US 12,013,216 B2
Laser controller with light path characterization by backscatter detection
Leon Paul Skorczewski, Preston (GB)
Assigned to BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/799,045
Filed by BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
PCT Filed Feb. 10, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/050302
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 11, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/165645, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 26, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20275043 (EP), filed on Feb. 17, 2020; and application No. 2002136.6 (GB), filed on Feb. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0062666 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. F41H 13/00 (2006.01); H01S 3/13 (2006.01)
CPC F41H 13/005 (2013.01) [H01S 3/1304 (2013.01); H01S 3/1305 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) comprising an LDEW laser controlled by an LDEW controller, the LDEW laser being configured to emit an LDEW laser beam in an LDEW beam direction;
a gas velocity sensor (GVS) comprising:
a GVS laser distinct from the LDEW laser and operable to transmit in the LDEW beam direction a GVS laser beam into an environment; and
an interferometer operable to detect backscattered radiation resulting from interactions between the GVS laser beam and a gas that is impacted in the environment by the GVS laser beam, the interferometer being configured to detect both an intensity and a Doppler shift of the backscattered radiation, the gas velocity sensor being operable to determine a velocity of the gas relative to the gas velocity sensor according to the Doppler shifts of the backscattered radiation that are detected by the interferometer;
wherein the LDEW controller is operable to receive data from the interferometer, and to control an output intensity of the LDEW laser according to the intensity of the backscattered radiation that is detected by the interferometer.