# US 10,502,818 B2 · Systems and methods for interaction with thermal detectors

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,502,818 B2
- Document ID: US10502818B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/820,914
- Filed: 2017-11-22
- Published: 2019-05-16
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: LMD Power of Light Corporation
- Applicants: LMD Power of Light Corp.
- Inventors: Susan Houde-Walter; Christopher Gagliano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502818B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/495: Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures {using electronic or electro-optical means}
- F41H 13/0056: {for blinding or dazzling, i.e. by overstimulating the opponent's eyes or the enemy's sensor equipment}
- F42B 12/36: for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling {; for transmitting information}
- G01J 5/0801: Means for wavelength selection or discrimination
- G01J 5/10: using electric radiation detectors
- H04K 3/45: {characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"}
- H04K 3/60: {Jamming involving special techniques}
- H04K 3/62: {by exposing communication, processing or storing systems to electromagnetic wave radiation, e.g. causing disturbance, disruption or damage of electronic circuits, or causing external injection of faults in the information}
- H04K 3/822: {by detecting the presence of a surveillance, interception or detection}
- B64U 2201/102: adapted for flying in formations
- H04K 2203/34: involving multiple cooperating jammers
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- F41H: ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
- F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- H04K: SECRET COMMUNICATION; JAMMING OF COMMUNICATION
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

## Abstract

A system for interacting with a thermal detector includes at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and a sensor mounted to the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle. The sensor is configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component. The system also includes a beam emitter mounted to the at least one unmanned vehicle and in communication with the sensor. The beam emitter includes a beam source configured to direct a beam of thermal radiation to the thermal detector in response to the signal from the sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for interacting with a thermal detector, comprising:
a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes a beam emitter having a quantum cascade laser, and a sensor configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component,
wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move, in concert, relative to the thermal detector and each quantum cascade laser is configured to impinge a respective beam of thermal radiation upon a focal plane array of the thermal detector in response to the signal, thereby rendering a portion of the focal plane array inoperable; and
a remote source in communication with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the focal plane array comprises a plurality of pixels.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the component of the thermal detector comprises a lens, and the sensor is configured to determine the presence of the lens by detecting a wavefront of radiation reflected by the lens.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein upon determining the presence of the lens, at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in concert, in response to a signal from the remote source, from a location outside of a field of view of the focal plane array to a location within the field of view.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes a respective communicator, each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles being in communication with at least one other vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles via the communicator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move within a field of view of the focal plane array while each respective beam of thermal radiation impinges upon the focal plane array, and wherein movement of each vehicle within the field of view rastors each respective beam across the focal plane array.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one of the beam emitter and
at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes an aiming device configured to rastor the respective beam of thermal radiation across the focal plane array while the at least one vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.

### Claim 9

A method of interacting with a thermal detector, comprising:
determining the presence of the thermal detector by detecting a wavefront of radiation reflected by a lens of the thermal detector; moving at least one unmanned aerial vehicle from a first location outside of a detection range of the thermal detector to a location within the detection range of the thermal detector; and impinging a beam of thermal radiation onto a component of the thermal detector with a beam source carried by the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein impinging the beam onto the component renders the component inoperable.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the thermal detector comprises a focal plane array and the component comprises a pixel of the focal plane array.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising moving the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens, thereby impinging the beam onto a plurality of pixels of the focal plane array.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising moving the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle within a field of view of the focal plane array while impinging the beam of thermal radiation onto the focal plane array, thereby rastoring the beam across the focal plane array.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, further comprising rastoring the beam of thermal radiation across the focal plane array while the at least one vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.