KR20170058433A - Electrode-free plasma lamp optical disruption - Google Patents

Abstract

A high intensity incoherent light beam (HIILB) emitted from an electrode-free plasma (EFS) lamp over-stimulates the target's optic nerve to interfere with or reduce the activity of one or more targets ≪ / RTI > The steps of the method include providing HIILB from an EFS lamp housed in the device and, when facing the device, irradiating the beam to one or more targets. The device includes an outer housing having a head portion having a window opening for transmitting HIILB, an optical system mounted to the head portion and opposed to the window, one or more EFP lamps mounted at the focus of the optical system for collimating light toward the window, And an electric circuit for driving said one or more lamps, wherein the electric circuit has an energy source and a plasma lamp induced coupling to an energy source for operation.

Description

ELECTRODE-FREE PLASMA LAMP OPTICAL DISPLACEMENT [0002]

Cross-reference of related patent applications

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 14 / 495,748, filed September 24,

Statement of Federal sponsorship research or development

Not applicable

The name of the party to the joint research agreement

Not applicable

Integration by reference of data submitted to compact disc

Not applicable

The present invention relates to a directional energy-incoherent electrode pre-plasma light source that is a non-lethal energy weapon for temporary human and animal visual disturbances and personal protection, and more particularly to illumination and illumination of human and animal intruder (s) Portable, and handheld searchlights, spotlights, and flashlights for use in close and long range engagements that cause interference, repulsion, suppression, and visual disturbance.

Recent use of non-lethal effector weapons and personal protection devices has proven to be progressively more effective in addressing enemies in enforcement, remediation, security personnel and military and personal safety. In most conflicts, the goal of the guard is to use the minimum amount of force necessary to control the situation. Prevention of incidental damage is increasingly essential for public policy reasons. The magnification of the force response begins with observation and proceeds through visual and verbal warnings, intrusive disturbances, and the use of non-lethal forces to avoid possible fatal forces. As the level of response of the force increases, the likelihood of permanent injury or death increases. Therefore, security personnel ensure personal safety but want a careful response that minimizes the maximum possible damage to the other party and the passenger.

As the intruder gets further away from the enforcement agent, the enforcement personnel will take time to reflect on the intruder and the enforcement agent to minimize any minor damage and perform a careful non-fatal reaction. Non-fatal effects should ideally provide both individual and group control choices.

Previous developments of light-oriented energy weapons include:

Laser Dazzlers:

Ultrabright laser sources that use coherent light claim to control the expansion of confrontation between security personnel and intruders. The laser deszler operates by blinding the object temporarily with a green laser that does not kill people. Most of the military-built models are designed to operate at distances from 300 to 500 meters during the day, and are reported to operate up to a kilometer at night. Examples of such devices are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,685,636; 6,007,218; And 7,040,780.

Companies with laser vision disturbances are required to operate at 1,000 to 1,600 feet during the day and at 3,200 feet at night. At 40 meters, the intense beam of a 200 milliwatt laser can permanently damage the eye. Some permanent eye damage by non-fatal lasers used by the military was reported in the press. The main disadvantage of coherent light lasers is that it is difficult to manage intensity so that they generate a very narrow single spectrum of light to prevent permanent eye damage. The human eye is not adapted to the natural protection of single wavelength output of coherent light such as a laser, and the human eye is very sensitive to damage by laser beams.

On the other hand, humans are well adapted to respond safely to incoherent light in a broad spectrum of sunlight. This provides a safety advantage over incoherent light to a laser beam.

The cost of laser technology is relatively high compared to other non-destructive handheld optical technologies. In addition, lasers are sensitive to measures such as wavelength-specific eye protection. The coherent single laser wavelength has the additional disadvantage that it does not include all wavelengths corresponding to changes in eye sensitivity between day and night between cones and rods. In addition, lasers are export-restricted and export limited in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

LED / Flash Lamp and Strobes:

In October 2007, the title of the article "High-intensity crime competing with the next generation of strobe lights" by Ralph Mroz appeared in the police and security news: "The latest technology is strobe light ..." What are the advantages of doing so? Here are some of the requirements: 1) the cause of sense of loss and blindness; 2) Causes of peripheral visual impairment; 3) Limit the accurate firing ability; And 4) cause fear and / or hesitation .... ... and they will be blinded by a very bright white light that is flashing-we are aware of the blindness of 60 lumens or more in the eyes of a suspect. Strobe adds direction loss to blindness. The technical merit of this is obvious. "

A more recent device is U.S. Patent No. 7,180,426, a multicolor flash LED device for activating full spectrum light combined with a strobe effect. It is effective in a range of less than 30 feet.

Examples of other light emitting diodes (LEDs) and high intensity discharge (HID) devices are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,710,742; 8,419,213; 7,909,484; 7,500, 763; And 6,190,022.

Short arc Visual disturbance:

Historically, some arc lamp searchlights were bright enough to cause permanent or temporary blindness, and they were used to dazzle the crew of the bomber during World War II. The CDL (canal defense light) was a "secret weapon" of World War II in about 1943, and was used on the battlefield. It was based on the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight mounted on the tank. Tank row (4) can aim the battlefield at up to 1000 yards at a 19-degree angle, which moves forward and opens and closes the optical shutter to intercept the enemy. If the light causes the enemy's position to be aimed, it was intended to be used during night attacks. Ancillary use of light is to make the enemy glitter and lose sense of direction, which makes it difficult for them to fire correctly again.

U.S. Patent No. 7,866,082 teaches a method for disabling one or more target entities, comprising the steps of: providing a device for emitting a high intensity incoherent light beam, wherein the device is in particular a short - includes arc lamps; Examples of non-fatal short arc lamp inventions are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,497,586; 7,866,082; 8,567,980; And 8,721,105.

The advantage of short arc lamp output is that it can be focused to operate at much longer distances than LED or HID light sources. The disadvantages of the methods and apparatus that are the subject of U.S. Patent Nos. 7,497,586 and 7,866,082 are the high power consumption (15 lumens / watt (lm / W), 5% energy conversion into light, projections such as shadows due to electrodes and cathodes And the focus efficiency is very sensitive to thermal expansion during operation, which requires manufacturer ' s manufacturing tolerances and repeated focal length adjustments. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 >

Other lamps, including short arc lamps and electrodes, can be used in the optical stream as well as electrodes, cathode terminals, and wires, as well as shadows in the light beam due to distortions in the shape of the plasma ball due to electrodes and a wide range of manufacturing tolerances, I. E., The "black-hole" phenomenon at the center of the beam due to artifacts. Also, since wires and lamps need to penetrate the surface of the reflector, there may be a loss of light of the short arc lamps due to the back holes of the reflectors.

Because of the high energy consumption of short-arc lamps, battery size and weight are design flaws in portable applications.

The useful lamp life of short arc lamps is limited to 400-1000 hours. Also, due to electrode erosion of the short arc lamp, the spectral output can be expected to change as the lamp envelope darkens. The only solution is to replace the short arc lamp frequently. In addition, short arc lamps are generally large, approximately 100 cm by 20 cm for handheld or mobile devices, which makes it difficult and difficult to design by-pass.

Flash Bang Devices / Projectile Sun Devices:

A stun grenade, also known as a flash grenade or a flare gun, is a non-lethal explosive device that is used temporarily to defeat the enemy's senses. It is designed to produce very loud sounds that are "flashing" light and "banging" more than 170 decibels (dB) without causing permanent injury. It was first developed in the 1960s. Occasional flashes activate all the photoreceptor cells in the eye, which deprives the target of sight for about 5 seconds.

Examples of such devices are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,161,883; 8,113,689; 7,191,708; And 6,767,108.

These types of devices are used in the contained space. Ancillary damage is very dangerous. A large explosion of these devices can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage and impaired balance. Although the flash grenade is designed to be non-fatal, some injuries have been reported. A disadvantage of these devices is that they can blind not only the user but also the passengers, and the manufacturing method can cause a fire or explosion hazard. Some deaths and fires were the result of their use. Particularly, phosphorus grenades that explode on impact and generate loud, bright white light have the drawback that they can generate a high level of heat that can cause severe burns.

Electro-Muscular Disruption:

As reported in the press, risks associated with guns equipped with electric shocks and rubber bullets from injury to mission are reported. The use of non-fatal light prevents the potential risk of death due to strong electrical shock devices. "There are critics who consider this type of technique to suffer from compliance with the 1987 Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (" Convention against Torture ")" .

These issues remain a concern for certain non-fatal weapons. "The Government of the United States acknowledges that in certain cases there is a continuing consultation of certain types of abuse and abuse and the existence of areas of concern in the context of the criminal justice system and the full achievement of the objectives and objectives of the Convention, Examples include (in some cases, patterns or practices): - police abuse, cruelty and unnecessary or excessive use of force, chemical (pepper) spray, taser or "stun gun" ... "Convention on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" issued by the Torture Prevention Commission ..., under Article 19 of the Convention, the authorities Considerations for this submitted report "(p. 21, p. 70).

Accordingly, there is a need for a device in which the risk of permanent injury is significantly reduced, and the effectiveness of preventing or reducing the activity of one or more target objects is increased. In particular, devices that emit non-fatal incoherent light and methods of using the same, wherein the lamps have a rated lamp life of 10,000-50,000 hours, as compared to short arc lamps with a manufacturer rated lamp life of 500-2,000 hours, ) Eliminating the presence of electrodes as well as eliminating the corrosion that may occur with short arc lamps that darken the lamp envelope, thereby emitting a more consistent spectral output and providing increased life expectancy as often as short arc lamps Smaller than the 100 cm x 20 cm short arc lamps, which are sized to allow for the construction of small and durable devices, reducing the cost of manufacturing and maintenance because it eliminates the need to replace the lamp, × 10 ㎜, and the light energy that does not impair the target in accordance with the intent of the United Nations Convention adopted by 198 international nations in 1987 The lives.

The present invention is a non-coherent, fatal, less deadly, hand-held, mobile or stationary light beam that uses non-coherent visible white light from an electrode-free plasma (EFP) And can be used to temporarily observe, perceive, visually impair, stun, visually disorient, reduce cognitive abilities of muscle disturbances, or otherwise perpetuate It controls and restricts the behavior of one or more persons, assailants, criminals, trespassers, or opponents, without causing harm.

It is an object of the present invention to provide non-fatal, eye-safe security devices based on intense light, and more particularly, to provide a security device that causes visual impairment and direction loss through illumination by concentrated brightness, Non-coherent light from an electrodeless light source (lamp) to achieve a longer working distance of the beam, and non-fatal, non-compromised secure devices with less energy consumption and smaller optical distortion during day and night operation .

The present invention is a non-lethal light directing energy weapon and non-lethal effector method for observing, suppressing, firing, obstructing, visual disturbing, and controlling humans and animals using a device, Sufficient to cause temporary visual disturbance of a person or animal (target) for a period of time, without causing permanent permanent bodily injury at a selected or modulated EFP output source, or a selected engage distance when illuminated by the beam, Intensity and focus induction plasma lamp.

The method utilizes Electrode Pre-Plasma (EFP) lamps, which are excited by electromagnetic waves and are a type of gas discharge lamp, which concentrates the radio waves into or directly into the waveguide, The light bulb supplies energy to the light-emitting plasma. Electromagnetic waves include HF energy (microwaves) generated by a magnetron to power a plasma light source as well as radio frequency (RF), or they can be charged by a charged light bulb Emitting plasma that is energized in the plasma.

The most important advantage of an electrodeless light source over other incoherent light sources is the additional flexibility afforded to the optical configuration when directing light to the target. The designer is no longer required to work around the dripping shadows (black holes) due to electrodes and cathode wires in the projected beam path. The light rays of such an EFP output are nearly complete pinpoint light sources, as small as 1 to 3 mm, which allows it to be focused and collimated according to the needs of the applications without having to design around undesirable artifacts. There is a 4- to 10-fold improvement in lumens per watt output when using EFP lamps for lighting and visual disturbance, which allows for smaller battery packs and lighter weight portable devices.

The method generally utilizes an EFP lamp mounted in a reflector that can be combined with the optics of lenses, mirrors, lenses, or combinations and configurations, wherein the small plasma balls generated are optimized for the focus of the lens or reflector And is positioned to collimate the light from the lamp through the window opening and irradiate the light beam to the target (s) at a distance or near the desired discharge angle. An adjustable or fixed mounting base for a light source or optical array or components thereof is configured such that the optimum optical focus is maintained until the light beam intensity delivered to the target is reached, So that the position of the optics can be adjusted. The method may utilize one or more EFP devices in the array to aim intruders at larger distances or in areas of wider engagement.

The devices of the present invention will find uses for law enforcement, military, private security, first-responders, coastal and personal safety. They can be designed for handheld devices, vehicles and boat-mounted, stationary, shipboard, and other applications. Examples of the configuration of an exemplary apparatus of the above method are shown in Figs. 8 to 11. Fig.

For purposes of this summary, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention are described herein. It will be appreciated that not all of these advantages may necessarily be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the present invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a manner that does not necessarily achieve other advantages, such as may be taught or suggested herein, but rather achieves one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein Or may be performed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood by the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts.

Figure 1: Retinal responses of rods and cones of the human eye to light.
Figure 2: Spectral output of an EFP lamp filled with argon and a metal halide.
Figure 3: Schematic drawing of an EFP lamp mounted on a resonator.
Figure 4: EFP lamp envelope.
5: EFP lamp startup sequence steps 1-3.
Figure 6: Diagram of elements of a typical EFP lamp device.
Figure 7: In-line EFP lamp device with collimation reflector.
Figure 8: In-line EFP lamp device with collimation reflector and internal optical system.
Figure 9: EFP lamp device with collimation reflector and internal optical system mounted on tilt pan.
10: A right angle EFP lamp device with a collimation reflector and an internal optical system.
11: An array of eight EFP lamp devices mounted on a tilt fan.
Figure 12: Parabolic reflector surface with internally mounted refracting surface.
13: A collimator lens is a refractor on an external lens having four types of surfaces.
Figure 14: Inner reflector in which the collimate lens has four surface types.
15: Fresnel lens.
16: (A) disturbance pattern - Luminance flux of the electrodeless plasma lamp and (B) disturbance pattern - Luminance flux of the short arc lamp.
17: (A) Xenon short arc lamp spectrum and (B) EFP lamp spectrum.

Definitions Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, patent applications, and publications referenced throughout this specification are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where there are multiple definitions for a term in this specification, the one in this section takes precedence.

The term " electrode-free plasma "(EFP), as used herein, is also referred to as an " electrodeless plasma," , "Gas discharge lamp "," inductive plasma lamps ", and inductive plasma light, wherein the inductive plasma light comprises a light emitting plasma, a high efficiency plasma, a laser- High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, wherein there is no electrode inside the lamp envelope.

The terms "radio wave" and "radio frequency" (RF) as used herein refer to electromagnetic waves having frequencies in the range of 300 MHz to 3,000 GHz, Includes microwaves.

The term "electromagnetic wave" as used herein refers to electromagnetic waves including gamma-rays, x-rays, ultraviolet (UV), visible, infrared (IR), microwaves and propagation.

 The term "optical disruptor or optical disruption ", as used herein, refers to visual disturbances, nervous disturbances, muscle disturbances, motor disturbances, disorientation, dizziness, nausea, , Blindness, blindness, blurred vision, glare, diminished visual efficacy, diminished cognitive abilities, loss of balance, psychophysical effects, hesitation, loss of sight, decreased peripheral visual acuity, and oppression, Refers to the ability to limit the activity of a target by inducing disturbance of the delicate and overall motor function that can also be explained by glare.

 The term "non-lethal " as used herein is intended to be applied to the meaning of the terms as commonly defined and used by those skilled in the art, to military personnel, and to law enforcement, the US Department of Justice and security personnel Less-lethal "and" less-than-lethal "as used herein.

The term "incoherent light " as used herein refers to light that is not emitted from a coherent or single wavelength light source, such as a laser or LED. Conventional light from solar and plasma lamps is composed mainly of light waves of many different wavelengths and has a random phase in contrast to "coherent light" where the waves are in phase with one another, It is considered as incoherent light that tends to be adjusted.

The term "range finder " as used herein is any means of estimating, approximating, or determining the distance from the plasma source of the apparatus of the present invention to the target. Examples of such measurement devices include an electronic distance meter and an IR distance meter, a laser range finder (LRF), a radio range finder, a radar and an acoustic wave measuring device.

The term " means for determining light level " as used herein refers to any means for estimating, approximating, or determining a background light level, or means for determining light levels at a target. An example of such a device is a directional light meter.

The term " means for triggering " as used herein refers to any method that can be used to emit a beam of light from a device of the present invention.

The term "glare " as used herein refers to the effect of a reduced visibility state due to a bright light source in an individual's field of view. This is a temporary effect that disappears immediately after the light source is turned off or aimed away from the object. The light source will emit light in the human-viewable portion of the spectrum and must be continuous or flashing to maintain a reduced-clock glare effect. The degree of visual impairment due to glare depends on the brightness of the light source relative to the ambient lighting conditions. The disadvantage is that the intruder can still do damage and still see it.

The term " flashblinding " and " flashblindness ", as referred to herein, is a temporary impairment or reduction so that the bright light source is sustained after being switched off to reduce the clock. It appears in a person's field of view as a spot or afterimage, which interferes with the ability to see in some or any direction. The nature of these obstacles makes it difficult for a person to recognize objects, especially small, low-contrast objects or objects at a distance. The duration of vision impairment can range from a few seconds to a few minutes. Visual impairment depends on the brightness of the initial light exposure and on the human visual needs. The main difference between flashing and glare effects is that the visual impairment due to flash blindness remains for a short time after the light source is turned off, whereas the visual impairment due to the glare effect is not.

The terms "target "," aggressor ", and "adversaries" as referred to herein are intended to encompass a wide variety of objects and / Group or animal.

The present invention is a method of suppressing, falsifying, visual disturbing, and controlling humans and animals using a device, which comprises a constant or modulated EFP optical output source having non-coherent visible light, And induction plasma light of sufficient intensity and focus to induce temporary visual disturbance of the human or animal (target) for a certain period of time without causing permanent bodily injury at the selected engagement distance.

The inventive devices will find law enforcement, military, private security, first-responder applications, and coastal and personal safety applications. Embodiments of the devices of the present invention include, but are not limited to, handheld devices, vehicles and boat mounted, installed or fixed perimeter, and ship-board. Non-lethal applications will include group control and anti-piracy and counter-terrorism measures.

The method uses EFP lamps, gas discharge lamps, which are energized by an electromagnetic wave that energizes the light-emitting plasma in a bulb positioned in the field to excite the plasma light source to control humans and animals (Figure 5) Can be supplied.

The method may utilize an EFP lamp mounted in a reflector coupled with an optical system of reflectors, mirrors, lenses or combinations thereof and configurations so that the small plasma ball generated is optimally located at the focus of the optical system, (FIG. 8, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10) to collimate light through the window opening and irradiate the light beam to the target (s) at or near or during a day or night operation.

The method allows the user to apply an increased "continuum of power" for: 1) illuminating the target and surrounding areas to observe and determine behavior, 2) control, warning, and contact To alert the target (s) by emitting a non-perturbed beam of light from the device as a technique to alert the target (s), 3) to increase the light beam to distract and dissuade the targets with low- And 4) to increase the light beam power delivered to the target at a constant or variable intensity to visually disturb the target (s) to 0.1 to 12 lumens per square centimeter.

One aspect of the present invention is a method for disrupting or reducing their activity by over-stimulating the optic nerve of one or more target entities. The method includes the steps of providing a high intensity incoherent light beam emitted from an electrode-pre-plasma lamp housed within the device, and providing high intensity non-coherent light to one or more target entities And irradiating the light beam.

In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the electrode-pre-plasma lamp generates a high intensity incoherent light beam in the range of 200 nm to 1,500 nm and has a plasma source diameter of less than or equal to 5 mm. Preferably, the high intensity incoherent light beam frequency is from about 300 nm to about 900 nm, from about 380 nm to about 780 nm, or from about 510 nm to about 560 nm. The electrode-pre-plasma lamp may be selected from the group consisting of an electrodeless light emitting plasma lamp, an electrodeless high efficiency plasma lamp, an electrode free high intensity discharge lamp, an electrodeless laser-driven plasma lamp, and an electrode-free induction plasma lamp. The high intensity incoherent light beam is delivered to one or more target entities from about 0.1 to about 12 lumens per square centimeter, preferably from about 0.5 lumens to about 12 lumens per square centimeter. The plasma source is less than or equal to 5 mm and is generated by a plasma excited by electromagnetic waves selected from the group consisting of laser light, x-ray radiation, gamma-ray radiation, microwave radiation and radio frequency waves. The electrode-free lamp is charged with a gas selected from the group consisting of xenon, argon, krypton, hydrogen, metal halides, sodium, mercury and sulfur.

In another embodiment, the output intensity of the high intensity incoherent light beam is adjusted to a random or fixed cycle. When adjusted to transmit in random or fixed cycles, the cycle output intensity can be increased and decreased less than 15 times per second.

In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises filtering the high intensity incoherent light beam to reduce or eliminate frequencies below about 440 nm. The method may also include determining a distance to one or more targets and adjusting the high intensity incoherent light beam to achieve a desired lumen per square centimeter at the location of one or more targets . In this embodiment, ambient light is determined at one or more targets, and the high intensity non-coherent light beam is adjusted to achieve a desired lumen per square centimeter at the location of one or more targets.

In yet other embodiments, the electrode-pre-plasma lamp is filled with a gas, a volatile metal, or a metal salt with reduced UV light emission.

In other embodiments, the one or more target entities are one or more mammals, reptiles, or algae. Preferably, the one or more mammals are one or more than two humans.

Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus that interferes with or reduces the activity of one or more target entities by over-stimulating the optic nerve of the target entities. The device has an outer housing with a head portion, an optical system mounted on the head portion and opposed to the window opening, mounted to the focus of the optical system to collimate light toward the window opening, One or more electrode free lamps emitting coherent light beams, and electrical circuit means driving one or more electrode free lamps. The electrical circuit means has an energy source, plasma lamp induced coupling (s) to the energy source (s) and controls for operation.

Device

In contrast to a typical gas discharge lamp that uses an internal electrode connected to a power supply by conductors passing through the lamp envelope, the internal EFP lamp or the induction light is supplied to the lamp envelope via the electric field or magnetic field, Which is a gas discharge lamp. There are three advantages to removing internal electrodes.

Conventionally, the reliability of the technology has been limited by the magnetron used to generate the microwaves. Magnetron technology has improved providing longer life. Solid state RF generation can be used and the lifetime can be extended. Solid state chips for RF generation are now more expensive than using magnetrons, and are therefore suitable for high value specific markets. The RF signal generated by the solid-state RF driver is directed to the electric field around the bulb. The high concentration of energy in the electric field vaporizes the contents of the bulb into a plasma state at the center of the bulb. The controlled plasma produces an intense and compact bright light source that can be easily focused.

The EFP lamp light source and generator of the present invention can be coupled to a housing and / or mounting, coupled with a battery for DC, or coupled directly to an AC source, as may be appropriate for an application .

In one embodiment of the handheld device, the commercially available 280W EFP light source and generator of the present invention is integrated into the housing and mounting and can be coupled directly to an AC source Lt; / RTI > The EFP generator is configured with a parabolic reflector to provide a collimated branched beam of light that diverges at an included angle of one-degree or less (see FIG. 7). In this embodiment, the device of the present invention consists of an EFP driver, a plasma lamp, and associated optical elements, namely, a target distance subsystem and a battery, a power conversion and control electronics subsystem, and a reflector. In this embodiment, the device occurs between 1.4 and 10 lumens per square centimeter at the target and provides "visual disturbance" up to 150 ft in the day and 500 ft at night with alert capability of up to one mile.

(Figure 11), the array of eight 1000W EFP lamps mounted on the tilt pan was visually disturbed by a highly collimated optical system in the range of more than one mile at night and more than 0.5 miles during the day Respectively. This configuration shines and warns the intruder on the horizon.

In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises a 135 W Topanga APL 250-4000 RF solid state driver, an RF driver, a coaxial connector cable, a Topanga APL 250-4000 SF resonator, and an APL 250-400 plasma bulb, a quartz lamp embedded in a ceramic resonator, It is powered by a lithium-ion 24-volt rechargeable battery that is configured with an associated micro-controller interface and can deliver a minimum value of 10 amps (see FIG. 18). An RF coaxial cable is present in the RF driver and draws a spiral around the lens support that supports the optical lens located at the focal point of the plasma point light source. An optical lens (Fig. 13) designed by those skilled in the art is designed to surround the front of the plasma light source, collect and collimate the light, and the rays generally bisect at 0.5-degrees. The battery is located in the vicinity of the resonator and the RF driver, all of which are housed in a housing attached to the resonator. As will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the heat sink is attached to the resonator to provide convective cooling to quench the buildup and to maintain optimal operating temperatures for the resonator. In addition, the heat sink is attached to the RF driver to provide convective cooling to dissipate the heat buildup and maintain optimal operating temperatures for the driver. The spectrum of the light is then adjusted by the fill chemistry of the filler inside the lamp envelope to provide a solar simulated source output in the spectral range of 380-780 nm. The UV filter is installed on the output beam at the front of the optical system to limit the UV emission to more than 85% to less than 440 nm for eye safety. All optical systems are coated with anti-reflective coatings to reduce light projection loss. In manual mode, the beam output can be set to 50% or 100%. When switched to the automatic mode, the microcontroller is programmed to vary the light level output from 20% to 100% or more in a random pattern causing 1 to 7 light beam modulation per second, thereby preventing the onset of epilepsy.

Fig. 6 is a basic typical device configured as a power supply, i. E., A DC power supply, with an AC power or DC battery. The power supply or battery supplies power to the driver. A typical driver is a solid-state RF amplifier. Such a commercially available driver has a resonator surrounding the EFP lamp. A commercially available typical RF amplifier is controlled by a micro-controller to manage light output intensity. The lamp envelope contains gases and may contain a high boiling point metal or metal halide. The highly enriched electric field generated by the RF ionizes the gases in the lamp and vaporizes the metals or halides - creating a plasma state that emits light from a single point.

Figure 3 shows an EFP lamp at the center of an RF resonator or microwave magnetron. The lamps may be positioned horizontally or vertically.

Figure 4 shows the different EFP lamp envelope configurations that may be used. Other designs may be used.

5 shows the EFP lamp start-up procedure. Step 1 shows applying the initial power to the propagation driver amplifier generator, Step 2 shows the propagation energy being applied to the resonator or magnetron, and Step 3 shows the excitation of the lamp filler to generate plasma and light .

Figure 7 shows an in-line EFP lamp device with a driver, a light source with a collimation parabolic reflector. Although a low proportion of light is not captured as a result of using only the reflector and is scattered by this reflector configuration, most of the light is irradiated as a front window as nearly parallel rays, and in a preferred embodiment, Branch. This is an improvement over short arc lamp designs where there is a hole in the back of the reflector and also light is lost in that direction.

Figure 8, a more advanced configuration, is an in-line layout of an EFP lamp device with an internal optical system and a collimation reflector that can be used to capture almost all stray light that can be lost in the optical configuration of Figure 7 . This layout can provide itself to handheld configurations that look like a portable "flashlight ".

Figure 9 illustrates embodiments of the present invention mounted on tilt pan and roll devices for tracking and aiming intruders. They can be automatically or manually aimed and can be combined with automated tracking techniques to follow expected targets.

10 shows a rectangular layout of an EFP lamp device with a collimation reflector and an internal optical system. This layout can provide itself to handheld configurations that look like a portable "lantern ".

Figure 11 illustrates an EFP lamp device as a single light or multiple light source device as shown in Figure 11 for a larger deployment area and a wider engagement area for distant targets, as may be necessary for crowd control .

Figure 12 is a typical representation of a parabolic reflector surface with an internally mounted refractive surface for collimation of the light source with a minimum loss of stray light.

Figure 13 is a typical reflector on an external lens, wherein the collimating lens has four types of surfaces for collimation of the light source with a minimum loss of stray light.

Figure 14 is an exemplary exemplary reflector, wherein the collimating lens has four surface types for collimation of the light source with a minimum loss of stray light.

Fig. 15 is a typical Fresnel lens, alone or in combination with a parabolic reflector as shown in Fig. 7, which may be suitable for collimation, and its weight or cost is a consideration.

action

When exposed to high levels of light bursts, the precise mechanism for mammalian visual disturbances transcends the temporary loss of sight that occurs. The optic nerve consists of about 40% of the number of neurons entering or exiting the central nervous system through the cranial nerves or spinal nerves, and transmits most neuroinformation in motion to the visual cortex. The visual system also provides inputs for balance and muscle control.

When applied to the eye of a target, the invention produces brightness with sufficient photon quantities to saturate the ocular retinas and cones that produce a chemically induced electrical signal pushed through the optic nerve. In some of the lights, it is assumed that the visual perturbation response can be under the cortex and can be controlled through the path leading directly to the cervical spots bypassing the lateral slit, visual cortex, and visual cues. This pathway is then relayed to several brainstem and spinal nuclei through the cover tectobulbar and the tectospinal pathway that initiate the motor reaction. Through all possible paths, surges in neurons can explain visual disturbances as a function of system-wide sensory overload.

To be most effective for human applications, the optimal spectral frequency range provided should include all the somatosensory and extracellular receptor frequencies in the eye for complete ciliary saturation and electrochemical reactions through neurons flooding the nervous system (See Fig. 1). For humans, visual disturbances that select a frequency centered in the range of about 500 nm and 560 nm (see FIG. 1) will be most effective in driving the electrochemical scintillation reaction. For other animals, migration to the blue / UV range or the red / IR range may be most effective for the vision of certain different animals.

For night use, lower light intensity is initially required, but once the device is used, a larger beam intensity may be required for subsequent use with the target, since the pupil re-expansion of the targets is not immediate , This intensity can be increased to the level normally required during daytime conditions.

To address the safety considerations of the eye, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will have a blue / UV filter that reduces exposure in this wavelength range. "Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Non-coherent Visible and Infrared Radiation" Health Phys. 105 (1): 74-96; As with the risk study referred to in "Health Physics 73 (3): 539-554; Guidelines on Limitations of Exposure to Broadband Non-coherent Optical Radiation (0.38 to 3 μm), the International Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Committee Should be taken into account by the designer: when determining the maximum light exposure in the design of embodiments of devices of this type, the 1997 International Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Committee. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein without the attainment of other advantages, including safety considerations as may be taught or suggested herein, such as by way of achieving one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Physiological sense of disorientation is known to occur in response to flashing or strobe light sources. This is reported to be due to eye attempts to respond to sudden changes in light level or color. For intermittent blinking, the pupil of the eye is continually contracted and relaxed in response to the intensity of the contrast that reaches the eye. Different colors and intensities can lead to the same effect. The disadvantage is that epileptic seizures can result and permanent nerve damage has been reported. "One in 200 people have epilepsy, and only 3-5% of them cause seizures triggered by flashing," the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) says. It is recommended that this issue be addressed in embodiments by limiting the frequency of the light intensity cycle period to less than 12 per second.

Methods and Elements of Device Operation

The visual disturbance effect of high strength steel is generally observed to occur within 1 second. The illuminated target loses its ability to see temporarily while the beam is applied to the target, loses control of overall and delicate athletic performance, and is observed to be visually disturbed. Visual disturbances can occur in one or more of the following observed responses: visual disturbances, visual disturbances, nerve disturbances, motor disturbances, disorientation, dizziness, nausea, blindness, night blindness, decreased cognitive abilities, balance Loss of vision, psychophysical effects, loss of sight, loss of peripheral vision, disturbance of delicate and total motor function (which can also be explained by oppression, disability, fainting, repulsion and glare).

Optical system selection

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention for a handheld device, a lamp assembly is provided, which comprises an outer housing with a handle gripped by a user, the housing having a window opening for transmitting a light beam, The EFP lamp is adapted to collimate the beam from an initial diameter diverging to 0.5 degrees (half angle) to the target and mounted to the focal point of the parabola reflector (s) through the optical system, facing the window opening, the parabolic reflector receiving the optical system do.

Optically, the EFP lamp needs to process artifacts, i.e., shadows, due to distortion of the plasma ball due to cathode or anode terminals, electrodes, wires in the light beam, and electrodes in the projection of the light beam Is much more efficient when providing a constant beam of light at the target. Unlike arc-lamps and other electrode-containing lamp technologies where the electrodes expand and contract by heat and affect the position of the plasma ball in relation to the focus of the optical system, the EFP lamps do not have that effect. With the EFP lamp, the plasma ball is held in place by the geometry of the lamp and the excitation fields generated. Some examples of EFP lamps are provided below:

manufacturer Model watt CRI color Topanga USA, Canoga, CA APL 1000-5000
APL 1000-4000
APL 400-5500
APL 400-4000
APL 250-5500
APL 250-4000 470W
470W
235W
235W
135W
135W 70
80
70
80
70
80 5000K
4100K
5500K
4100K
5500K
4900K Luxim Corp., Sunnyvale, CA ENT-31-02
GRO-40
GRO-41-02
GRO-75-02
LIFI-STA-40-01
LIFI-STA-40-02 280W
190W
270W
500W
280W
280W 94



80
94 5300K
5200K
5200K
5200K
6000K
5300K Ceravision Ltd., Milton Keynes, UK custom order 300 W to 5000 W

Reflection-preventive (AR) coatings, and combinations of UV filters, for long-distance visual disturbances from devices that do not have an optical system behind the lamp, except for a UV filter for near vision disturbance engagement. Can be implemented within the device to collimate the light based on application requirements and engagement distance and deliver the specified brightness to the target. The optical management optics may individually or in combination comprise:

a) a plasma source posterior reflector focused to return to the center of the plasma ball;

b) a parabolic reflector surface that collimates the light source;

c) a Fresnel lens;

d) a parabolic reflector surface having internally mounted refracting surfaces such that light from the source is not reflected by the reflector or is not refracted by the central reflector and is virtually unable to pass directly from the lamp;

e) a reflector on the outer lens, wherein the collimating lens has four types of surfaces. The first surface has an aspheric profile and is designed to collimate the light emitted from the EFP with a smaller cone angle. The second surface is a parabola with an EFP in focus and collects and collimates the light from the EFP with large horn angles. The third surface is a spherical cross-section in the vicinity of the EFP and is designed to allow light to pass through the lens upon normal incidence on the surface. The fourth is a ladder surface, which minimizes lens weight through which rays reflected from the parabolic surface exit without changing direction;

f) an inner reflector, wherein the collimating lens has four surface types. The first surface is a trapezoidal plane; The second is an axial aspheric reflector; The third is an aspheric reflector; The fourth is a cylindrical surface through which the light passes through the reflector;

g) a glass window;

h) ultraviolet (UV) filters of less than 440 nm;

i) anti-reflective surface coatings;

j) light pipes, light tubes, optical fibers, or optical coating tubes;

k) diffusers for Spherolit lenses or flood light illumination; And / or

l) Infrared lens that blocks visible light for night vision.

Without the interfering electrodes during light transfer, the optical system designer can use any optical configuration including a substantially Fresnel lens (see FIG. 12).

Since transmissions by lenses are more efficient than reflections by reflectors, luminaires with suitable lens systems deliver better light output ratios. Alternate lenses can be interchanged to simply match lighting performance tasks that vary by the same basic device.

If only IR illumination output is required for long-distance night surveillance, the use of night vision viewers with IR filters located in front of the window can be added to the optical system to exclude visible light below 800 nm.

Diffusers or Spherolit lenses can be added to the optical system if a diffused flood is required for use in a near-field board-area visual illumination device.

The optical system design and the optical transmission efficiency can depend on the desired design parameters, including configuration, optical system quality, reflective and refractive lenses, and size, weight and cost, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Select Lamp

EFP lamps are a type of gas discharge lamp that is energized by radio frequencies or microwaves that energize the light-emitting plasma in the bulb. The lamps can be made in different shapes and can be positioned vertically, as in the center and right images in Figure 4, or they can be positioned horizontally, as shown in Figure 5, using the same envelope as the right or left image in Figure 4 Lt; / RTI > In addition to the manufacturers listed above, custom-made plasma lamp manufacturers include KYOCERA International, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.) And Rayoteck Scientific Inc. (San Diego, Calif.).

In Figure 5, the reflector can be installed on the back side of the lamp to redirect the light to the front window and again focus the light through the center of the plasma ball (light recycling). The frequency and filler material supplying energy may include selected gases, volatile metals and metal halides to generate the desired optical wavelength range for a given application. For human visual disturbance, this range is 400 nm to 780 nm, centered at about 510-560 nm (see FIG. 2). These lamps have very small spectral changes over time and have an expected lifetime of more than 10,000 hours.

The bulb filler is selected based on the desired spectral output, luminescence efficiency, color rendering, and other lamp attributes that affect the design and performance of the human (see Figure 1) or animals.

In applications where the device design specifications include visual disturbance and illumination, the xenon lamp packing may be selected, both in the visible and infra-red emission ranges, as may be required in military or law enforcement for joint use devices. In this embodiment, since more than 50% of the input energy will be used for infrared generation, the amount of visible light will of course be reduced by a corresponding reduction in the visual disturbance range.

In one embodiment, the device comprises an EFP with a plasma ball (a nearly ideal pinpoint light source) positioned at the focal point of the reflector or optical system, an electromagnetic wave RF generator that supplies energy to the plasma light source, And a heat sink mechanism.

Adjustable lamp intensity control with distance meter and photometer

The lamp power output transmitted to the plasma light source is controlled by the amount of the full wave tropospheric energy. The preferred embodiment provides related safety controls and light algorithms for managing light level output in consideration of ambient light at the target, as well as possible pore size, brightness for illumination, warning and visual disturbance, and considering stability. .

In a preferred embodiment, the power control level of the plasma exciter is modulated to increase and decrease the overall brightness to visually disturb one or more aimed objects within a duration of less than one second.

A commercially available IR-based rangefinder and photometer can be interfaced with the electronic power control of the plasma generator of the device to adjust the amount of light transmitted to the target, which can increase its stability.

Accessories

Mounting points such as Picatinny rails and 1/4 - 20 tripod mounts can be added to the unit to make it easy to connect to the record camera. Other accessories include a tilt-pan, a laser pointer for day and night aiming, an IR / Far IR / thermal viewer for night vision, a handle and / or a carrying strap.

battery

A low battery fuel gauge mounted on a housing or battery is preferred when operating battery power. Embodiments may have a battery housed within the device housing, attached to the housing, or externally mounted by a belt clip or connected to the vehicle's battery.

Thermal management

The apparatus can utilize conduction and convection cooling techniques to achieve desired lamp operating temperatures and pressures. A stable lamp envelope temperature, as determined by the chemistry of the selected lamp filler, is desirable to achieve optimal light output characteristics. In one embodiment, a quartz lamp filled with argon gas and mercury halide operates at a temperature of about 800 ° C. The chemistry of alternative lamp fillers may require sapphire lamps for better corrosion resistance and higher operating temperatures.

Plasma lamp envelopes and inclusions use heat sources from the group consisting of conduction, convection, advection, radiation, and induction heating to preheat the lamps to increase the gas temperature and vaporize the lamp fill materials to shorten the ramp and plasma generation start- do. In order to preheat the lamp gas and boil the metal or metal halides, one preferred embodiment is to use a first resonance in a low power boiling mode (simmer mode) before the IR laser diode or the required plasma excitation energy level is maximally applied RF or microwave energy is used.

Housing Configurations

Exemplary arrangements are shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Optimal configurations for handheld, vehicle mounted, on-board, and fixed-mount and use of motion control devices such as arrays and tilt-fans can vary based on design requirements. The present invention permits lamps of any size to be used, and sizes of more than 100,000 W are possible, since they can be resized from one to an unlimited size array. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be implemented or performed in a manner that accomplishes one or more of the advantages or advantages described herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein Will recognize.

EFP lamp advantages

1. Extended lamp life

The EFP lamp lifetime is extended to 10,000 hours or more by the EFP lamps of the preferred embodiment at 500 to 1,000 hours for short arc lamps. In general, internal electrodes are a limiting factor in lamp life due to corrosion, undesired metals are deposited inside the lamp envelope, which causes the lamps containing electrodes to degrade the light output over time, Resulting in an increased plasma ball size, all of which inhibits the amount of light being delivered to the target. Also, as the electrodes wear away, the light source ball can no longer be regarded as a point light source because it is larger in size, less in intensity, less concentrated, and has a negative impact on the amount of light projected from the optical system. This significantly reduces the device maintenance cost for the EFP lamp device over the lifetime of the device.

2. More flexible lamp chemistry

The EFP lamp provides flexibility in the selection of the chemistry of the lamp filler because the chemical interaction with the electrodes or seal parts is eliminated. This allows the designer of the device of the present invention the opportunity to tailor the spectral output to optimize performance for specific targets, such as humans, dogs, cats, crocodiles, and the like. More specifically, the lamp envelope can be used to permit various gas, volatile metal, or metal halide chemistries that can be more easily modified to provide the desired spectral output for different applications, such as IR illumination, and for dual applications Sapphire, and the like.

EFP lamps are highly efficient, generate more than 60 to 150 lumens per watt, and reduce the amount of strategy (battery size) required to provide a visual disturbance capability such as a short-arc lamp by 4 to 10 times. In addition, the EFP lamp source has a one-digit higher lumen density (light quantity from one device) than short arc lamps.

3. Resistant to impact damage lumens

EFP lamps are stronger in inertial forces due to their smaller size and mass, thus allowing designers the ability to design smaller housings and optical systems. A small source may allow the luminaire to utilize more than 90% of the available light compared to 55% for a typical HID fitting.

4. Larger output efficiency

Due to efficiencies and lifetimes equivalent to LEDs, EFP lamp devices are designed to have much better light densities from a small plasma ball and therefore better collimation and focusing capability than LED and HID EFP light for illumination and visual disturbance And is a technology that exceeds the lifetime of short-arc lamp technologies when projecting light to a target by a significant increase in lamp life equivalent to LEDs. EFP light is a solid-state, high-intensity light source that provides an efficient lighting solution for non-fatal visual disturbances. It is energy efficient, long lasting, full spectrum, and brighter than other lighting technologies on the target.

5. Cost reduction

The costs for low-power and short-range devices are relatively low compared to other technologies. In particular, EFP sources provide lower lifetime costs by conserving energy and maintenance resulting in greater return on investment (ROI) and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

6. Excellent optical system collimation

EFP lamps have no shadow or artifacts in the light beam path (i. E., Remove "black holes") as shown in Figs. 16A and 16B.

Figure 16 (A) shows the light pattern of the EFP lamp representing the dense plasma ball and the point of light emitting all light in the projection direction. Figure 16 (B) shows a typical short arc lamp, which emits light with black holes or shadows in the longitudinal direction of the lamp.

Unlike the short arc lamps (Figure 16 (B)), the EFP lamps have no optical obstructions between the plasma source and the target. The EFP lamp generates an almost complete point source. This is because the cathodes or anode wiring shadows, lamp shadows, non-electrodes, wires, or artifacts that are not practical due to short arc lamps are not in the light beam path, And the ability to use them. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the design implications of eliminating "black holes. &Quot;

The smaller, denser and more spherical nature of the EFP ball light source can improve the collimation design capability of the optical system and produce longer, higher intensity beams.

7. Miniaturization

The small size of the EFP lamp can make smaller devices and place the optical system closer to the plasma ball source, see Table 1.

Short arc lamp bulb EFP lamp bulb 75 W = 90 mm x 13 mm 135 W = 20 mm x 10 mm dia. 300 W = 175 mm x 25 mm 235 W = 20 mm x 10 mm dia. 500 W = 234 mm x 29 mm 470 W = 20 mm x 10 mm dia.

8. Excellent light source location

Five of the six short arc lamps need to be manufactured with an off-axis electrode that results in a loss of light available for collimation when using a reflector, or precise positioning to center the electrode at the desired focus. With the EFP lamps, the plasma ball is automatically centered due to the centering physics of the microwave magnetron or RF resonator.

9. Efficient light output

As can be observed, for the same amount of power used in a 150 W xenon short arc lamp, the EFP lamp generates 3 to 4 times more light, see Table 2. Alternatively, for the same emission power, the EFP lamp power consumption is approximately one-third of the power consumption of the short arc lamp. In addition to energy savings, for portable battery applications, the significantly lower power consumption corresponds to the demand for smaller battery capacity, reduced battery size, and lighter weight, important design concerns for military and law enforcement devices.

Short arc lamp EFP lamp 150 W = 2,700 lm 135 W = 10,500 lm 235 W = 21,000 lm 500 W = 16,000 lm 470 W = 44,000 lm

Since the energy conversion of the EFP lamp is 75 lumens per watt or better combined with other optical advantages, larger visual disturbance distances can be achieved with devices of the same size and weight, and the same power Allowing a target visual disturbance capability of a distance 10 times greater than the consumption and device package size.

10. Excellent turndown ratio

Short arc lamps can only be turned down to 50% of their rated output, while EFP lamp outputs can be reduced by 20% of the energetic output. This provides users and designers with greater operational flexibility when using EFP lamps.

11. Optimum Spectral Output

The spectral range for the human eye is approximately 380-750 nm. As can be seen from the above spectral graph (FIG. 17), xenon short arc lamps generate a significant amount of energy in the infrared range, which is not useful for over stimulating the optic nerve. Thus, the preferred metal halide EFP lamp of Figure 17 is more efficient and has less energy to waste.

12. Minimized thermal management

The choice of EFP lamps filled with suitable metal halide gases does not generate significant amounts of infrared energy, so there is much less heat to dissipate and thermal management cooling requirements are minimized compared to short arc lamps. Thermal management for EFP lamp designs Heat losses can be achieved with simple convection finned heat sinks compared to forced air cooling for short arc lamps.

13. Easily managed Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

Short arc lamps emit electromagnetic waves from the igniter to the arc lamp electrodes and from the initial spark across the electrodes during ignition. Short arc lamps require extensive shielding and will emit undesired EMI in the direction of the light beam by shielding. EMI from EFP lamps is easier to control by using a microprocessor to reduce EMI and to spread frequencies over a range that complies with EMI regulations.

14. Modulated (Dimmer Approach) Light Output

Eisenberg teaches the use of electron pulses to instantaneously increase the light output from a short arc lamp. Increased currents to such electrodes have the disadvantage of increasing electrode wear, i.e., corrosion and significantly reducing lamp life, increasing the likelihood of metal deposits inside the lamp envelope to obscure the resulting light intensity and light quality . An EFP lamp driven by RF does not have this problem because there is no eroding electrode and the pulse is not required to achieve modulation of the beam intensity.

Usage

RF mode operation:

1) Connect the device to a battery, not an external power supply

2) EFP lamp startup sequence steps:

a. Power off / on - warm-up switch action;

b. RF Propagation Driver Initiate "Preheat Mode" RF by supplying power to the amplifier generator;

c. Select day or night operations (manually selected or distance determined to determine beam meter and beam intensity, if desired);

d. Applying initial propagation energy to the RF resonator; And

e. Increase the RF wave energy to excite the lamp filler to generate a plasma light source.

3) Modulate RF propagation (based on pre-programmed or computed target distance and light level) to increase and decrease the intensity of the plasma light source to achieve an attempted visual disturbance.

4) Aim the device in the eye of the target.

5) Monitor battery fuel gauges as needed.

Although the foregoing invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments and examples, other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure of this specification. Furthermore, the described embodiments are presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, other combinations, omissions, substitutions, and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure herein. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited by the illustrative or preferred embodiments. It is intended that the appended claims provide the following claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as are within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims (20)

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A method for preventing or reducing activity of target entities by over-stimulating the optic nerve of one or more target entities,
Providing a high intensity incoherent light beam emanating from an electrode pre-plasma lamp housed within the device; And
Irradiating the one or more entities with the high intensity incoherent light beam when the target entities are not facing or related to the device, thereby over-stimulating the optic nerve of the target entities, And interrupting or reducing activity of the individuals. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electrode pre-plasma lamp generates a high intensity incoherent light beam in the range of 200 nm to 1,500 nm. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electrode pre-plasma lamp is selected from the group consisting of an electrodeless light emitting plasma lamp, an electrodeless high efficiency plasma lamp, an electrode free high intensity discharge lamp, an electrodeless laser-driven plasma lamp, and an electrode-free induction plasma lamp. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam is generated from a plasma source having a diameter less than or equal to 5 mm. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam is delivered to the one or more target entities at 0.1 to 12 lumens per square centimeter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam is delivered to the one or more target entities at 0.5 to 12 lumens per square centimeter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam frequency is from 380 nm to 780 nm. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam frequency is from 510 nm to 560 nm. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam frequency is from 300 nm to 900 nm. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the high intensity incoherent light beam is generated by a plasma excited by electromagnetic waves selected from the group consisting of laser light, x-ray radiation, gamma-ray radiation, microwave radiation and radio frequency waves. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electrode free lamp is charged with a gas selected from the group consisting of xenon, argon, krypton, hydrogen, metal halide, sodium, mercury and sulfur. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the output intensity of the high intensity incoherent light beam is adjusted to a random cycle or a fixed cycle. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the output intensity is less than or equal to 15 per second. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising filtering the high intensity incoherent light beam to reduce or eliminate frequencies below about 440 nm. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electrode pre-plasma lamp is charged with a gas, volatile metal or metal salt having reduced UV light emission. The method according to claim 1,
Determining a distance to the one or more targets and adjusting the high intensity incoherent light beam to achieve a desired lumen per square centimeter in the one or more targets. The method according to claim 1,
Determining ambient light in the one or more targets and adjusting the high intensity incoherent light beam to achieve a desired lumen per square centimeter in the one or more targets Way. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein said one or more target entities are one or more mammals, reptiles, algae or fish. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein said one or more mammals are one or more than two humans. An apparatus for interfering with or reducing activity of a target object by over-stimulating one or more target object's optic nerve,
An outer housing having a window opening for transmitting a light beam, the outer housing having a head portion;
An optical system mounted on the head portion and opposed to the window opening;
One or more electrode free lamps mounted at a focal point of the optical system to collimate light toward the window opening, the one or more electrode free lamps emitting a high intensity incoherent light beam;
Electrical circuit means for driving said one or more electrode free lamps, said electrical circuit comprising an energy source, a plasma lamp induction coupling (s) for said energy source (s) and controls for operation .

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