Ladar backtracking of wake turbulence trailing an airborne target for point-of-origin estimation and target classification
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsDuane Donald Smith, Robert William Byren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A weapon-locating ladar system estimates a backward trajectory of an airborne target by using flow field measurements to follow the wake turbulence trailing the airborne target from a position at which the target is detected backwards until the wake is no longer observable. The system may use the backward trajectory to estimate the point-of-origin of the target. The system may also use the flow field measurements along the backward trajectory to classify the target. Target classification may be used to refine the point-of-origin estimate, to influence counter-fire or to adapt the flow field measurements.
Claims24
A method for backtracking a trajectory of an airborne target, comprising:
- illuminating with a laser beam a wake trailing the airborne target from a position at which the target is detected backward until the wake is no longer observable, said laser beam having a spatial pattern and a temporal waveform selected to discriminate wake turbulence from naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena;
- detecting laser energy backscattered from molecules, aerosols and particulate matter in the volume of air in and around the wake trailing the airborne target;
- processing the detected laser energy to compute one or more atmospheric flow field images along the wake, each said image including a profile of one or more flow field measurements;
- and
- processing the profiles of flow field measurements to estimate a backward trajectory of the airborne target from the detected position of the target to the position at which the wake is no longer observable.
A method for backtracking a trajectory of an airborne target, comprising:
- illuminating with a radio frequency beam the airborne target to determine a detected position of the target;
- illuminating with a laser beam a wake trailing the airborne target from the detected position backward until the wake is no longer observable, said laser beam having a spatial pattern and a temporal waveform selected to discriminate wake turbulence from naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena;
- detecting laser energy backscattered from molecules, aerosols and particulate matter in the volume of air in and around the wake trailing the airborne target;
- processing the detected laser energy to compute one or more atmospheric flow field images along the wake between the detected and observable positions, each said image including a profile of one or more flow field measurements;
- processing the profiles of flow field measurements to estimate a backward trajectory of the airborne target from the detected position of the target to the position at which the wake is no longer observable;
- projecting the backward trajectory past the position at which the wake is no longer observable to estimate a point-of-origin of the airborne target;
- and
- directing counter fire at the estimated point-of-origin.
A system for backtracking a trajectory of an airborne target, comprising:
- a laser transmitter configured to generate a laser beam having a spatial pattern and a temporal waveform selected to discriminate wake turbulence from naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena, said laser beam illuminating a wake trailing the airborne target from a position at which the target is detected backward until the wake is no longer observable;
- a ladar receiver comprising one or more detectors that detect laser energy backscattered from molecules, aerosols and particulate matter in the volume of air in and around the wake trailing the airborne target;
- a ladar signal processor configured to process the detected laser energy to compute one or more atmospheric flow field images along the wake between the detected and observable positions, each said image including a profile of one or more flow field measurements;
- and
- a system processor configured to process the profiles of flow field measurements to estimate a backward trajectory of the airborne target from the detected position of the target to the position at which the wake is no longer observable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.