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  Auto-aiming dazzlerRelated Patent Categories: Education And Demonstration, Organized Armed Or Unarmed Conflict Or ShootingThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060234191. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an aiming device, and more particularly, to a method and system device to aim and deliver a variable strength light pulse, which may be used momentarily to dazzle and incapacitate a desired subject while doing no permanent harm. BACKGROUND INFORMATION [0002] Military and law enforcement personnel are often involved in peacekeeping, humanitarian and counter-terrorism missions where the use of lethal force is inappropriate. In these situations non-lethal technologies have appeal for both humane and political reasons. Non-lethal weapons would allow forces to diffuse potentially dangerous situations while limiting casualties. Non-lethal weapons have the promise to revolutionize future armed conflict; however, ethical and operational concerns about their design and function may limit their use. [0003] Non-lethal weapons are defined as weapons that are explicitly designed and primarily employed so as to incapacitate personnel or materiel, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property and the injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property and the environment. NATO has categorized non-lethal weapons into ten groups. These include containment devices, dazzling devices, anti-traction agents, non-penetrating projectiles, combustion modifiers, and odors. The Geneva Protocol, the Biological Weapons Convention, and the Chemical Weapons Convention together prohibit the development, production, acquisition, or retention of biological and chemical weapons, even if the intent of the biological or chemical weapon is non-lethal. Additionally, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and the Blinding Laser Ban prohibit the use of weapons whose primary purpose is to cause permanent blindness. [0004] The impetus to incorporate and replace the laser in `Laser Dazzlers` is threefold. One is to avoid simple countermeasures such as wavelength tuned tinted goggles and the another is to avoid the stringent safety limits imposed on lasers (ANSI standards) due to coherence effects, etc. The last consideration is the general repugnance to use laser devices for military purposes even if eye safe. [0005] In 1980, Sweden first tried to include a ban on blinding lasers in the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and put forward a draft protocol for that purpose before key meetings in Vienna in 1995. The Swedish draft became Protocol IV of the CCW. [0006] Despite Protocol IV, Laser dazzler development programs continue in many countries, while keeping the laser energy levels at the aperture of dazzlers within the guidelines of Protocol IV. Since 1995, when the U.S. agreed to the Blinding Laser Protocol of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, the Pentagon has cancelled several blinding laser weapon programs. [0007] Human Rights Watch identifies and provides details on a host of laser weapon programs of concern, including BOSS, Persuader, LX-5, Maglite, Saber 203, TLOS, Green Laser, Nighthawk and Y-Blue. In some cases, it appears that the very blinding laser weapons that were being developed prior to the 1995 policy (e.g., Saber 203, LCMS/TLOS) are being modified for deployment as dazzlers, with just a less apparent blinding attribute. The United States is not alone in developing such weapons. Other countries such as France, Britain, Russia, Germany and Israel are believed to have pursued antipersonnel laser programs. As early as 1995, China was advertising a similar device as an antipersonnel weapon. [0008] The technical comparisons are based on the max allowable laser 9-11 intensity (0.4 mW/cm2). The ANSI standard is: CLASS I cannot emit laser radiation at known hazard levels (typically CW: 0.4 milli-watts at visible wavelengths). On the other hand, The maximum limit for white light sources is 1 cd/cm2. This is equivalent to 18 mW/cm2. This is much higher than the laser maximum. By comparison, a 100 watt light bulb is about 18% efficient. It has an intensity of 15 mWcm2 at a distance of 10 cm (4 in). This is uncomfortable and dazzling, but not dangerous. [0009] To date laser-based dazzler systems have had limited success meeting these goals. For devices having a fixed output power to be eye safe at close range, the output must be reduced to such a low level that at the desired operating distance of 10-100 m the system becomes completely ineffective. At distances of 5 m or more these systems are marginally brighter then a standard flashlight; the intended target can see clearly most of the body of the person holding this conventional laser dazzler. The requirement that the device be nominally eye safe at close range means it is not disabling at all. In fact, eye safety is not guaranteed, as a target using binoculars or a rifle scope might receive a laser dose that would still cause permanent eye damage. [0010] Other existing devices do permit manual adjustment of the energy of the dazzle pulse in an attempt to account for variables like attenuation by the atmosphere, enhanced collection by binoculars, transmission through sunglasses, target brightness, etc. using measurements of range and illumination and visual observation of target characteristics such as sunglasses or binoculars. [0011] This is at best a subjective estimate of the optical susceptibility of the target and a difficult and time consuming procedure to undertake during crisis situations. There is a strong possibility that too small or too large a dazzle pulse would be used, and the device either would be ineffective at disabling the target or would permanently harm the eyes of the target or innocent bystanders. [0012] Ethical and legal guidelines direct and restrict the development of certain non-lethal weapons. For example, dazzling devices which are designed to induce temporary blindness or disorientation using powerful lights, lasers, or stroboscopes must not cause any permanent eye damage. [0013] What is needed is a smart Auto-aiming dazzler) designed to aim and deliver a dazzling and disabling light flash of maximum eye-safe energy to a selected target. Two desirable features of the Auto-aiming dazzler technology would be for it to be self-aiming and have power-adjusting capabilities so that optical barriers, such as dark glasses, rifle scopes, binoculars, etc., and iris aperture, whether the eyes are light or dark adapted, are automatically taken into account. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] The Auto-aiming dazzler is a non-lethal weapon designed to aim and deliver a dazzling and disabling light flash of maximum eye-safe energy to a selected target. Two key features of the Auto-aiming dazzler technology are its self-aiming and power-adjusting capabilities; optical barriers, such as dark glasses, rifle scopes, binoculars, etc., and iris aperture, whether the eyes are light or dark adapted, are automatically taken into account by using a low-power infrared (IR) light source, such as an IR laser, to probe and return a glint from the eye(s) of the target. Using the retro-reflected glint the dazzle pulse is power adjusted and directed to arrive at the target with maximum allowable non-lethal energy at any range from 1 m to 100 m. [0015] The collateral risk of this technology is very small. If the weapon is misaimed dramatically, the returned glint may come from an unintended person who will then be dazzled. Although this person will be incapacitated for a short period, he or she will suffer no long-term ill effects. [0016] The Auto-aiming dazzler adds an important tool to the spectrum of non-lethal responses available for use by military and law enforcement personnel. Applications include dispersing persons in crowd control and disabling terrorists in hijacking situations. The dazzle process may be repeated, choosing the next most susceptible target until a crowd is subdued. One important application in counter-terrorism is onboard planes where a pilot can fire a Auto-aiming dazzler through a cockpit-door window and dazzle a hijacker with no damage to passengers. [0017] In one embodiment, the invention utilizes an Alvarez lens pair having a moving element adjustable in x and y, a probe beam directed through the Alvarez lens pair, directing retro-reflections from the probe beam to a focal plane array and using the information from the focal plane array to cause the moving element of the Alvarez lens pair to adjust so as to direct a light beam at the retro-reflecting target. Te light beam may be a white light incoherent source or alternatively a laser. [0018] In another embodiment, a ranging device may be added so as to determine a distance to the retro-reflecting target and adjust the intensity of the light beam accordingly. [0019] In yet another embodiment, a holographic beam combiner/filter is placed in the optical path between the Alvarez lens pair and the light source, and the probe beam light source is placed off the axis of the light source and the Alvarez lens pair. The holographic beam combiner/filter is designed to pass the light from the light source directly through, while bending the probe beam to become co-linear with the with the light source beam path. The holographic beam combiner/filter may also be constructed so as to perform a similar same function with a ranging beam from the ranging device, the ranging beam and probe beam typically being of different wavelengths. [0020] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for Auto-aiming dazzler Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Auto-aiming dazzler patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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