Systems and methods for interaction with thermal detectors
View Patent ↗A system for interacting with a thermal detector includes at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and a sensor mounted to the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle. The sensor is configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component. The system also includes a beam emitter mounted to the at least one unmanned vehicle and in communication with the sensor. The beam emitter includes a beam source configured to direct a beam of thermal radiation to the thermal detector in response to the signal from the sensor.
1. A system for interacting with a thermal detector, comprising: a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes
a beam emitter having a quantum cascade laser, and
a sensor configured to determine the presence of a component of the thermal detector and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the component,
wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move, in concert, relative to the thermal detector and each quantum cascade laser is configured to impinge a respective beam of thermal radiation upon a focal plane array of the thermal detector in response to the signal, thereby rendering a portion of the focal plane array inoperable;
a remote source in communication with the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move within a field of view of the focal plane array while each respective beam of thermal radiation impinges upon the focal plane array, and wherein movement of each vehicle within the field of view rastors each respective beam across the focal plane array.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the focal plane array comprises a plurality of pixels.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component of the thermal detector comprises a lens, and the sensor is configured to determine the presence of the lens by detecting a wavefront of radiation reflected by the lens.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein upon determining the presence of the lens, at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in concert, in response to a signal from a remote source, from a location outside of a field of view of the focal plane array to a location within the field of view.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes a respective communicator, each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles being in communication with at least one other vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles via the communicator.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the beam emitter and at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes an aiming device configured to rastor the respective beam of thermal radiation across the focal plane array while the at least one vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.
8. A method of interacting with a thermal detector comprising:
sensing the presence of a component of the thermal detector;
generating a signal indicative of the presence of the component; and
moving a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in concert, relative to the thermal detector and within a field of view of a focal plane array of the detector while each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles impinges a respective beam of thermal radiation upon a focal plane array of the thermal detector in response to the signal, thereby rendering a portion of the focal plane array inoperable;
wherein movement of each unmanned aerial vehicle within the field of view rastors each respective beam across the focal plane array.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the portion of the focal plane array comprises a plurality of pixels.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the component of the thermal detector comprises a lens, and the sensing of the component of the thermal detector comprises detecting a wavefront of radiation reflected by the lens and determining that the lens has been detected.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein upon determining the presence of the lens, at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to move in concert, in response to a signal from the remote source, from a location outside of a field of view of the focal plane array to a location within the field of view.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein each vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is in communication with at least one other vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles via the communicator.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising moving the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle substantially parallel to a plane defined by the lens, thereby impinging the beam onto a plurality of pixels of the focal plane array.
15. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one vehicle of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles aims a respective beam in different directions to rastor a respective beam of thermal radiation across the focal plane array while the at least one vehicle remains substantially stationary within a field of view of the focal plane array.