Safety assembly for training use of a laser-directed energy weapon
AssigneeMbda UK Limited
InventorsAndrew Peters, Jon Daw, Martyn Robert Jennings, William Michael George Halstead, Colin Bridgewater, Mark Owen
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Abstract
A safety assembly for use with a laser-directed energy weapon is disclosed. The assembly comprises a control system comprising a photodetector and a processing unit; and an optical device configured to attach to a target such that, when attached, the optical device provides a light beam to the photodetector. The processing unit is arranged to compare the received light beam against one or more predetermined attributes, and to permit the laser-directed energy weapon to fire only when the received light beam is determined to have the one or more attributes.
Claims20
A safety assembly for a laser-directed energy weapon, the safety assembly comprising:
- a control system comprising a photodetector and a processing unit;
- and
- an optical device configured to attach to a target such that, when attached, the optical device provides a light beam to the photodetector for training use of a laser-directed energy weapon,
- wherein the processing unit is arranged to compare the light beam provided by the optical device and received by the photodetector against one or more predetermined attributes, and to permit the laser-directed energy weapon to fire only when the received light beam is determined to have the one or more predetermined attributes,
- wherein the safety assembly has a training mode and a combat mode which is selectable using a user interface, wherein when in the combat mode, the safety assembly including the optical device is disabled and in training mode the safety assembly is activated.
A laser-directed energy weapon safety system comprising:
- a main laser configured to fire towards a target;
- a control system comprising a photodetector and a processing unit;
- an optical device, configured to attach to the target, such that when attached, the optical device provides a light beam to the photodetector for training use of a laser-directed energy weapon;
- and
- a user interface configured to enable a training mode or a combat mode, wherein in the training mode, the control system and the optical device is activated and wherein in the combat mode, the control system and the optical device are disabled,
- wherein;
- the processing unit is arranged to compare a light beam received by the photodetector against one or more predetermined attributes, and to permit the main laser to fire only when the received light beam is determined to have the one or more predetermined attributes.
A method of preventing firing during training of a laser-directed energy weapon, comprising:
- attaching an optical device to a target;
- attaching a photodetector to the laser-directed energy weapon;
- receiving an input to select a training mode or a combat mode;
- in response to receiving a selection of the training mode, providing a light beam from the optical device to the photodetector for training use of a laser-directed energy weapon;
- and
- comparing the light beam received by the photodetector against one or more attributes,
- wherein only upon determining that the light beam has the one or more attributes, permitting the laser-directed energy weapon to fire, and
- in response to receiving a selection of combat mode, disabling the optical device from providing the light beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.