Method and apparatus for battle damage assessment of electric or electronic devices and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9285463-B1
Application number	US-201213712031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2012
Priority date	Dec 12, 2011
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A method for assessing results from application of energy onto one or more electric or electronic devices includes the steps of acquiring an electromagnetic emission from the one or more devices, directing energy onto the one or more devices, acquiring another electromagnetic emission from the one or more devices having the energy directed thereonto and determining, in accordance with at least one logic algorithm state and/or change in state of the one or more devices. There is also a microprocessor based apparatus that is employed for acquiring the electromagnetic emissions and executing the at least one logic algorithm. Energy is directed by either a weapon or electromagnetic phenomena.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
(a) directing, from a distance with one of a directed energy weapon, directed energy device and a directed energy event, energy onto one or more devices;
(b) acquiring, with an apparatus receiving and processing intentional or unintentional electromagnetic emissions, an electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices having said energy directed thereonto in step (a); and
(c) determining, with said apparatus, based on differences between said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) and another electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices, a change of said one or more devices resulting from an application of said directed energy thereonto.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step (c) includes the step of comparing, with said apparatus, said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) against an electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices acquired prior to said energy directed thereonto.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step (c) further includes the step of assessing, with said apparatus, differences between said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) and said previously acquired electromagnetic emission.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) includes the step of determining, with said apparatus, a complete destruction or a degradation of said one or more devices in absence of said electromagnetic emission being acquired in step (b).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) includes the step of determining, with said apparatus, a destruction or a degradation of a sub-component of said one or more devices or a partial destruction or a partial degradation of said one or more devices in absence of a component of said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) includes the step of determining, with said apparatus, a disruption in operation of said one or more devices in presence of at least one difference in said electromagnetic emission acquired in step (b) relative to a previously acquired electromagnetic emission prior to applying energy in step (a).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step (a) includes the step of striking said one or more devices with said directed energy weapon.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing at least one of narrowband, wideband and ultra-wideband high powered microwave weapon.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing a high energy laser weapon.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing a kinetic weapon.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing an electromagnetic pulse weapon.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step (a) includes the step of providing at least one of missile, artillery ordinance, grenade, bomb and explosive device.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of identifying, with said apparatus, said one or more devices susceptible to additional directed energy events.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) includes the step of executing, with said apparatus, at least one measurement.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including the step of additional events of directing energy onto said one or more devices and the step of executing said at least one measurement before, after and between said additional events.

16. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of determining and/or defining, with said apparatus, classes of said one or more devices and determining and/or defining the number of devices within a specific class.

17. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of detecting, with said apparatus, functional state and changes due to directed energy engagements in real-time and the step of collecting and analyzing key spectral slices within the Electro-Magnetic Environment (EME).

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said apparatus comprises an amplifier, a filter disposed between and coupled to said coupled to said antenna and said amplifier, a tuner, an analog to digital converter, and a controller having a processor configured to execute one or more logic algorithms, said filter configured to block energy from the direct energy source from damaging said amplifier.

19. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of geo-locating, with said apparatus, said one or more devices emitting electromagnetic energy.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said step of geo-locating said one or more devices emitting electromagnetic energy includes the steps of:
(a) mounting said apparatus on a platform configured for movement;
(b) operatively coupling said apparatus to at least a pair of antennas positioned in a spaced apart relationship with each other, each of said at least pair of antennas configured to collect the electromagnetic energy emission, wherein at least one of said at least pair of antennas is mounted on or within said platform;
(c) moving said apparatus toward to or away from said one or more devices;
(d) collecting, with each of said at least pair of antennas, at least a pair of successive samples of electromagnetic energy emitted by said one or more devices;
(e) receiving, at said apparatus, said at least pair of successive samples; and
(f) defining, with a processor provided within said apparatus, in accordance to a predetermined logic, angular and spatial coordinates of said one or more devices.

21. A method of determining condition of one or more electric or electronic devices after a weapon strike, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) acquiring, with an apparatus receiving and processing intentional or unintentional electromagnetic emissions, a first electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices;
(b) acquiring, with said apparatus, a second electromagnetic emission from said one or more devices having energy applied thereto by said weapon strike; and
(c) determining, with said apparatus, differences between said first and second electromagnetic emissions to further determine a state and/or a change in said state of said one or more devices resulting from application of said energy thereonto.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising the step of providing said apparatus as comprising an amplifier, a filter disposed between and coupled to said antenna and said amplifier, a tuner, an analog to digital converter, and a controller having a processor configured to execute one or more logic algorithms, said filter configured to block energy from damaging said amplifier.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising the step of installing said apparatus on at least one of an airborne platform, a seaborne platform and a ground borne platform.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising the step of installing said apparatus on or in at least one of missile, cruise missile, interceptor, aircraft, spacecraft, unmanned aerial vehicle, ground vehicle, stationary ground based facility or platform, a marine vehicle, a submarine, a sea based platform.

25. The method of claim 22 , further including the step of using said apparatus to at least acquire one of said first and second electromagnetic emissions.

26. The method of claim 21 , further including the step of stimulating and/or illuminating said one or more devices with a source.

27. The method of claim 26 , w

Assignees

• Freeman Stephen Dorn
• Keller Walter John
• Nokomis Inc

Inventors

• Freeman Stephen Dorn
• Keller Walter John

Classifications

• G01S7/412 Primary

  based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values · CPC title

• F41H13/0043 Primary

  Directed energy weapons, i.e. devices that direct a beam of high energy content toward a target for incapacitating or destroying the target · CPC title