Guidance system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10677565-B2
Application number	US-201515536619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A guidance system for remote guidance of a remote platform(s) towards a target destination is disclosed. The guidance system includes a light module including a light source operable for beam to illuminating the remote platform, and a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in the optical path of the light beam emitted from the light source. The guidance system includes a controller operable for obtaining data indicative of guidance information for navigating the remote platform towards the target destination. The controller operates the SLM to encode the guidance information in the light beam. The guidance information may be encoded in light pattern including at least one of the following: a spatial light pattern formed in a cross-section of the light beam, a temporal light pattern in the light beam, and a spatiotemporal light pattern. The guidance information is encoded in the light beam such that the remote platform can navigate towards the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of the light beam, decoding a portion of the guidance information encoded in the detected cross-sectional region and thereby determining guidance instructions for navigating the remote platform(s) towards the target destination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A guidance system for remote guidance of one or more remote platforms towards a target destination, the guidance system comprising:
a light module comprising a light source, an optical output portion directing said light beam towards said one or more remote platforms, and a controller;
a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in an optical path of a light beam emitted from said light source and configured and operable for forming a spatiotemporal pattern within a cross-section of the light beam by dynamically switching between different programmable spatial patterns, and
wherein said controller is configured and operable for obtaining guidance information indicative of guidance instructions for navigating the remote platform, and operating said SLM by switching between the different programmable spatial patterns to spatially and temporally modulate the cross section of the light beam for encoding said guidance information in the spatiotemporal pattern in the form of a plurality of spatially distributed cross-sectional regions within the cross-section of said light beam having respectively distinguishable temporal light patterns formed therein, said controller being adapted to obtain distance data indicative of a distance between said one or more remote platforms and said optical output of the guidance system, and obtain data indicative of a degree of collimation of said light beam and to operate said SLM to modify a scale of said spatial light pattern based on said distance data and said degree of collimation of the light-beam to thereby compensate for divergence of said light-beam when propagating to said one or more remote platforms,
thereby enabling navigation of said one or more remote platforms to the target by detecting at least a cross-sectional region of said light beam and decoding a portion of said guidance information encoded in said cross-sectional region of said light beam to determine guidance instructions for navigating said one or more remote platforms towards said target destination.

2. The guidance system of claim 1 wherein said distinguishable temporal light patterns are indicative of respective guidance instructions for navigating the one or more remote platforms, when exposed to any one of said temporal light patterns, towards said target destination.

3. The guidance system of claim 2 wherein:
said temporal modulation pattern encodes said location of the cross-sectional region, and at least one additional data piece relating to said guidance information; and
said at least one additional data piece includes data indicative of a degree of convergence of motion path of said one or more remote platforms towards said target.

4. The guidance system of claim 1 wherein said distinguishable temporal light patterns are respectively indicative of locations of the cross-sectional regions associated therewith with respect to said cross-section of the light beam.

5. The guidance system of claim 1 wherein said guidance instructions are determined by:
detecting light of at least one of said cross-sectional regions of the light beam;
identifying a respective temporal modulation pattern modulating said cross-sectional regions of the light beam, thereby decoding said portion of the guidance information; and
determining said guidance instructions based on said respective temporal modulation pattern.

6. The guidance system of claim 5 wherein determining said guidance instructions comprises utilizing said respective temporal modulation pattern to determine a location of a cross-sectional region within said cross-section of the light beam and determining said guidance instructions based on said location.

7. The guidance system of claim 1 wherein said controller is adapted to obtain optical path data including at least one of:
(i) stabilization data indicative of deviation of an optical path of said light beam from a nominal optical path along which said light beam should be projected to navigate said one or more remote platforms to said target, or
(ii) target position data indicative of a position of said target from which said nominal optical path can be determined; and
wherein said controller is adapted to operate said SLM to modify said spatiotemporal light pattern by laterally shifting said spatiotemporal light pattern within the cross-section of the beam based on said optical path data, to thereby compensate for at least one of said deviations of the optical path and changes in said position of the target.

8. The guidance system of claim 7 configured in at least one of the following:
said guidance system comprises inertial sensors and wherein said controller is adapted to obtain said stabilization data at least partially based on motion of said guidance system sensed by said inertial sensors; or
said controller is associated with a tracking sensor operable for tracking said target and is adapted to obtain said target position data at least partially based on motion or position of said target detected by said tracking sensors.

9. The guidance system of claim 1 wherein a maximal time duration of said temporal modulation patterns is shorter than a characteristic time interval between consecutive modifications of said position of said spatial light pattern based on the optical path data, thereby enabling a detection module exposed to a certain cross-sectional region of said light beam to identify a temporal light pattern modulation.

10. The guidance system of claim 1 configured according to at least one of the following:
said SLM includes at least one of the following:
a digital micro-mirror device (DMD),
a liquid crystal device (LCoS), or
an array of MEMS mirrors;

said light source is a laser light source;
the guidance system comprises an optical assembly adapted for directing said light beam towards said one or more remote platforms; or
said optical assembly comprises at least one of the following:
a beam collimator adapted to collimate said light beam, or
a beam expander adapted to expand said light beam such that a cross-sectional width of the light beam reaching said one or more remote platforms is substantially greater by one or more orders of magnitude from lateral dimensions of a light detector mounted on said one or more remote platforms.

11. The guidance system of claim 1 comprising a guidance detection module adapted to be furnished on said one or more remote platforms, said guidance detection module includes an optical sensor adapted to detect at least one cross-sectional region of said light beam and a control unit connectable to said sensor and adapted to identify at least one of a spatial or temporal pattern in said detected at least one cross-sectional region, decode said pattern to determine the navigation instructions encoded therein, and operate steering modules of said one or more remote platforms to direct said one or more remote platforms in accordance with said navigation instructions towards said target.

12. The guidance system of claim 11 wherein:
said light pattern is a spatiotemporal pattern spatially distributed in a plurality of cross-sectional regions of said light beam and wherein light in said plurality of cross-sectional regions is temporally modulated with respectively distinguishable temporal modulation patterns; and
said control unit is adapted to identify a temporal modulation pattern in the detected cross-sectional region, and determine said guidance instructions based on said temporal modulation pattern.

13. The guidance system of claim 12 wherein:
said sensor includes at least one light sensitive pixel capable of detecting said temporal modulation pat

Assignees

• Israel Aerospace Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Avni Tsafrir

Classifications

• G01S1/70

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• F41G7/263 Primary

  Means for producing guidance beams · CPC title

• F41G7/26 Primary

  Optical guidance systems · CPC title