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AssigneeHer Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence
InventorsJacques Dubois, Jean Fortin
Estimating the term…
A guidance system for a missile utilitizes a laser beam source at a missile launch pad to generate a laser beam that is directed towards a target. A sensor on the body of a spinning missile detects radiation scattered from the laser beam, the sensor looking sideways and backward at an angle to the missile's longitudinal axis. Signals generated by that sensor are applied to a missile's guidance system's processing electronics that then determines the distance from the missile to the beam from the width of the signal generated by the sensor due to detecting scattered radiation from that laser beam. Once the distance between the missile and the beam is determined, the missile's guidance system corrects the missile's trajectory to maintain its position at a predetermined distance from the beam.
A guidance system for a vehicle comprising a laser source directing at least one laser beam towards a required designated final location for the vehicle on which at least one sensor is located, that sensor rotating around an axis in a direction of travel of the vehicle and having a field-of-view (FOV) that is generally directed sideways to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the sensor generating a pulse signal in response to detecting radiation from the laser beam scattered by an atmosphere through which the laser beam propagates, the pulse signal having a pulse width or a number of pulses proportional to the distance between the beam and said vehicle, signals from said at least one sensor being applied to a vehicle guidance system in the vehicle having processing electronics that determines the distance from the vehicle to the beam and then provides correction commands to the guidance system to correct the vehicle's direction of travel.
A guidance system for a missile comprising a laser source at a launch pad for the missile directing at least one laser beam towards a target for the missile, the missile rotating about its longitudinal axis as it travels towards its target, at least one sensor located on the missile such that it has a field of view (FOV) that is generally directed sideways to the direction of travel of the missile and partially backward to that direction of travel, said at least one sensor generating a pulse signal in response to detecting radiation scattered from said at least one laser beam by an atmosphere through which that laser beam propagates, the pulse signal having a Pulse width or a number of pulses proportional to the distance between the missile and said at least one laser beam, signals from said at least one sensor being applied to a missile's guidance system in the missile having processing electronics that determines the distance between the missile and said at least one beam from said pulse signal and which, from said distance, generates commands for the guidance system to correct the missile's trajectory towards said target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.