초록 ▼

A multiple energetic penetration and damage progression sensor is disclosed. A grid of sensing lines, such as passive optical fibers, is formed by laying the sensing lines in a crossing pattern to form a 2-Dimensional or 3-Dimensional coordinate grid. Signal receivers such as photo-detectors are con

A multiple energetic penetration and damage progression sensor is disclosed. A grid of sensing lines, such as passive optical fibers, is formed by laying the sensing lines in a crossing pattern to form a 2-Dimensional or 3-Dimensional coordinate grid. Signal receivers such as photo-detectors are connected to one or both ends of the sensing lines, and a data processor interprets received signals. When an impact or energetic penetration occurs at a location on or near a sensing line, energy passes down the sensing line in both directions away from the point of impact or penetration. Each pair of “X-Y” or “X-Y-Z” recordings from receivers receiving the energy is processed to determine a location, penetration volume and progression in time of the impact or penetration. This sensor can be made conformal to any regular and continuous surface geometry, volume geometry, or surfaces or volumes of physical objects of interest.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for closely detecting location of one or more highly energetic events on a body, said method comprising: associating a plurality of separate and discrete detection lines with at least a surface of said body,continuously detecting, during discrete detection increments of time, detection s

1. A method for closely detecting location of one or more highly energetic events on a body, said method comprising: associating a plurality of separate and discrete detection lines with at least a surface of said body,continuously detecting, during discrete detection increments of time, detection signals at each end of each detection line of said plurality of detection lines without injecting any signal into said plurality of detection lines, and obtaining detection signals from a respective said each end of each said detection line during each detection increment so that a plurality of separate and discrete time-aligned detection signals are obtained from respective ends of said plurality of detection lines during each said detection increment of time,severing or disturbing at least one said detection line by said highly energetic event,detecting energy of said highly energetic event through severed ends of at least one severed said detection line, changing a value of said at least one detection signal at said each end of said respective severed or disturbed at least one detection line,from said changed value, determining a location of said highly energetic event on said surface of said body in relation to location of said severed or disturbed said detection line. 2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising arranging said plurality of detection lines so that a first set of said detection lines associated with said surface cross a second set of said detection lines associated with said surface, forming a coordinate pattern of said plurality of detection lines across said surface, and wherein said determining a location of said highly energetic event further comprises locating said highly energetic event on said surface of said body in relation to location where at least two severed or disturbed said detection lines of said first set of detection lines and said second set of said detection lines cross. 3. The method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising obtaining some of said plurality of separate and discrete detection signals from a respective first end of said first set of said detection lines, and obtaining others of said separate and discrete detection signals from a respective first end of said second set of detection lines, and obtaining the same said separate and discrete detection signals from a respective second end of said first set of said detection lines and a respective second end of said second set of detection lines when said detection lines of said first set and said second set are not severed or disturbed. 4. The method as set forth in claim 3 further comprising obtaining said some of said plurality of separate and discrete detection signals from said first end of said first set of said detection lines and obtaining said others of said separate and discrete detection signals from a respective first end of said second set of detection lines, and obtaining the same said separate and discrete detection signals from said respective second end of said first set of said detection lines and said respective second end of said second set of detection lines when at least some of said detection lines of said first set and said second set are severed once or disturbed by said highly energetic event, and determining location of said highly energetic event on said surface from location of an intersection of said severed or disturbed said detection lines of said first set and said second set. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein said associating said detection lines with a surface further comprises associating said first set of detection lines and said second set of detection lines with a generally elongated 3-dimensional surface wherein said first ends of said first set of detection lines and said first ends of said second set of detection lines are at one end of said generally elongated 3-dimensional surface, with a first set of said separate and discrete detection signals obtained from said first end of said first set of detection lines and said second set of detection lines, and said second ends of said first set of detection lines and said second ends of said second set of detection lines at an opposite end of said 3-dimensional surface, with a second set of said separate and discrete detection signals obtained from said second end of said first set of detection lines and said second end of said second set of detection lines. 6. The method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising detecting location of an additional highly energetic event along said at least one previously severed detection line by detecting a said changed value at one said end of a portion of said previously severed detection line. 7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said associating a plurality of separate and discrete detection lines with at least a surface of said body further comprises putting said detection lines on said at least a surface of said body. 8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said incrementally detecting during discrete detection increments of time further comprises providing a train of clock pulses, and recording a said detection signal at each respective end of each said detection line during discrete clock pulses of said train of clock pulses, thereby recording a train of time-aligned detection signals from said each end of each said detection line. 9. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising: at least temporarily storing said time-aligned detection signals for a predetermined period of time,discarding said temporarily stored time-aligned signals if no said highly energetic event occurs that severs or disturbs a said detection line during said predetermined period of time, or,saving said temporarily stored time-aligned detection signals if said highly energetic event occurs that severs or disturbs a said detection line during said predetermined period of time. 10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said saving said temporarily stored time-aligned detection signals further comprises temporarily storing said time-aligned detection signals in a temporary memory, and when a said detection line is severed or disturbed during said predetermined period of time, transmitting said stored time-aligned detection signals to a remote location or permanently saving in a memory said time-aligned detection signals. 11. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising arranging said discrete and crossed said detection lines in a plurality of planes spaced apart from one another, and fixing said spaced-apart planes within a volume, for detecting progression of said highly energetic event through said volume. 12. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said detecting of detection signals further comprises assigning one of a binary “0” or “1” to indicate no severing or disturbance of said detection line, and assigning the other of said binary “0” or “1” to a changed said value indicative of a severed or disturbed said detection line. 13. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising determining location of said highly energetic event on said surface by comparing said binary “1” taken from said crossed at least two severed or disturbed said detection lines of said first set of detection lines and said second set of said detection lines with respect to said binary “0” taken from unsevered or undisturbed said detection lines. 14. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising using light guides for said detection lines, and detecting a flash of light from said highly energetic event in said severed ends of a severed said light guide, and detecting said flash of light at each end of said severed light guide. 15. An apparatus for detecting highly energetic events on a surface comprising: a plurality of separate and discrete detection lines on a surface of a body,a clock signal generator for generating a train of clock pulses,a detector connected to each end of each separate and discrete detection line, and responsive to said clock pulses, for passively obtaining a signal at each said end of each separate and discrete detection line during discrete clock pulses without injecting any predetermined detection signal into said detection lines, so that a plurality of time-aligned detection signals are passively obtained from each end of said plurality of separate and discrete detection signals during a respective clock pulse,when one or more of said detection lines are severed by a highly energetic event, determining location of said highly energetic event on said surface by detection of energy from said highly energetic event transmitted by severed ends of said severed detection lines. 16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said separate and discrete detection lines are arranged in a coordinate system wherein a first set of said separate and discrete detection lines are arranged generally parallel to each other and in one direction on said surface, and a second set of said separate and discrete detection lines are arranged generally parallel to each other and arranged on said surface to cross said separate and discrete detection lines of said first set of detection lines, forming intersections between said first set of detection lines and said second set of detection lines, with a discrete said detector connected to each end of each said detector line of said first set of detection lines and said second set of detection lines, and a signal processor connected to each said detector, said signal processor adapted to determine a location of said highly energetic event on said surface from location of at least one intersection of crossed and severed said detection lines of said first set and said second set, and time stamping at least one said clock pulse during which said highly energetic event occurs. 17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 further comprising adapting said signal processor to detect subsequent said highly energetic events by detecting energy from a following said highly energetic event transmitted to at least one said detector at a single end of a previously severed said detection line, and determining location of said following highly energetic event on said surface by location of a said intersection where a portion of at least one previously severed said detection line is connected to said detector. 18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said coordinate system is arranged as a plane, with a plurality of planes each having a respective said first set of separate and discrete detection lines and a respective second set of separate and discrete detection lines, said planes oriented in a volume to monitor progression of said highly energetic impact through said volume.