Patent ID: 7760339
Filing Date: 2010-07-20
Classification: B64D,G01P,G01S,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A method for remotely sensing air outside a moving aircraft, comprising: generating laser radiation swept over a range of wavelengths with a tunable laser; splitting the laser radiation into a projected component and a control component; projecting the projected component from the aircraft into the air to induce scattered radiation; receiving a portion of the scattered radiation as backscattered radiation; filtering the backscattered radiation and the control component with a notch filter to form a filtered backscattered radiation and a filtered control component; converting the filtered control component into one or more electronic control signals; converting the filtered backscattered radiation into one or more electronic backscattered radiation signals; and processing the one or more electronic control signals and the one or more electronic backscattered radiation signals to derive a measurement of Rayleigh scattering from the electronic backscattered radiation signals; and using the measurement of Rayleigh scattering to determine one or more air parameters selected from the group consisting of an air pressure, an air density, and an air temperature.