Programmable fuze

Abstract

A programmable fuze for initiating weapon warhead detonation. The deacceltion of the weapon warhead is measured by an accelerometer. The output of the accelerometer is integrated to obtain velocity and subsequently digitized and stored in a microcomputer or microprocessor. A zero-slope detector indicates to the microcomputer or microprocessor if the forward velocity component is constant for a given time. This indicates whether the weapon warhead has entered a cavity in the target. The microcomputer or microprocessor has an algorithm programmed into it so that it determines whether certain dynamic variables have exceeded threshold values thus initiating a detonating signal to a firing circuit. The dynamic variables are the distance of travel of the weapon warhead into the target, the deceleration level of the weapon warhead in the target, the transverse velocity component of the weapon warhead in the target, and the number of cavities entered. These four dynamic variables are compared to threshold values such as distance, breakup level, ricochet, and cavity entered. If any one of the given dynamic variables equals or exceeds a given threshold value, the microprocessor signals the detonation of the warhead.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.