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US 12,716,695 B2Granted
High energy laser defense weapon system with automated UAS detection and classification functionality
AssigneeKord Technologies, LLC
InventorDavid Benjamin Allison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high energy laser (HEL) weapon system for counter-UAS (C-UAS) use comprises a fully self-contained laser system including a power supply, thermal management, high-capacity batteries, and integrated radar and electronic warfare subsystems.
Claims21
A high energy laser (HEL) weapon system comprising:
- a cabinet;
- a gimbal comprising first portion and a second portion, the first portion rotatably mounted to the cabinet;
- and
- a payload assembly rotatably mounted to the second portion of the gimbal, the payload assembly comprising:
- an HEL optical assembly and a HEL fast steering mirror assembly disposed in a first predetermined optically aligned arrangement with one another;
- and
- a first camera and a second camera disposed in a second predetermined optically aligned arrangement with one another and each respective camera having a respective camera optical element,
- wherein, a pointing axis defined by the payload assembly can be selectively reoriented relative to the cabinet, and
- wherein, when not energized by control signals, the HEL fast steering mirror reflects an output HEL beam along a null axis having a predetermined offset relative to the pointing axis.
6 more elements
A method of aiming a high energy laser (HEL) weapon system, comprising:
- establishing a field of view in a digital image frame received from a camera system, wherein a reference point in the digital image frame corresponds in a first predetermined relationship to an optical axis of the camera system;
- designating a target image in the field of view of the digital image frame;
- determining an offset distance and an offset direction measured from the reference point to the target image in the digital image frame;
- and
- producing a steering command input based on the offset distance and the offset direction measured from the reference point to the target image in the digital image frame;
- and
- providing the steering command input to an HEL fast steering mirror of an HEL laser optical assembly to deflect the HEL fast steering mirror to a position,
- wherein deflecting the HEL fast steering mirror deflects a pointing axis of the HEL laser optical assembly by an angle proportional to the offset distance.
5 more elements
A high energy laser (HEL) weapon system comprising:
- a base;
- a gimbal comprising first portion and a second portion, the first portion rotatably mounted to the base;
- a payload assembly rotatably mounted to the second portion of the gimbal, the payload comprising a HEL optical assembly and a camera;
- a control screen configured to display a field of view in a digital image frame received from the camera, the field of view comprising a plurality of images, wherein a first reference point in the digital image frame corresponds in a first predetermined relationship to a pointing axis of the payload assembly;
- a human machine interface (HMI) configured to designate one of the plurality of images as a target image;
- a machine vision processor configured to determine a first offset distance and a first offset direction measured from the first reference point to the target image in the digital image frame;
- a gimbal control system configured to:
- receive the first offset distance and first offset direction from the machine vision processor;
- send a gimbal steering command to move the payload assembly and pointing axis in a direction corresponding to the first offset direction;
- and
- send a gimbal speed command to move the payload assembly at a speed proportional to the first offset distance.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.