Beam steered laser IFF system
US5459470A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 22, 1993 |
| Grant date | Oct 17, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 22, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/74
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system (10) for friend-or-foe identification (IFF) comprises an interrogator unit (18) carried on a first platform (T1) for generating and transmitting a laser beam. A control unit (22) selectively directs the transmitted laser beam toward a second platform (T2). A coding/decoding unit (28) encodes an IFF interrogator message with which a portion of the transmitted laser beam is modulated. A laser reflector (30) carried on the second platform receives the coded laser beam. The reflector is a normally passive reflector which is activated by receipt of the transmitted laser beam. The reflector responds to the IFF message contained in the received laser beam by modulating the unmodulated portion of the transmitted laser beam. This newly modulated portion of the laser beam is reflected back toward the first platform. The coding/encoding unit decodes on the first platform receives and the response, and determines if it corresponds to a predetermined response which identifies the second platform as a "friend".
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.