Crosswind speed measurement by optical measurement of scintillation
AssigneeTorrey Pines Logic, Inc.
InventorLeo Volfson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure describes methods and systems for measuring crosswind speed by optical measurement of laser scintillation. One method includes projecting radiation into a medium, receiving, over time, with a photodetector receiver, a plurality of scintillation patterns of scattered radiation, comparing cumulative a radiation intensity for each received scintillation pattern of the received plurality of scintillation patterns, and measuring a cumulative weighted average cross-movement within the medium using the compared cumulative radiation intensities.
Claims20
A device for optically measuring crosswind, comprising:
- a receiver comprising a single physical photodiode coupled with optics and adapted to analyze a path of electromagnetic radiation traveling through an atmosphere between the receiver and a target, wherein the single physical photodiode represents a single pixel that is subdivided into a plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions, wherein each sub-pixel detection portion of the plurality of sub-pixel detection portions simulates a separate physical photodetector, wherein each sub-pixel detection portion receives a scintillation pattern created by atmospheric eddies diffracting and refracting the electromagnetic radiation, and wherein, for each sub-pixel detection portion, converting the scintillation pattern into a single data point measuring cumulative light intensity;
- and
- the device adapted to compare cumulative light intensities from each sub-pixel detection portion and to generate a crosswind profile along the path.
A device for optically measuring a cross-movement profile, comprising:
- a receiver comprising a single physical photodiode coupled with optics and adapted to analyze a path of electromagnetic radiation traveling through a medium, wherein the single physical photodiode representing a single pixel that is subdivided into a plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions, wherein each sub-pixel detection portion simulates a separate physical photodetector, wherein sub-pixel detection portion is configured to receive, over time and from a substantially common direction, a plurality of snapshots of a moving scintillation pattern created by eddies in the medium diffracting and refracting electromagnetic radiation, and wherein, for each sub-pixel detection portion, converting each received snapshot into a single data point measuring cumulative light intensity;
- and
- the device configured to compare cumulative light intensities from each sub-pixel detection portion and to generate a cross-movement profile within the medium, the generation of the cross-movement profile a function of particular spacing between, and a size of, each of the plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions.
A method for measuring cross-movement for medium-profiling purposes, comprising:
- receiving, over time and with a single physical photodiode receiver coupled with optics, representing a single pixel, and subdivided into a plurality of distinct sub-pixel detection portions that each simulate a separate physical photodetector, a plurality of scintillation patterns, wherein each scintillation pattern is created by eddies in a medium diffracting and refracting electromagnetic radiation traveling through the medium;
- for each sub-pixel detection portion, converting a received particular scintillation pattern into a single data point measuring cumulative radiation intensity;
- comparing, as compared cumulative radiation intensities, the cumulative radiation intensity for each received scintillation pattern of the plurality of scintillation patterns;
- and
- calculating, as a calculated cumulative weighted average cross-movement within the medium, a cumulative weighted average cross-movement within the medium along a path between the receiver and a target using the compared cumulative radiation intensities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.