Accurate range-to-go for command detonation
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Choiniere, Bruce Winker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The system and method for accurately determining range-to-go for the command detonation of a projectile. Using dual laser and/or radio frequency detectors on the tail and on the nose of a spinning projectile to determine the range-to-go, time-to-go, or lateral offset from the projectile to the target.
Claims20
A method for guiding a projectile, comprising:
- providing a projectile comprising a tail portion and a nose portion;
- detecting a first laser or radio frequency signal via a tail detector mounted on the tail portion of the projectile;
- determining a first time at which the first laser or radio frequency signal is detected via the tail detector mounted on the tail portion of the projectile;
- detecting a second laser or radio frequency signal via a forward detector mounted on the nose portion of the projectile, the second laser or radio frequency signal being the first laser or radio frequency signal that has reflected off a target;
- determining a second time at which the second laser or radio frequency signal is detected via the forward detector mounted on the nose portion of the projectile;
- comparing the first time to the second time to determine a time delay;
- determining an azimuth and an elevation of the projectile based on the detection of the first laser or radio frequency signal via the tail detector mounted on the tail portion of the projectile;
- and
- determining one or more of the following using the time delay between detection by the tail detector and detection by the forward detector:
- a lateral offset between the projectile and the target;
- a time-to-go for the projectile to reach the target;
- and a range-to-go for the projectile to reach the target.
A guided projectile, comprising;
- a tail detector located on a tail portion of the guided projectile for detecting a laser or radio frequency signal;
- a forward detector located on a forward portion of the guided projectile for detecting a reflected laser or radio frequency signal from a target;
- a computer readable storage device having instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute:
- determining a first time at which the laser or radio frequency signal is detected via the tail detector;
- determining a second time at which the reflected laser or radio frequency signal is detected via the forward detector;
- comparing the first time to the second time to determine a time delay;
- determining an azimuth and an elevation of the guided projectile based on the detected laser or radio frequency signal;
- and
- determining one or more of the following using the time delay between detection by the tail detector and detection by the forward detector:
- a lateral offset between the projectile and the target;
- a time-to-go for the projectile to reach the target;
- and a range-to-go for the projectile to reach the target.
A computer program product including one or more machine-readable mediums encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for projectile guidance with a projectile having a tail detector and a forward detector, the process comprising:
- determining a first time at which a laser or radio frequency signal is detected via the tail detector;
- determining a second time at which a reflected laser or radio frequency signal is detected via the forward detector;
- comparing the first time to the second time to determine a time delay;
- determining an azimuth and an elevation of a guided projectile based on the detected laser or radio frequency signal;
- and
- determining one or more of the following using the time delay:
- a lateral offset between the projectile and a target;
- a time-to-go for the projectile to reach the target;
- and a range-to-go for the projectile to reach the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.