Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Kevin G Kintz

Mark David Rogers

Mark K Reighard

Halina M Parzuchowski

A method for preventing laser jamming of night vision goggles having a gated image intensifier device and a display for displaying an intensified image of a scene. The method includes the steps of detecting laser pulses from a jamming laser source and producing respective electrical pulses in response thereto, and gating off the gated image intensifier device in synchronism with the electrical pulses in order to thereby prevent the laser pulses from affecting the intensified image of the scene displayed by the display. The step of gating off the gated image intensifier device is preferably carried out by using a phase locked loop to produce a PLL output signal synchronized with the laser pulses, conditioning the PLL output signal to produce a conditioned PLL output signal, comparing the conditioned PLL output signal with a prescribed reference voltage to generate a comparator output signal having a first level when the PLL output signal is greater than a prescribed reference voltage, and a second level when the PLL output signal is not greater than the prescribed reference voltage, generating a pulse train in response to the comparator output signal, and applying the pulse train to the gated intensifier device. The step of detecting laser pulses from the jamming laser source is preferably carried out by using a photodetector device to detect the laser pulses and to produce rounded electrical pulses corresponding to the detected laser pulses, and squaring the rounded electrical pulses to produce the electrical pulses, wherein the electrical pulses comprise square electrical pulses. Also disclosed is a circuit for implementing the above-described method for preventing laser jamming of night vision goggles.

Circuit and method for preventing laser jamming of night vision goggles

A method and apparatus for non-destructive inspection of complex structures employs a portable laser based ultrasonic transducer 600 output to rapidly detect and size flaws in such structures, including the radii of composites, laminates, and complex skin/substructure assemblies, such as airplane wings. A fiber optic delivery system 610A is employed with the laser based ultrasonic transducer 600 and a thermoelastic medium to rapidly and accurately access the radii of complex structures in the field without the need for liquid or gel couplants, with the thermoelastic expansion of the test piece 680 producing mechanical stresses that initiate detectable sound waves regardless of the angle of the laser based ultrasonic transducer 600 output with respect to the test piece 680. A MAUS III scanning device may be employed to detect these sound waves and provide accurate information as to the detected flaws.

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St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Kevin G Kintz