Guidance system and method

A method for remote guidance of one or more remote platforms towards a target destination, the method comprising:

• operating a light source to generate a light beam to illuminate said one or more remote platforms;
• providing a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in an optical path of said light beam, whereby said SLM is operable for forming a spatiotemporal pattern within a cross-section of the light beam by dynamically switching between different programmable spatial patterns;
• obtaining guidance information indicative of guidance instructions for navigating said remote platform;
• operating said SLM to spatially and temporally modulate the cross section of the light beam by switching between the different programmable spatial patterns to encode said guidance information in the spatiotemporal pattern in the form of a plurality of spatially distributed cross-sectional regions having respectively distinguishable temporal light patterns within the cross-section of said light beam, and
• providing distance data indicative of a distance towards said one or more remote platforms, and data indicative of a degree of collimation of said light beam;
• and
• operating said SLM to adjust a scale of said spatial light pattern based on said distance data and said degree of collimation to compensate for divergence of said light-beam when propagating to said one or more remote platforms;
• thereby enabling navigation of said one or more remote platforms to the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of said light beam and decoding a portion of said guidance information encoded in said cross-sectional region.

A guidance system for remote guidance of one or more remote platforms towards a target destination, the guidance system comprising:

• a light module comprising a light source, an optical output portion directing said light beam towards said one or more remote platforms, and a controller;
• a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in an optical path of a light beam emitted from said light source and configured and operable for forming a spatiotemporal pattern within a cross-section of the light beam by dynamically switching between different programmable spatial patterns, and
• wherein said controller is configured and operable for obtaining guidance information indicative of guidance instructions for navigating the remote platform, and operating said SLM by switching between the different programmable spatial patterns to spatially and temporally modulate the cross section of the light beam for encoding said guidance information in the spatiotemporal pattern in the form of a plurality of spatially distributed cross-sectional regions within the cross-section of said light beam having respectively distinguishable temporal light patterns formed therein, said controller being adapted to obtain optical path data including at least one of:
• stabilization data indicative of deviation of an optical path of said light beam from a nominal optical path along which said light beam should be projected to navigate said one or more remote platforms to said target, or target position data indicative of a position of said target from which said nominal optical path can be determined, said controller being adapted to operate said SLM to modify said spatiotemporal light pattern by laterally shifting said spatiotemporal light pattern within the cross-section of the beam based on said optical path data, to thereby compensate for at least one of said deviations of the optical path and changes in said position of the target,
• thereby enabling navigation of said one or more remote platforms to the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of said light beam and decoding a portion of said guidance information encoded in said cross-sectional region of said light beam to determine guidance instructions for navigating said one or more remote platforms towards said target destination.

A guidance system for remote guidance of one or more remote platforms towards a target destination, the guidance system comprising:

• a light module comprising a light source, an optical output portion directing said light beam towards said one or more remote platforms, and a controller;
• a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in an optical path of a light beam emitted from said light source and configured and operable for forming a spatiotemporal pattern within a cross-section of the light beam by dynamically switching between different programmable spatial patterns, and
• wherein said controller is configured and operable for obtaining guidance information indicative of guidance instructions for navigating the remote platform, and operating said SLM by switching between the different programmable spatial patterns to spatially and temporally modulate the cross section of the light beam for encoding said guidance information in the spatiotemporal pattern in the form of a plurality of spatially distributed cross-sectional regions within the cross-section of said light beam having respectively distinguishable temporal light patterns formed therein, thereby enabling navigation of said one or more remote platforms to the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of said light beam and decoding a portion of said guidance information encoded in said cross-sectional region of said light beam to determine guidance instructions for navigating said one or more remote platforms towards said target destination, wherein the system has at least one of the following configurations:
• said SLM includes at least one of the following:
• a digital micro-mirror device (DMD),
• a liquid crystal device (LCoS), or
• an array of MEMS mirrors;
• said light source is a laser light source;
• an optical assembly is provided having one of the following configurations:
• the optical assembly is adapted for directing said light beam towards said one or more remote platforms;
• or the optical assembly comprises at least one of the following:
• a beam collimator adapted to collimate said light beam, or a beam expander adapted to expand said light beam such that a cross-sectional width of the light beam reaching said one or more remote platforms is substantially greater by one or more orders of magnitude from lateral dimensions of a light detector mounted on said one or more remote platforms.

A guidance system for remote guidance of one or more remote platforms towards a target destination, the guidance system comprising:

• a light module comprising a light source, an optical output portion directing said light beam towards said one or more remote platforms, and a controller;
• a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in an optical path of a light beam emitted from said light source and configured and operable for forming a spatiotemporal pattern within a cross-section of the light beam by dynamically switching between different programmable spatial patterns, and
• a guidance detection module adapted to be furnished on said one or more remote platforms, said guidance detection module includes an optical sensor adapted to detect at least one cross-sectional region of said light beam and a control unit connectable to said sensor and adapted to identify at least one of a spatial or temporal pattern in said detected at least one cross-sectional region, decode said pattern to determine the navigation instructions encoded therein, and operate steering modules of said one or more remote platforms to direct said one or more remote platforms in accordance with said navigation instructions towards said target,
• wherein said controller is configured and operable for obtaining guidance information indicative of guidance instructions for navigating the remote platform, and operating said SLM by switching between the different programmable spatial patterns to spatially and temporally modulate the cross section of the light beam for encoding said guidance information in the spatiotemporal pattern in the form of a plurality of spatially distributed cross-sectional regions within the cross-section of said light beam having respectively distinguishable temporal light patterns formed therein, thereby enabling navigation of said one or more remote platforms to the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of said light beam and decoding a portion of said guidance information encoded in said cross-sectional region of said light beam to determine guidance instructions for navigating said one or more remote platforms towards said target destination.

A method for remote guidance of one or more remote platforms towards a target destination, the method comprising:

• operating a light source to generate a light beam to illuminate said one or more remote platforms;
• providing a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in an optical path of said light beam, whereby said SLM is operable for forming a spatiotemporal pattern within a cross-section of the light beam by dynamically switching between different programmable spatial patterns;
• obtaining guidance information indicative of guidance instructions for navigating said remote platform;
• operating said SLM to spatially and temporally modulate the cross section of the light beam by switching between the different programmable spatial patterns to encode said guidance information in the spatiotemporal pattern in the form of a plurality of spatially distributed cross-sectional regions having respectively distinguishable temporal light patterns within the cross-section of said light beam, thereby enabling navigation of said one or more remote platforms to the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of said light beam and decoding a portion of said guidance information encoded in said cross-sectional region;
• providing optical path data including at least one of stabilization data indicative of deviation of an optical path of said light beam from a nominal optical path along which said light beam should be projected to navigate said one or more remote platforms to said target and target position data indicative of a position of said target, from which said nominal optical path can be determined;
• and
• operating said SLM to adjust a lateral position of said spatial light pattern within the cross-section of the light beam based on said optical path data, to thereby compensate for at least one of said deviations of the optical path and changes in said position of the target.