Digital light processing guidance system
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorMichael J. Choiniere
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The system and method for a digital light processing (DLP) guidance system having a digital light processing (DLP) mirror array at the laser source. A receiver tracks location of the air-borne object using a retro reflector on a pulse-to-pulse basis. The DLP mirror array tracks the air-borne object with a non-scanning beam and immediately provides a correction update to the controller using a pulse repetition interval (PRI) varying code. The system can be packaged in a small format, at a lower cost, and with a higher reliability.
Claims19
A guidance system comprising:
- a laser source configured to generate a plurality of pulsed signals comprising pulse repetition interval information, wherein the plurality of pulsed signals are transmitted in a pattern;
- an air-borne device comprising a retroreflector and a laser range finder, the laser range finder comprising a first PIN detector and a second PIN detector, where the first PIN detector is polarized and the second PIN detector is non-polarized, wherein the air-borne device receives the plurality of pulsed signals and the retroreflector generates a plurality of reflected pulsed signals;
- a control receiver comprising:
- a digital light processing mirror array configured to detect the plurality of reflected pulsed signals returned by the retroreflector;
- and
- an air-borne controller configured to guide the air-borne device using the plurality of pulsed signals comprising the pulse repetition interval information.
A digital light processing method of guiding an air-borne device, comprising:
- generating, with a laser source, a plurality of pulsed signals comprising pulse repetition interval information, wherein the pulse repetition interval information is transmitted in a pattern;
- guiding the air-borne device, with a controller on the air-borne device using the pulse repetition interval information in the plurality of pulsed signals and vertical reference information from a laser range finder located on the air-borne device;
- detecting, with a control receiver comprising a digital light processing mirror array, the plurality of pulsed signals returned by a retroreflector located on the munition using a plurality of frames, wherein the plurality of pulsed signals returned by a retroreflector comprises azimuth and elevation information of the air-borne device;
- and
- updating the pattern of the plurality of pulsed signals to include the azimuth and elevation information of the air-borne device, thereby guiding the air-borne device.
An air-borne device guidance system comprising:
- a laser source configured to generate a plurality of pulsed signals using pulse repetition interval information comprising azimuth and elevation information for the air-borne device;
- a control receiver comprising:
- a digital light processing mirror array configured to detect a plurality of reflected pulsed signals returned by a retroreflector located on the air-borne device;
- and
- a processor for processing the azimuth and elevation information detected by the control receiver;
- a common housing for the control receiver and the laser source;
- a laser range finder located on the air-borne device comprising a first PIN detector and a second PIN detector, where the first PIN detector is polarized and the second PIN detector is non-polarized to establish a vertical reference for the air-borne device;
- and
- an air-borne controller configured to guide the air-borne device using the azimuth, elevation, and vertical reference information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.