초록 ▼

Measurement of the deviation of a laser beam from a straight line, where the laser beam is of a type which causes thermal blooming, is used to determine the integrated effect which wind will have on an article traveling through airspace, for example, to enable an adjustment in the aim point of the a

Measurement of the deviation of a laser beam from a straight line, where the laser beam is of a type which causes thermal blooming, is used to determine the integrated effect which wind will have on an article traveling through airspace, for example, to enable an adjustment in the aim point of the article. The invention includes correcting the aim point of a gun firing a projectile, correcting the flight path of an aircraft, and correcting the path of a watercraft. The invention includes a method and means for measuring the flow of fluid in a conduit or as a free mass, for purposes other than adjusting the path of a projectile or the like.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for controlling the travel path through airspace of an article to a target, under influence of wind, which comprises: projecting a laser beam into the airspace, the laser beam having a character which effects thermal blooming;determining the extent to which the laser beam deviates from a

1. A method for controlling the travel path through airspace of an article to a target, under influence of wind, which comprises: projecting a laser beam into the airspace, the laser beam having a character which effects thermal blooming;determining the extent to which the laser beam deviates from a straight line path; and,adjusting the aim point of the article based on the extent of deflection of the laser beam. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said article is selected from the group consisting of a projectile fired from a gun, an aircraft, and a water craft. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser beam is projected into the airspace from a source located in vicinity of said article. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser beam is projected into the airspace along a line of sight running from a source located in vicinity of said article to the target, and wherein the extent of deviation of the beam is determined by measuring the distance between the beam path and the target at the target location. 5. The method of claim 1 which further comprises: determining the line of sight from the article to the target; projecting the laser beam along the line of sight toward the target; and, determining said extent of deviation by measuring the distance, transverse to the line of sight at the target location, between the beam impact point and the line of sight. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the article is an aircraft approaching a landing strip; wherein the target is located in proximity to the landing strip; and, wherein the laser beam is projected from the aircraft. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a watercraft moving across the surface of a body of water; and wherein the laser beam is projected from the watercraft. 8. Apparatus for propelling a projectile from a source and along a travel path through airspace to a target, comprising: means for projecting a windage laser beam into said airspace, generally in the direction of the intended travel path of the projectile, wherein said laser beam causes thermal blooming in the air;means for measuring the deflection of said laser beam from a straight line path, at a point along the laser beam path;means for measuring the range of the target from the source;means for adjusting the aim point of the projectile based on the measured deflection of the laser beam and the range. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising: means for establishing a line of sight path from vicinity of the source to the target; wherein the apparatus for propelling comprises a gun; wherein the projectile is a bullet; wherein the means for projecting comprises a laser source located in proximity to the gun, oriented to send said beam substantially along said line of sight path to the target; wherein the means for measuring the deflection comprises means for determining the impact point of said beam on the target or in vicinity of the target, and means for measuring the distance between said line of sight and the impact point. 10. A method for causing a projectile discharged from a propulsive means to travel through airspace to a target, within which airspace there is an atmospheric wind having a velocity component transverse to the intended travel path of the projectile, which comprises: (a) determining the range from the propulsive means to the target;(b) determining the line of sight LOS between the propulsive means and the target;(c) projecting a windage laser beam into the space between the propulsive means and target, the beam having a wavelength, intensity and duration which results in thermal blooming;(d) measuring the deflection of the windage laser beam from a straight line path;(e) calculating the direction and magnitude of said transverse wind velocity component as a function of said measured deflection;(f) adjusting the aim of the propulsive means as a function of said calculated wind velocity component, so that when the projectile is discharged form the propulsive means the projectile has a velocity component in the upwind direction relative to the LOS; and,(g) discharging the projectile from the propulsive means with velocity sufficient to reach the vicinity of the target. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the windage laser beam is projected along a path to the target which is substantially parallel to the LOS. 12. The method of claim 10 wherein step of projecting the windage laser beam causes the beam to impact on the target or on an object near the target, and wherein said measured deflection is the distance between the LOS near the target and the impact point of the windage laser beam. 13. The method of claim 10 wherein step (b) is carried out by projecting a spotting laser beam from vicinity of the propulsive means to the vicinity of the target, wherein said spotting laser beam does not cause significant thermal blooming. 14. The method of claim 13 which further comprises: using the same laser beam source for the windage beam and the spotting beam. 15. The method of claim 10 in which step (c) first comprises: selecting a source for providing said windage laser beam from the group comprising (i) a continuous wave laser; (ii) a pulsed laser; and (iii) a collimated laser. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the atmospheric absorption of the beam is at least 1.0×10−5 cm−1. 17. The method of claim 10 wherein the propulsive means is a firearm and the projectile is a bullet. 18. Apparatus for causing a projectile discharged from a propulsive means to travel through airspace to a target, within which airspace there is an atmospheric wind having a velocity component transverse to the intended travel path of the projectile, which comprises: (a) means for determining the range from the propulsive means to the target;(b) means for determining the line of sight LOS between the propulsive means and the target;(c) means for projecting a windage laser beam into the airspace between the propulsive means and target, the beam having a wavelength, intensity and duration which results in thermal blooming;(d) means for measuring the deflection of the windage laser beam from a straight line path;(e) means for calculating the direction and magnitude of the transverse wind velocity component as a function of the measured deflection;(f) means for adjusting the aim of the propulsive means as a function of said calculated wind velocity component, so the aim is in the upwind direction relative to the LOS; and,(g) means for discharging the projectile from the propulsive means with velocity sufficient to reach the vicinity of the target.