Method for protecting an aircraft against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorMary Dominique O'Neill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for protecting an aircraft against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor includes providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft. A set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor. A modulated pattern of the infrared sources is dispensed from the infrared-source dispenser responsive to at least one of the set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor, and a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat.
Claims27
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor, wherein the set of infrared-emitting properties includes at least one of a rise time, a time-at-peak, and a burn duration of the infrared sources;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to an infrared field of view of the infrared sensor;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a counter-countermeasure triggering level of the infrared sensor;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor, and wherein the step of providing includes the step of
- providing two dispensers, wherein a first dispenser dispenses a first infrared source having a first set of infrared-emitting properties, and the second dispenser dispenses a second infrared source having a second set of infrared-emitting properties;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the aircraft has an aircraft infrared-signature plume, and wherein each infrared source is not individually spectrally correct for the aircraft infrared-signature plume.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a set of operating characteristics of the aircraft;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to an infrared field of view of the infrared sensor;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a counter-countermeasure triggering level of the infrared sensor;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat, and wherein the step of dispensing includes the additional step of
- dispensing the modulated pattern responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat, and wherein the step of dispensing the modulated pattern includes the substep of
- dispensing a kinematic subpattern kinetically approximating the aircraft motion for a first geometric engagement scenario.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat, and wherein the step of dispensing the modulated pattern includes the substeps of
- dispensing a first initial-distraction subpattern, and thereafter
- dispensing a first attention-holding subpattern different from the first initial-distraction subpattern.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat, and wherein the step of dispensing the modulated pattern includes the substeps of
- dispensing an initial-distraction subpattern having an infrared characteristic selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor, and
- dispensing a kinematic subpattern kinetically approximating the aircraft motion.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft;
- and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat, and wherein the step of dispensing the modulated pattern includes the substeps of
- dispensing an initial-distraction subpattern having an infrared characteristic selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor and more attractive to the infrared sensor than the aircraft, and
- dispensing a kinematic subpattern kinetically approximating the aircraft motion.
A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, and
- dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, the step of dispensing a modulated pattern including the steps of
- dispensing a first initial-distraction subpattern, and thereafter
- dispensing a first attention-holding subpattern different from the first initial-distraction subpattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.