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US 12,372,330 B2Granted
Missile guidance system
AssigneeApplied Research Associates, Inc.
InventorsJasper C. Lupo, Joseph N. Paranto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hypersonic self-guided missile system is described. Particularly, embodiments describe missiles whose trajectories are controlled by an on-board control unit that decrease the effect of damaging heat to sensitive internal components by employing one or more annular windows, internal mirrors, lenses, and/or cameras. Embodiments may have an internal camera oriented substantially toward or away from the nose of the missile.
Claims20
A hypersonic missile system comprising:
- a missile body comprising a nose cone;
- a set of thrusters configured to provide thrust to propel the hypersonic missile system to hypersonic speeds;
- a plurality of windows formed in at least a portion of the nose cone,
- wherein the plurality of windows is configured to filter out unwanted wavelengths of light providing filtered light to an interior of the nose cone;
- a plurality of cameras disposed in the nose cone and configured to receive the filtered light,
- wherein each camera of the plurality of cameras is configured to detect a different wavelength of light;
- an optical subsystem disposed within the nose cone, the optical subsystem comprising a plurality of mirrors configured to reflect the filtered light,
- wherein the plurality of mirrors is configured to direct the filtered light into the plurality of cameras;
- and
- a control unit operable to adjust a real-time trajectory of the hypersonic missile system based on at least one image formed by the plurality of cameras created from the filtered light from the plurality of windows.
7 more elements
A hypersonic missile system comprising:
- a missile body comprising a nose cone;
- a set of thrusters configured to provide thrust to propel the hypersonic missile system to hypersonic speeds;
- a plurality of windows formed in at least a portion of the nose cone,
- wherein the plurality of windows is configured to filter out unwanted wavelengths of light providing filtered light to an interior of the nose cone;
- a plurality of cameras disposed in the nose cone and configured to receive the filtered light,
- wherein each camera of the plurality of cameras is configured to detect a different wavelength of light;
- an optical subsystem disposed within the nose cone, the optical subsystem comprising:
- a plurality of mirrors configured to reflect the filtered light,
- wherein a first mirror of the plurality of mirrors is configured to direct the filtered light onto a second mirror of the plurality of mirrors and the second mirror is configured to direct the filtered light into at least one camera of the plurality of cameras;
- and
- a control unit operable to adjust a real-time trajectory of the hypersonic missile system based on at least one image formed by the plurality of cameras created from the filtered light from the plurality of windows.
8 more elements
A hypersonic missile system comprising:
- a missile body comprising a nose cone;
- a set of thrusters configured to provide thrust to propel the hypersonic missile system to hypersonic speeds;
- a plurality of windows formed in at least a portion of the nose cone,
- wherein the plurality of windows is configured to filter out unwanted wavelengths of light providing filtered light to an interior of the nose cone,
- wherein the plurality of windows is disposed at least ten centimeters from a tip of the nose cone to reduce thermal effects and a number and an intensity of a plurality of shock waves at the plurality of windows generated by the hypersonic speeds;
- a plurality of cameras disposed in the nose cone and configured to receive the filtered light,
- wherein each camera of the plurality of cameras is configured to detect a different wavelength of light;
- an optical subsystem disposed within the nose cone, the optical subsystem comprising a plurality of mirrors configured to reflect the filtered light,
- wherein the plurality of mirrors is configured to direct the filtered light into the plurality of cameras;
- and
- a control unit operable to adjust a real-time trajectory of the hypersonic missile system based on at least one image formed by the plurality of cameras created from the filtered light from the plurality of windows.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.