US 12,174,217 B2
Optical wind lidar-based multifunctional instrument for enhanced measurements and prediction of clear air turbulence and other wind-based aviation related phenomena
Sara C. Tucker, Boulder, CO (US); Bevan D. Staple, Longmont, CO (US); Jennifer H. Lee, Boulder, CO (US); Cynthia Wallace, Louisville, CO (US); and Carl S. Weimer, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc., Broomfield, CO (US)
Appl. No. 17/057,582
Filed by BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc., Broomfield, CO (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 30, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/063429
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 20, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/046407, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 5, 2020.
Application 17/057,582 is a continuation of application No. 16/192,563, filed on Nov. 15, 2018, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/723,675, filed on Aug. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0199685 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. G01P 5/26 (2006.01); G01W 1/00 (2006.01); G01W 1/10 (2006.01); G06N 3/08 (2023.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01P 5/26 (2013.01) [G01W 1/10 (2013.01); G06N 3/08 (2013.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01); G08G 5/0039 (2013.01); G08G 5/0047 (2013.01); G01W 2001/003 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multifunctional instrument, comprising:
a lidar system, including:
a laser source;
a beam division system; and
an interferometer
wherein the interferometer includes a plurality of detectors, wherein the lidar system has a first field of regard that encompasses a first target volume, wherein the lidar system has a second field of regard that encompasses a second target volume, wherein light of a first wavelength received from the laser source is directed by the beam division system to within the first field of regard, wherein light of a second wavelength received from the laser source is directed by the beam division system to within the second field of regard, wherein at least a first one of the detectors detects light returned from within the first field of regard, and wherein at least a second one of the detectors detects light returned from within the second field of regard; and
a control system, including:
memory, wherein a machine learning algorithm is stored in the memory; and
a processor, wherein the processor executes the machine learning algorithm, wherein wind measurement data from each of the first and second fields of regard are collected by the first and second detectors respectively of the lidar system and provided to the machine learning algorithm, wherein, in response to receiving the wind measurement data, the algorithm operates to at least one of predict a presence of turbulence within at least one of the target volumes or provide navigation information from the wind measurement data, and wherein the algorithm operates to output at least one of the predicted turbulence or the navigation information.