off water, soil, snow, and manmade surfaces
Implementation Method 2
an ultraviolet c-band detector to detect the ultraviolet c-band radiation
Data Source
AI summary
A system for search and rescue includes a rescue beacon including a radiation source to emit radiation, at least a portion of which includes ultraviolet c-band radiation, and an ultraviolet c-band detector to detect the ultraviolet c-band radiation to enable locating of the rescue beacon.