Vehicle disablement and retrieval

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10677569-B2
Application number	US-201615145029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

An aspect includes an agent carrier and an agent disposed in an inner cavity of the agent carrier. The agent includes an expandable foaming material and electromechanical signal blocking particles embedded in the expandable foaming material. An aspect further includes a sensor and agent release mechanism configured to release the agent from the agent carrier based at least in part on a determination, via the sensor, that the agent carrier is within a predetermined distance via the sensor from a vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an agent carrier;
an agent disposed in an inner cavity of the agent carrier, the agent comprising an expandable foaming material and electromechanical signal blocking particles embedded in the expandable foaming material;
a sensor and agent release mechanism configured to release the agent from the agent carrier based at least in part on a determination, via the sensor, that the agent carrier is within a predetermined distance from a vehicle, wherein the expandable foaming material,
subsequent to deployment, is configured to solidify to form a plastic,
a plurality of tethering lines comprising lighted optical fibers;
a spool flexibly attached to the agent deployment device,
wherein a first end of each of the plurality of the tethering lines is embedded in the agent carrier through an opening in an outer layer of the agent carrier, a second end of each of the plurality the tethering lines is fixed to the spool, and a slack portion of each of the plurality the tethering lines between the agent carrier and the spool is wound around the spool; and
a reeling device coupled to the spool, the reeling device configured to recover portions of each of the plurality the tethering lines released during deployment of the agent carrier;
wherein when the expandable foaming material solidifies and bonds to the vehicle, the first end of each of the plurality the tethering lines is secured in the plastic expandable foaming material through solidification of the expandable foaming material, and the vehicle is retrievable by the agent deployment device via each of the plurality tethering lines and the reeling device.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an agent deployment device, the agent deployment device including:
an agent carrier holding chamber;
and
a propellant device configured to launch the agent carrier from the agent deployment device;
wherein the expandable foaming material of the agent is configured to expand to at least partially envelope the vehicle, and the electromechanical signal blocking particles are configured to block communications between the vehicle and a remote operator of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the propellant device includes a propellant cylinder configured to store and deliver compressed air to a chamber of the agent deployment device.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the agent deployment device further includes:
a computer processor;
a memory communicatively coupled to the computer processor, the memory storing a data value indicating a maximum distance in which the agent carrier is capable of being deployed; and
a laser rangefinder communicatively coupled to the computer processor;
wherein upon activating the laser rangefinder, the laser rangefinder calculates a distance between the agent deployment device and the vehicle, and the computer processor receives a data value indicating the distance;
wherein the computer processor permits deployment of the agent carrier when the data value indicating the distance is less than or equal to the data value stored in the memory; and
wherein the computer processor prevents deployment of the agent carrier when the data value indicating the distance is greater than the data value stored in the memory.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a remote controlled water vessel.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a remote controlled aerial vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the expandable foaming material comprises a polyurethane plastic composition and the electromechanical signal blocking particles are comprised of at least one of copper, aluminum, and carbon nano-tubes.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hoareau Guillaume
• Liebenberg Johannes J
• Musial John G
• Whitman Todd R

Classifications

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title

• F41H13/00 Primary

  Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for {(details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00)} · CPC title

• F41B11/80

  specially adapted for particular purposes · CPC title

• F41H11/02

  Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile {or anti-torpedo} defence installations or systems (cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; {informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00}) · CPC title