Laser seeker target simulator

A laser target simulator for use with a laser seeking system comprising:

• a diffuser for electromagnetic radiation having a three dimensional body having means to receive an input source of energy in the form of coherent collimated electromagnetic radiation, said body defining a reflective optical cavity illuminated by said input source, the interior walls of said cavity being covered to a substantial extent by a highly reflective diffusion material and thus providing a means for transforming the energy emanating from said input source into a substantially uniform distribution of electromagnetic radiation within said three dimensional body, said body defining a window of at least some angular extent, through which diffused electromagnetic radiation at a level of illumination which will not damage the human eye can escape at a sufficient energy level as to be detectable several miles away, said radiation representing essentially all of said input energy;
• said input source of electromagnetic radiation being non-aligned with said window;
• and
• means for introducing the source-generated electromagnetic radiation into said reflective optical cavity.

A testing system for an electromagnetic energy-type target identification system comprising:

• a diffuser for emitting electromagnetic radiation representative of the reflection of such radiation from a target comprising a spherical body having an input for a source of electromagnetic energy in the lower hemisphere of said body, said body defining a reflective optical cavity illuminated by said source of energy, a substantial portion of the inner sidewalls of said cavity being covered by a highly reflective diffusion material for transforming the energy emanating from said source of energy into a substantially uniform distribution of electromagnetic radiation within said three-dimensional body, said body defining a ring-like window essentially transparent to the reflected and diffused electromagnetic energy, said window disposed in the upper hemisphere of said body concentric with the vertical axis of said body, said input and said window located to cause essentially all of the reflected and diffused electromagnetic energy to escape and thus provide a radiation pattern simulating electromagnetic radiation reflected from a target, said diffuser providing an eye-safe level of radiation through said window while at the same time assuring that the radiation is of a sufficient energy level as to be detectable several miles away said pattern recognizable by a target identification system;
• a source of coherent electromagnetic energy having coding means for producing such energy in a pulse code pattern recognizable by a target identification system;
• and
• means for introducing the source produced coded electromagnetic energy into the optical cavity in a manner non-aligned with said window.

A training and testing simulator for laser target identification and acquisition devices comprising:

• a spherical cavity having a substantial portion of the interior surface of the cavity walls covered by a reflective diffusion material for radiating low intensity laser energy representative of such radiation reflected from a target, said energy having an intensity below the eye-safe level, said diffusion means having an entrance aperture;
• a radiating window in the wall of said spherical cavity through which diffused laser energy passes, said window disposed in the upper hemisphere of said cavity;
• and
• a source of laser energy having an output coupled to said entrance aperture for introducing laser energy into said diffusing means, said entrance aperture located in the lowermost part of said spherical cavity so as to cause a multiplicity of internal reflections of laser energy entering said cavity via said aperture before significant amounts of radiation are radiated through said window.

A laser illuminated target simulator comprising:

• a low power laser for producing a beam of pulse coded narrow bandwidth laser radiation;
• a spherical cavity diffusion body having an input aperture for accepting an input laser beam and an output window adapted to radiate diffused laser energy representative of radiation from a laser illuminated target, said radiated energy being radiated in a pattern omnidirectional in azimuth and in a near lambertian pattern in elevation and below an intensity level harmful to the human eye;
• and
• coupling means connected between said laser and said input aperture for introducing the laser beam from said laser into said diffusion body.

A laser aided landing system for use with aircraft having a laser seeker comprising:

• a low power laser for producing a beam of pulse coded narrow bandwidth laser radiation;
• a spherical diffusion body having an input aperture for accepting an input laser beam adapted for installation in the approach to a landing runway;
• an output window disposed in said body for radiating diffused laser energy from said laser beam, said radiated energy being below an intensity level harmful to the human eye, said output window adapted to have an emission pattern for illuminating the approach for a first selected angular range of the runway center line in azimuth and for a second selected angular range of the runway center line in elevation;
• and
• coupling means connected between said laser and said input aperture for introducing the laser beam from said laser into said diffusion body.

A laser aided landing system for use of aircraft having a laser seeker comprising:

• first and second low power lasers, said first laser producing a beam of narrow bandwidth laser radiation pulses at a first pulse repetition rate, and said second laser producing a beam of narrow bandwidth laser radiation pulses at a second pulse repetition rate;
• a first spherical diffusion body having an input aperture coupled to said first laser for introduction of the first laser beam into said first body, and a second spherical diffusion body having an input aperture coupled to said second laser for introduction of said second laser beam into said second diffusion body, said first and second spherical diffusion bodies adapted for collocated installation in the approach to a landing runway;
• and
• a first output window disposed in said first body for radiating diffused laser energy from said first laser beam, said radiated energy being below an intensity level harmful to the human eye, said first output window adapted to have an emission pattern for illuminating the approach to .+-.90.degree. of the runway center line in azimuth and from +5.degree. to +90.degree. in elevation, and second output window disposed in said second body for radiating diffused laser energy from said second laser beam, said radiated energy being below an intensity level harmful to the human eye, said second output window adapted to have an emission pattern for illuminating the approach to .+-.20.degree. in azimuth and from +5.degree. to +20.degree. in elevation, said first and second diffusion bodies thereby cooperating in defining the location of the runway to an airborne laser seeker.