Patent ID: 6665063
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: B64D,G01C,G01P,G01S

Abstract:
A distributed laser based obstacle awareness system for use on-board an aircraft, said system comprising:a plurality of obstacle detecting sensors disposable at a corresponding plurality of locations of said aircraft for emitting laser energy from the aircraft into a predetermined region of space and for receiving return laser energy from an obstacle in said predetermined region of space, each obstacle detecting sensor including an optical scanner for scanning laser energy from the aircraft into said predetermined region of space in accordance with a predetermined pattern; a laser source for emitting a laser beam along an optical path; a plurality of bistatic optical channels, each channel comprising a plurality of transmission fiber optic cables and at least one receiver fiber optic cable, each optical channel extending from said laser source to a corresponding obstacle detecting sensor of said plurality of obstacle detecting sensors, said transmission fiber optic cables of each optical channel operative to direct the laser beam from the optical path to its corresponding obstacle detecting sensor of the plurality for emission into the corresponding predetermined region of space; and a light detectors for receiving return laser energy from an obstacle received by any one of the obstacle detecting sensors being propagated through the receiver fiber optic cable of the corresponding optical channel for use in detection of the obstacle in the corresponding predetermined region of space.