Method and apparatus for detecting and disabling optical weapon sight

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to ordnance and, more particularly, to countermeasures against ordnance.

2. Brief Description of Prior Developments

In the use of ordnance a target is often sighted by means of an optical device. There would be advantages in defending against such ordnance in being able to detect and dazzle such optical devices.

A need, therefore, exists for an improved means of detecting and dazzling such optical devices.

The present invention is an apparatus for detecting and disabling a human eye or optical device used in the fire control of a weapon. This apparatus comprises a prism having a plurality of peripheral reflective surface. This prism has a longitudinal axis and rotating about said longitudinal axis. An infrared (IR) laser directs an infrared laser beam toward the prism side that the laser beam is reflected toward the human eye or optical device, such that the IR laser beam is retroreflected to the prism. There is also an infrared IR detector which detects the IR retroreflected laser beam reflected from the prism. A visible light wavelength laser which produces a visible light wavelength laser beam which is reflected from the prism to the human eye or optical device to disable the human eye or optical device to prevent use of the weapon.

The present invention also a method for detecting and disabling a human eye or optical device used in the fire control of a weapon. In this method the human eye or optical device is detected by retroreflecting electromagnetic radiation outside of the visible spectrum from the human eye or optical devices. The human eye or optical device is then disabled by directing electromagnetic radiation toward said human eye or optical device.

The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the laser detector and dazzler apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the method of the present application; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the laser detector and dazzler shown in FIG. 1 mounted on a vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the laser detector and dazzler apparatus of the present invention includes a hexagonal cross section prism 10 having an aluminum or gold plated sides 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 20 , and 22 . The prism 10 rotates about its longitudinal axis and it is mounted inside a housing 24 . There is an elongated vertical aperture 26 in the housing 24 . Also positioned inside the housing 24 , there is an infrared (IR) laser 28 which produces an IR beam 30 which is reflected from one of the sides as at side 16 to produce an IR retro detector beam 32 . As a result of the rotating prism 10 and the vertical elongated aperture 26 , there is an elevation scan angle 34

The IR detector beam 32 is received by a human eye or optical device 36 . A beam 38 is retroflexed from the human eye or optical device 36 back to side 16 of the rotating prism 10 from where it is reflected back to the IR detector 42 . When a human eye or optical device 36 is detected, the laser 44 is signaled to produce a green light laser beam 46 which is reflected from side 16 of the rotating prism 10 in the green laser dazzler beam 48 to the human eye or optical device 36 which is then dazzled so as to be incapacitated.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the laser apparatus 50 of the present invention would be used with a computer 52 . Azimuth, elevation and range data from “retro” returns 54 to be transmitted from the laser apparatus 50 to the computer 52 . The computer 52 could perform clutter suppression and target detection from “retro,” as well as provide azimuth, elevational and range and/or power computations back to the transmitter to be transmitted 56 to the apparatus 50 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , in operating the laser apparatus 50 may be mounted on the roof 60 of a vehicle 62 such as HUMVEE® style vehicle. If a weapon is trained on the vehicle 62 , the laser apparatus 50 is used to detect and dazzle and thereby disable a human eye or other optical device used in conjunction with the weapon.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.