Steerable disk or ball
OwnerSteven M. Hoffberginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling a gyroscopically-stabilized projectile, comprising a control system producing a control signal, a rotating aerodynamic shell, and a reaction mass system responsive to the control signal, the method comprising: imparting rotational and translational kinetic energy to induce gyroscopic stabilization of the projectile about a gyroscopic axis and a movement of the projectile along a flight path; interacting the shell with surrounding air while moving, to induce aerodynamic forces; generating the control signal from the control system; and altering a state of the reaction wheel system selectively in dependence on the control signal, to alter the flight path.
Claims20
A projectile, comprising:
- a surface configured to have aerodynamic interaction with an external fluid or gaseous medium having a relative motion with respect to the surface, the aerodynamic interaction comprising an aerodynamic lift having a lift force vector, the surface being configured to rotate about an axis of rotation and translate along an axis of translation;
- at least one controllable steering device configured to control the axis of translation of the projectile, selected from the group consisting of:
- an aerodynamic steering feature configured to selectively interact with the external fluid or gaseous medium to produce a controllable aerodynamic force;
- and
- a controllable displaceable steering mass configured to selectively alter the lift force vector;
- a motor, configured to control the at least one controllable steering device, to selectively alter the axis of translation of the projectile;
- a sensor configured to determine the axis of translation;
- and
- a motor control, configured to drive the motor dependent on at least a phase of motor rotation, a phase of rotation of the surface about the axis of rotation, and the determined axis of translation.
A projectile configured to spin during flight along a translational axis, comprising:
- an aerodynamic surface configured to spin about an axis of rotation, and to produce aerodynamic lift having a lift force axis based on translational movement along the translational axis;
- an element configured to rotate about an axis non-parallel with respect to the axis of rotation during flight of the projectile, and to produce an aerodynamic force having a net aerodynamic force axis in at least one state which is different from the lift force axis and the translational axis;
- a sensor for determining a phase of rotation of the element;
- and
- a controller configured to selectively control the phase of rotation of the element selectively dependent on at least the determined phase of rotation of the element, a phase of rotation of the spin of the aerodynamic surface, and the translational axis, wherein the element generates a net steering force with respect to an external frame of reference based on the net aerodynamic force, to control a trajectory of the projectile.
A method of steering a rotating projectile having an axis of translation along a trajectory, having an aerodynamic surface configured to spin about an axis of rotation, and an element configured to rotate about an axis different from the axis of rotation, comprising:
- determining a rotation phase of the projectile about the axis of rotation with a first sensor;
- determining a rotation phase of the element;
- and
- controlling a phase of rotation of the element based on at least the determined rotation phase of the element, the phase of rotation of the projectile, and the axis of translation,
- wherein the element generates a net steering force on the projectile with respect to an external frame of reference to control the trajectory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.