Camouflage for transmission towers and lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016209557-A1
Application number	US-201514597803-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to camouflaged systems and related camouflaging methods. The camouflaged systems can include at least one camouflaged object, including but not limited to transmission lines and transmission towers. One or more surfaces of the camouflaged object can be configured to appear like (e.g., match, mimic, simulate, correspond to, or otherwise blend with) an environmental condition, which can include any variety of background environmental landscapes. For example, one or more surfaces of the camouflaged object can be painted, coated, or imparted with a texture such that they reflect light in a way that corresponds to any particular environmental condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A camouflaged transmission system, comprising:
at least one camouflaged object comprising at least one of a transmission line and a transmission tower, the camouflaged object comprising:
a first surface having a first reflectivity that corresponds to a first environmental condition; and
a second surface having a second reflectivity that corresponds to a second environmental condition.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the camouflaged object comprises a transmission line.

3 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the camouflaged object comprises a transmission tower.

16 - 28 . (canceled)

29 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises the camouflaged object's surroundings when the camouflaged object is viewed from a first location, and the second environmental condition comprises the camouflaged object's surroundings when the camouflaged object is viewed from a second location.

30 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises a first background environmental landscape when the camouflaged object is viewed from a first location, and the second environmental condition comprises a second background environmental landscape when the camouflaged object is viewed from a second location.

31 . The system of claim 30 , wherein each of the first and second background environmental landscapes comprises at least one of the following: a forested landscape, a wooded landscape, a mountainous landscape, a coastal landscape, a rocky landscape, a snowy landscape, a hilly landscape, a desert landscape, a plain landscape, an agricultural landscape, a sky landscape, a water landscape, a grassy landscape, an industrial landscape, a commercial landscape, and a residential landscape.

32 . (canceled)

33 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the first reflectivity is configured to mimic the first background environmental landscape, and the second reflectivity is configured to mimic the second background environmental landscape.

34 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the first reflectivity is configured to simulate the first background environmental landscape, and the second reflectivity is configured to simulate the second background environmental landscape.

35 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the first reflectivity is configured to blend with the first background environmental landscape, and the second reflectivity is configured to blend with the second background environmental landscape.

36 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the first reflectivity corresponds with the first background environmental landscape so as to reduce an ability to recognize the camouflaged object when viewed from the first location, and the second reflectivity corresponds with the second background environmental landscape so as to reduce an ability to recognize the camouflaged object when viewed from the second location.

37 - 43 . (canceled)

44 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface comprises at least one of a paint layer, a coating, and a texture having the first reflectivity.

45 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface comprises at least one of a paint layer, a coating, and a texture having the first reflectivity, and the second surface comprises at least one of a paint layer, a coating, and a texture having the second reflectivity.

46 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reflectivity comprises a first characteristic comprising at least one of the following: color, reflective intensity, magnitude of reflection, polarization, reflective direction, angle of reflection, diffuse reflection, or specular reflection, and the second reflectivity comprises a second characteristic comprising at least one of the following: color, reflective intensity, magnitude of reflection, polarization, reflective direction, angle of reflection, diffuse reflection, or specular reflection.

47 - 60 . (canceled)

61 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the camouflaged object comprises a transmission line and wherein the first surface comprises a first azimuthal region and the second surface comprises a second azimuthal region.

62 - 63 . (canceled)

64 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface extends along a first direction and further includes one or more additional reflectivities that correspond to one or more additional environmental conditions, wherein the reflectivities of the first surface change along the first direction so as to correspond to changes between the environmental conditions.

65 - 66 . (canceled)

67 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is disposed on one or more reflectors that are coupled to the camouflaged object.

68 - 73 . (canceled)

74 . A camouflaged transmission system, comprising:
at least one camouflaged object comprising a transmission line, the camouflaged object comprising:
a first surface extending along a first direction and comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the first surface having a first reflectivity that corresponds to a first environmental condition, and the second portion of the first surface having a second reflectivity that corresponds to a second environmental condition.

75 . The system of claim 74 , wherein the first direction is a longitudinal direction along the transmission line.

76 - 87 . (canceled)

88 . The system of claim 74 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises the camouflaged object's surroundings when the camouflaged object is viewed from a first location, and the second environmental condition comprises the camouflaged object's surroundings when the camouflaged object is viewed from a second location.

89 . The system of claim 74 , wherein the first and second environmental conditions comprise the camouflaged object's surroundings when the camouflaged object is viewed from a first location.

90 . The system of claim 74 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises a first background environmental landscape and the second environmental condition comprises a second background environmental landscape.

91 . The system of claim 90 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises a first background environmental landscape when the first portion of the first surface is viewed from a first location, and the second environmental condition comprises a second background environmental landscape when the second portion of the first surface is viewed from a second location.

92 . The system of claim 90 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises a first background environmental landscape when the first portion of the first surface is viewed from a first location, and the second environmental condition comprises a second background environmental landscape when the second portion of the first surface is viewed from the first location.

93 . The system of claim 90 , wherein each of the first and second background environmental landscapes comprises at least one of the following: a forested landscape, a wooded landscape, a mountainous landscape, a coastal landscape, a rocky landscape, a snowy landscape, a hilly landscape, a desert landscape, a plain landscape, an agricultural landscape, a sky landscape, a water landscape, a grass

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Cheatham Iii Jesse R
• Deane Geoffrey F
• Gates William
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Petroski Robert C
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tuckerman David B
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• B44F1/02

  produced by reflected light, e.g. matt surfaces, lustrous surfaces · CPC title

• F41H3/00

  Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise (for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 {; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005}) · CPC title

• H02G7/00

  Overhead installations of electric lines or cables (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• G02B5/08 Primary

  Mirrors {(vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08)} · CPC title

• B44F9/00

  Designs imitating natural patterns · CPC title