1344results about "Direction controllers" patented technology

A reflector 38 includes a mirrored surface 48 and a frequency selective surface 46. The frequency selective surface 46 is arranged to reflect radiation of a first frequency band 52 and allow radiation of a second frequency band 50 to pass. The mirrored surface 48 is arranged to reflect radiation of the second frequency band 50. In this manner, the focal power for radiation of the first frequency band 52 is independent to the focal power for radiation of the second frequency band 50. Accordingly, the design of optical components associated with the second frequency band 50 can be undertaken independently of those associated with the first frequency band 52 so as to achieve the optimised focusing for each frequency band.

A missile guidance system designed to operate on GPS signals in an anti-jamming environment. The inventive system includes first, second and third airborne vehicles (20). A GPS receiver (24) is mounted on each of the three vehicles (20) to receive signals transmitted from spaceborne satellites (14). Each vehicle (20) acts as a pseudo-satellite or "pseudolite'. The received GPS signals are processed by a processor (26) to provide a first intermediate signal indicating the position of the vehicle (20). This signal is retransmitted from each vehicle and received by a GPS receiver mounted on a missile. The received intermediate signal is processed on the missile to provide an output signal indicating the position thereof. The pseudolites would be airborne in the vicinity of a target area. Because the pseudolites are relatively close to the targets compared to a satellite in high altitude orbit and because the pseudolites would be able to transmit a kilowatt or more power, the signal strength may be improved significantly. To succeed as a jammer, a jammer, successful against GPS satellites, would need considerably more power to succeed against aircraft carried pseudolites. The pseudolite system delivers GPS signals into the target area 40-70 dB stronger than signals coming directly from GPS satellites. By timing the signals for 100% time coverage, enemy C/A code receivers will be jammed because they are limited to a J/S capability of 30 dB.

A system and method for imaging target detection includes scanning a target area to produce an image of the target area and discriminating a target by identifying image pixels of similar intensity levels, grouping contiguous pixels with similar intensity levels into regions, calculating a set of features for each region and qualifying regions as possible targets in response to the features; discriminating the background by identifying image pixels of similar intensity levels, grouping contiguous pixels of similar intensity levels into regions, calculating a set of features for each background region and qualifying background regions as terrain characteristics in response to the features and analyzing the qualified terrain characteristics and qualified target candidates to determine and prioritize targets.

The present invention provides an unpowered low-cost “smart” micromunition unit for a weapon system for defense against an asymmetric attack upon ships and sea or land based facilities. A plurality of air dropped micromunition units are each capable of detecting and tracking a plurality of maneuvering targets and of establishing a fast acting local area wireless communication network among themselves to create a distributed database stored in each deployed micromunition unit for sharing target and micromunition unit data. Each micromunition unit autonomously applies stored algorithms to data from the distributed database to select a single target for intercept and to follow an intercept trajectory to the selected target. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of the claims.

A vehicle guidance system. The system includes a first mechanism for tracking a vehicle based on time-of-arrival information associated with energy emanating from the vehicle and providing vehicle position information in response thereto. A second mechanism steers the vehicle based on the vehicle position information. In a specific embodiment, the system of further includes a third mechanism for locating the target based on time-of-arrival information associated with energy radiating from the target and providing target location information in response thereto. The second the second mechanism steers the vehicle based on the target location information and the vehicle position information.

A method for intercepting and a defeating rocket propelled grenade (RPG) which includes the steps of detecting a thermal signature from a launch of the RPG; and cueing a narrow beam radar which locates the RPG and develops a ballistic solution and target intercept point for intercepting the PPG with an intercept vehicle.

Higher Order Sliding Mode (HOSM) control techniques are applied to the Guidance Control (G&C) of interceptor missile in which velocity may be steered by combination of main thrust, aerodynamic lift and lateral on-off divert thrusters, and attitude may be steered by continuous or on-off actuators. Methods include the pointing of the seeker, its associated estimation processes, a guidance law that uses concurrent divert mechanisms, and an attitude autopilot. The insensitivity of the controller to matched disturbances allows the concurrent usage of the divert mechanisms without adverse effect on the accuracy. The controller also allows the de-coupling of the control of roll, pitch and yaw channels, and usage quaternions to represent body attitude and it provides control perfect robustness. While it conceivable to design separately the components of the G&C method, it is widely accepted that designing them in an integrated fashion usually produces a better result.

A laser spot tracker comprising a quadrant detector. A portion of a spot of laser light reflected from an object being illuminated (OBI) may be defocused to occupy a significant portion such as one-third of the field of view, while another portion remains focused, therefore allowing for quick calculation of the spot centroid. With such a “composite spot”, multiple target (OBI) positions may simultaneously be defined in elevation and azimuth with respect to null by analyzing the energy in each quadrant. The X and Y angle information (off null) for multiple targets (OBIs), and their codes may be displayed. For a large, defocused spot, two segmented multi-element detectors may be used, one in front of and the other behind the focal plane to reduce the effects of hot spots in a spot of laser light collected from an object being illuminated.

The multi-target tracking and discrimination system (MOST) fuses with and augments existing BMDS sensor systems. Integrated devices include early warning radars, X-band radars, Lidar, DSP, and MOST which coordinates all the data received from all sources through a command center and deploys the GBI for successful interception of an object detected anywhere in space, for example, warheads. The MOST system integrates the optics for rapid detection and with the optical sensor array delivers high-speed, high accuracy positional information to radar systems and also identifies decoys. MOST incorporates space situational awareness, aero-optics, adaptive optics, and Lidar technologies. The components include telescopes or other optical systems, focal plane arrays including high-speed wavefront sensors or other focal plane detector arrays, wavefront sensor technology developed to mitigate aero-optic effects, distributed network of optical sensors, high-accuracy positional metrics, data fusion, and tracking mounts. Field applications include space monitoring, battlefield artillery, battlefield management, ground defense, air defense, space protection, missile defense, gunfire detection, and the like.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for guiding a weapon to a target using an optical seeker having dual semi-active laser (SAL) and laser radar (LADAR) modes of operation. The dual mode seeker incorporates a laser light source, an optical package including a quadrant detector for operating in SAL mode and a LADAR receiver for operating in LADAR mode. The seeker further includes a high speed scanning mirror for switching between modes to guide the weapon to the target. The method for guiding a weapon to a target includes receiving radiation from the target and tracking the radiation to guide the weapon; monitoring the detected radiation such that if the radiation falls below a predetermined level, a laser system on-board the weapon continues guiding the weapon by generating a laser beam; reflecting the laser beam off the target so that the reflected laser radiation is received from the target to track the radiation and guide the weapon to the target.

Automatic homing systems are disclosed, operable between pairs of objects. One or both of the objects in the pair may be moving and/or unmanned. Examples of a pair of objects between which the inventive automatic homing systems may be operated are ground vehicles in leader-follower configuration, as well as aircraft, spacecraft, watercraft. The automatic homing systems are based on a relatively simple, elegant concept of rightness/leftness and a line-of-sight link between a respective leader vehicle and follower vehicle. Complex EO/IR cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, and/or SONAR-based sensor systems can be avoided. Convoys of vehicles in leader-follower configuration advantageously may be operated without needing human operators in the follower vehicles.

An agile, high-power, reliable DIRCM system that is easily extended to address sophisticated UV or UV-visible capable multi-band threats includes a missile warner having missile warning receivers (MWRs), one or two-color suitably in the mid-IR range, that detect likely missile launch and pass the threat coordinates to a pointer-tracker having a Roll/Nod gimbal on which the IR laser transmitter is mounted. The pointer-tracker slews the gimbal to initiate tracking based on the threat coordinates and then uses its detector to continue to track and verify the threat. If the threat is verified, the pointer-tracker engages the laser to fire and jam the missile's IR seeker. By slewing the gimbal based on unverified threat coordinates to initiate tracking the system is highly agile and can respond to short and near simultaneous MANPADS shots.

A method for deflagrating/detonating anti-tank and anti-vehicle land mines, beach zone mines, and surf zone mines located in mine belts or individually using delayed active ignition high temperature incendiary flechettes or darts.

An apparatus for and a method of detecting a flight obstacle (28, 30, 32, 34) in the surroundings (50) of an aircraft (4), in particular for collision warning purposes, wherein images of the surroundings (50) are recorded, the flight obstacle (28, 30, 32, 34) is detected from the images and provided with an identification, and a signal (66, 68, 76) associated with the identification is outputted in a ground station (6). In order to guarantee a high level of certainty in respect to the control of the aircraft (4) which is effected automatically or by a ground control pilot it is proposed that detection and allocation of the identification are effected on board the aircraft (4) and the identification is sent to the ground station (6).

The disclosure relates to a low cost and highly accurate precision guided system suitable for use in conventional aircraft launched bombs. The system includes a kit mounted upon the nose of the conventional bomb which replaces the conventional fuse disposed in a fuse well, the kit including guidance electronics controlling a self-contained jet reaction device and GPS P-code receiver electronics. The bombs are readied for discharge by signals broadcast from the aircraft into the bomb bay which transfer initial GPS data and commence operation of a gas generator which powers the jet reaction device.

A method and system for pointing and stabilizing a device that needs to be pointed and stabilized with a desired direction, are disclosed, wherein current attitude measurement and attitude rate measurement of the device measured by an attitude producer, which includes an inertial measurement unit, and the desired direction information measured by a target coordinates producer are processed by a pointing controller to compute rotation commands to an actuator. An actuator rotates and stabilizes the device at the desired direction according to the rotation commands in the presence of disturbances and parametric uncertainties to account for the undesired vibration due to disturbances. A visual and voice device provide an operator with visualization and voice indication of the pointing and stabilization procedure of the device.

A system, apparatus and method for optimizing the conduct of a close-in air combat are disclosed. A computing device is operative in the analysis of a close-in air combat situation. The computing device stores and utilizes one or more aerial aircraft-specific, weapon systems-specific and close-in air combat-situation-specific information. The computing device is operative in the analysis of the current air combat situation (12) and in the generation of a flight control recommendation (40). Consequently, the recommendation is converted into an indication having visual or audio format to be communicated to the operating crew of the aerial vehicle. The recommendation could further to be converted into specific flight control/energy commands and to be introduced directly to the control systems of the aircraft.

A communications system and method utilizes an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) capable of collecting data about an environment in which the USV resides. At least one micro-aerial vehicle (MAV), equipped for unmanned flight after a launch thereof, is mounted on the USV. Each MAV has onboard radio frequency (RF) communications. Each MAV launched into the air transmits the data collected by the USV using the MAV's RF communications.

A 2-D correction system uses intermittent deployment of aerodynamic surfaces to control a spin or fin stabilized projectile in flight; correcting both crossrange and downrange impact errors. Intermittent surface deployment develops rotational moments, which create body lift that nudge the projectile in two-dimensions to correct the projectile in its ballistic trajectory. In low spin rate projectiles (“fin stabilized”), the rotational moment directly produces the body lift that moves the projectile. In high spin rate projectiles (“spin stabilized”), the rotational moment creates a much larger orthogonal precession that in turn produces the body lift that moves the projectile. The aerodynamic surfaces are suitably deployed over multiple partial roll cycles at precise on (deployed) and off (stowed) positions in the cycle to nudge the projectile up or down range or left or right cross range until the desired ballistic trajectory is restored.

A system and method for determining the track of a projectile use a thermal signature of the projectile. Sequential infrared image frames are acquired from a sensor at a given position. A set of frames containing spots with characteristics consistent with a projectile in flight are identified. A possible projectile track solution for said spots is identified. A thermal signature value for each pixel of each spot of the possible solution is determined. The determined thermal signature is then compared to an actual thermal signature for a substantially similar projectile track to ascertain whether the determined thermal signature substantially matches the actual thermal signature, which indicates that the possible projectile track solution is the correct solution.