# US 10,371,935 B1 · Unmanned aerial vehicle beam redirection system and method

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- Number: US 10,371,935 B1
- Document ID: US10371935B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/940,157
- Filed: 2018-03-29
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-29
- Assignees: The Boeing Company
- Applicants: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Mitesh Patel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371935B1

## CPC

- G02B 23/04: for the purpose of beam splitting or combining, e.g. fitted with eyepieces for more than one observer (G02B23/10 takes precedence)
- B64U 50/31: generated by photovoltaics
- G02B 26/0816: {by means of one or more reflecting elements}
- G02B 26/0875: {by means of one or more refracting elements}
- G02B 27/148: {including stacked surfaces having at least one double-pass partially reflecting surface}
- G11B 7/1362: Mirrors
- G11B 7/1395: Beam splitters or combiners (G11B7/1353, G11B7/1356 take precedence {; beam splitting or combining per se G02B27/10})
- H04B 10/112: Line-of-sight transmission over an extended range
- B64U 10/13: Flying platforms
- B64U 50/19: using electrically powered motors
- B64U 2101/19: for use as targets or decoys
- B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography
- B64U 2201/20: Remote controls
- H04B 10/1129: {Arrangements for outdoor wireless networking of information}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a beam redirection system, and a method for redirecting a laser beam using one or more UAVs are provided. The UAV includes a housing, a beam deflector, and a vehicle controller. The beam deflector is mounted to the housing. The vehicle controller is configured to control an angular orientation of the beam deflector to redirect a laser beam that is received from an off-board laser source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a housing;
a beam deflector mounted to the housing; and
a vehicle controller configured to control an angular orientation of the beam deflector to redirect a laser beam that is received from an off-board laser source.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the housing defines an internal cavity, the beam deflector centrally mounted within the internal cavity relative to a perimeter of the housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the beam deflector includes one or more of a beam splitter, a mirror, or a lens.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the beam deflector is configured to one or more of reflect the laser beam or refract the laser beam to redirect the laser beam.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the beam deflector is pivotable along at least one axis of rotation relative to the housing, and the vehicle controller is configured to pivot the beam deflector relative to the housing to control the angular orientation of the beam deflector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the beam deflector is immovably mounted to the housing and the vehicle controller is configured to control the angular orientation of the beam deflector by modifying an angular orientation of the housing via controlling a propulsion system of the UAV.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the housing defines multiple ports along a perimeter of the housing and the beam deflector is mounted within the housing radially interior of the ports, wherein the laser beam is received into the housing through a first port of the ports and the beam deflector redirects the laser beam out of the housing through a second port of the ports.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The UAV of claim 7, wherein the first port includes a lens therein that redirects the laser beam that impinges on the lens towards the beam deflector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The UAV of claim 7, wherein the second port includes a lens therein that receives the laser beam from the beam deflector along a body plane of the housing and redirects the laser beam from the housing along a trajectory out of the body plane of the housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a photodetector mounted within the housing and operatively connected to the vehicle controller, the photodetector configured to monitor the laser beam that is received to extract information embedded within the laser beam.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a communication circuit operably connected to the vehicle controller, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to control the angular orientation of the beam deflector based on off-board control signals received by the communication circuit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The UAV of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to control the angular orientation of the beam deflector relative to at least one of a second UAV or a target object to cause the beam deflector to redirect the laser beam received from the off-board laser source towards the at least one of the second UAV or the target object.

### Claim 13

A beam redirection system comprising:
a network of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) disposed at different tactical positions within a working environment, each of the UAVs including a beam deflector,
wherein the beam deflector of a first UAV of the UAVs is configured to redirect a laser beam received from an off-board laser source towards a second UAV of the UAVs, and the beam deflector of the second UAV is configured to redirect the laser beam received from the first UAV towards at least one of a third UAV or a target.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The beam redirection system of claim 13, wherein the tactical position of the first UAV is within a line of sight of the off-board laser source and the tactical position of the second UAV is out of a line of sight of the off-board laser source.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The beam redirection system of claim 13, wherein the working environment is a building, wherein the off-board laser source is outside of the building, and the second UAV is within the building.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The beam redirection system of claim 13, wherein the beam deflector of the second UAV is configured to redirect the laser beam received from the first UAV towards a wall that represents the target.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The beam redirection system of claim 13, wherein the UAVs in the network include photodetectors disposed onboard the UAVs, wherein the photodetectors of the first and second UAVs are configured to monitor the laser beam that is received at each of the first and second UAVs to extract information embedded in the laser beam.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The beam redirection system of claim 13, further comprising a remote control system including one or more processors and a communication device, the remote control system configured to transmit control signals, via the communication device, to the UAVs to control the tactical positions of the UAVs and angular orientations of the respective beam deflectors of the UAVs.

### Claim 19

A method comprising:
controlling multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to fly to different corresponding tactical positions within a working environment;
angularly orienting beam deflectors of the UAVs relative to one another;
receiving a laser beam from an off-board laser source at a first UAV of the UAVs; and
redirecting the laser beam, via the beam deflector of the first UAV, to a second UAV of the UAVs.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising redirecting the laser beam, via the beam deflector of the second UAV, to a third UAV of the UAVs.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising redirecting the laser beam, via the beam deflector of the second UAV, to a photovoltaic cell.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising monitoring the laser beam received at the first UAV to extract information embedded within the laser beam.