Orthogonal interferometry artillery guidance and navigation
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorsQuang M. Lam, Michael J. Choiniere, Egor V. Degtiarev, Ira B. Ekhaus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The system and method of projectile flight management using a combination of radio frequency orthogonal interferometry for the long range navigation and guidance of one or more projectiles and a short range navigation and guidance system to provide for more accurate targeting.
Claims10
A flight navigation system directing at least one projectile to a target area, comprising:
- a radio frequency orthogonal interferometry array providing a reference frame, via a projected grid, in the direction of the target area, wherein the reference frame provides azimuth and elevation information for use in guidance of the at least one projectile to a hand-off point;
- a projectile state estimator for deriving projectile orientation or location information;
- a short range guidance system configured to guide the at least one projectile from the hand-off point to the target area;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carried by the projectile having a set of instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors, provide guidance and navigation of the projectile, the set of instructions being configured to perform:
- processing azimuth and elevation information from the radio frequency orthogonal interferometry waveforms;
- processing the at least one of range and mission information from the RF communications;
- determining polar coordinates of the projectile using the azimuth, elevation and range information, wherein the polar coordinates are relative to the radio frequency orthogonal interferometry illuminator;
- guiding the projectile along a trajectory within the reference frame to the hand-off point;
- switching to the short range guidance system at the hand-off point;
- and
- guiding the projectile from the hand-off point to the target area using the short range guidance system.
A projectile, comprising:
- an antenna on the projectile wherein the projectile has a front portion and a rear portion and the antenna is oriented to be rear facing;
- a radio frequency (RF) receiver coupled to the antenna and configured to receive radio frequency orthogonal interferometry waveforms and RF communications including at least one of range and mission information;
- a guidance, navigation and control section processing the radio frequency orthogonal interferometry waveforms and RF communications to determine coordinates of the projectile and generate guidance instructions;
- a short range guidance system configured to provide guidance of the projectile from a hand-off point to a target area, wherein the guidance employs a projectile state estimator;
- a control actuation system executing the guidance instructions;
- and
- a warhead having a fuze that detonates the warhead proximate the target.
A computer program product including one or more non-transitory machine mediums having instructions encoded there on, that when executed by one or more processors, result in a plurality of operations for directing at least one projectile toward at least one target, the operations comprising:
- processing, via a radio frequency (RF) receiver on the projectiles, radio frequency orthogonal interferometry waveforms obtained from a reference frame, the reference frame being generated by a radio frequency orthogonal interferometry illuminator;
- receiving mission data and range information from the RF communications radio frequency orthogonal interferometry illuminator;
- determining azimuth and elevation of the projectiles from the radio frequency orthogonal interferometry waveforms and further determining polar coordinates of the projectiles;
- guiding the projectiles along a trajectory towards a target;
- switching guidance of the projectile to a short range guidance system at a hand-off point;
- guiding the projectiles to the target using the short range guidance system and state estimation;
- and
- signaling a detonation of the projectile proximate the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.