Self Deicing of Aircraft Windows using Lidar

A laser sensor system comprising:

• a laser beam generator in an aerospace vehicle, wherein the laser beam generator is configured to transmit laser beams;
• a detector system in the aerospace vehicle, wherein the detector system is configured to detect a backscatter light received in response to transmitted laser beams;
• a controller configured to control the laser beam generator to:
• transmit a deicing laser beam from the laser beam generator into a laser sensor window in the aerospace vehicle, wherein the deicing laser beam has properties that remove ice from the laser sensor window;
• and
• transmit a sensor laser beam from the laser beam generator through the laser sensor window.

A laser sensor system comprising:

• a laser beam generator in an aerospace vehicle, wherein the laser beam generator is configured to transmit laser beams;
• a detector system in the aerospace vehicle, wherein the detector system is configured to detect a backscatter light received in response to transmitted laser beams;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• control the laser beam generator to transmit a deicing laser beam from the laser beam generator into a laser sensor window in the aerospace vehicle, wherein the deicing laser beam has first properties that remove ice from the laser sensor window;
• control the laser beam generator to transmit a sensor laser beam from the laser beam generator through the laser sensor window;
• determine a set of parameters for the aerospace vehicle in response to the detector system detecting the backscatter light generated in response to transmitting the sensor laser beam;
• determine whether the ice is present on the laser sensor window using the backscatter light generated in response to transmitting the deicing laser beam having the first properties;
• control the laser beam generator to transmit the deicing laser beam from the laser beam generator into the laser sensor window in response to determining that the ice is present on the laser sensor window in an insufficient amount to degrade performance in using the sensor laser beam to detect a set of parameters for the aerospace vehicle, wherein the deicing laser beam has second properties that generate the backscatter light for detecting chemical elements in an atmosphere;
• and
• determine the chemical elements in the atmosphere using the backscatter light detected by the detector system in response to transmitting the deicing laser beam having the second properties.

A method for deicing a laser sensor window in an aerospace vehicle, the method comprising:

• transmitting a deicing laser beam from a laser beam generator in the aerospace vehicle into the laser sensor window, wherein the deicing laser beam has first properties that remove ice from the laser sensor window;
• transmitting a sensor laser beam from the laser beam generator through the laser sensor window;
• determining a set of parameters for the aerospace vehicle in response to a detector system in the aerospace vehicle detecting a backscatter light generated in response to transmitting the sensor laser beam;
• determining whether the ice is present on the laser sensor window using the backscatter light generated in response to transmitting the deicing laser beam having the first properties;
• transmitting the deicing laser beam from the laser beam generator into the laser sensor window in response to determining that the ice is present on the laser sensor window in an insufficient amount to degrade performance in using the sensor laser beam to detect a set of parameters for the aerospace vehicle, wherein the deicing laser beam has a second properties that generate the backscatter light for detecting chemical elements in an atmosphere;
• and
• determining the chemical elements in the atmosphere using the backscatter light detected by the detector system in response to transmitting the deicing laser beam having the second properties.