Flight guidance system and method for counter-projectile

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a flight guidance system and method comprising: a counter-projectile having a monopulse antenna disposed facing rearward and divided into four regions to fly in the direction based on the intensity of beams received in the four regions; and military equipment that detects a target by means of a radar, and, upon detection of the target, launches and detects the counter-projectile to determine the relative position of the counter-projectile with respect to the position of the target, determines the movement direction for the counter-projectile to fly toward the target on the basis of the determined relative position, and forms a beam radiated toward the monopulse antenna of the counter-projectile by beamforming a radio frequency signal radiated from the radar, the beam being formed such that the intensity of the beams received in the four regions differ according to the determined movement direction, thereby enabling the counter-projectile to efficiently intercept the target in terms of cost and performance.

Description

Counter-projectile flight guidance system and method

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to a flight guidance system and method, and more specifically, to a counter-projectile flight guidance system and method based on a beamformed radio signal of a radar.

[0002] Due to the development of various aerial weapons such as attack drones and guided missiles, the frequency of aerial attacks against ground military equipment like tanks and self-propelled artillery, as well as naval military equipment like ships, is increasing. In particular, as drones have emerged as a highly efficient and low-cost offensive method, aerial attacks utilizing drones are becoming increasingly active in the battlefield.

[0003] Due to these changes in battlefield conditions, establishing efficient air defense systems for various ground and maritime military equipment is becoming critical. Early air defense systems primarily utilized methods of forming a firing line in the direction from which airborne weapons intended for interception were approaching. Additionally, jamming techniques or capture equipment were employed to block the movement of targets such as drones.

[0004] However, as mentioned above, targets such as drones or guided missiles do not simply fly along a pre-set path, but can be configured to change their path during flight according to control commands continuously issued via radio signals, etc. Furthermore, electronic warfare countermeasures such as jamming are being significantly improved. Therefore, there are limitations in that it is difficult to intercept targets using methods such as forming a fire network, using capture equipment, or jamming techniques. To overcome these limitations, most current air defense systems intercept flying weapons by launching counter-projectiles, such as suicide drones or counter-missiles, and controlling the launched counter-projectiles to fly toward the target, so that when the counter-projectiles approach the target, they self-destruct and explode along with the target.

[0005] However, for a counter-projectile to fly toward a target, various devices are required to control its flight. As a typical example, the counter-projectile can be configured to be directly equipped with radar to actively search for and track flying weapons. However, equipping the counter-projectile with large and expensive radar or high-performance processors to directly search for and track targets is highly inefficient.

[0006] Accordingly, most countermeasure projectiles equipped with military equipment are not configured to directly search for and track targets. Instead, the military equipment searches for a target, confirms its location, and transmits a control signal containing the location information via wireless communication. The projectile is then configured to fly toward the target and explode to intercept it in accordance with the transmitted control signal. In other words, it is configured to track and intercept the target under the control of the military equipment. If the countermeasure projectile is configured to intercept a target under the control of the military equipment, it does not need to be equipped with expensive equipment such as radar or high-performance processors; this simplifies the projectile's configuration, offering the advantage of being able to manufacture it in a small size and at low cost. However, it requires additional components such as a communication module to receive control signals transmitted wirelessly from the military equipment, and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver to move to the location based on the position information contained in the control signal. Although communication modules, IMUs, and GPS are cheaper and more compact than radar, equipping the countermeasure projectile with these multiple devices still requires high costs, and there is a problem of increased design and manufacturing costs. In addition, countermeasure projectiles such as drones often require manual operation by skilled users, which presents a limitation in that they are difficult to operate efficiently during wartime.

[0007] The purpose of the disclosed embodiments is to provide a counter-projectile flight guidance system and method capable of efficiently intercepting a target in terms of cost and performance.

[0008] The purpose of the disclosed embodiments is to provide a counter-projectile flight guidance system and method capable of controlling a counter-projectile using a beamformed radio signal of a radar operated in military equipment to search for a target.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the counter-projectile flight guidance system comprises a counter-projectile that flies in a direction according to the intensity of a beam received in the four areas, and a monopulse antenna positioned facing the rear and divided into four areas; and a military equipment that detects a target using a radar, and when the target is detected, launches and detects the counter-projectile to determine the relative position of the counter-projectile relative to the position of the target, and determines the direction of movement for the counter-projectile to fly toward the target based on the confirmed relative position, and beam-forms a radio signal radiated from the radar to form a beam radiated toward the monopulse antenna of the counter-projectile, wherein the beam is formed such that the intensity of the beam received in the four areas differs according to the determined direction of movement, and the military equipment distinguishes between a beam radiated to the monopulse antenna to control the direction of movement of the counter-projectile using the radar and a beam radiated to search for the target or the counter-projectile, and modulates and radiates the radio signal forming the beam to control the direction of movement so that a guidance signal is included.

[0010] When the above military equipment determines that the position of the counter-projectile from the above relative position is within a reference distance from the target, it may modulate and radiate a radio signal forming a beam radiated from the radar to the monopulse antenna to include a self-destruct signal for the counter-projectile.

[0011] The above military equipment can determine the direction of movement by analyzing signals received from the target or the counter-projection, which are reflected by a beam radiated to search for the target or the counter-projection, as well as a beam radiated to control the direction of movement of the counter-projection.

[0012] The above military equipment can alternately form a beam for detecting the counter-projectile, a beam for detecting the target, and a beam radiated by the monopulse antenna by separating them in time.

[0013] The above military equipment can simultaneously form the beam for detecting the counter-projectile, the beam for detecting the target, and the beam radiated by the monopulse antenna independently of each other by setting the frequencies or included signals differently.

[0014] The above counter-projectile can demodulate the radio signal modulated and included in the received beam to distinguish and identify the beam for searching for the target, the beam containing the guidance signal for moving the counter-projectile toward the target direction, and the beam containing the self-destruct signal for self-destructing the counter-projectile.

[0015] If the received beam contains a self-destruct signal, the above counter-projectile can self-destruct and intercept the above target.

[0016] The above-mentioned corresponding projectile determines an elevation angle based on the difference between the sum of the beam intensities received in the upper two areas of the four areas and the sum of the beam intensities received in the lower two areas, and determines an azimuth angle based on the difference between the sum of the beam intensities received in the left two areas of the four areas and the sum of the beam intensities received in the right two areas, and can adjust the flight direction according to the determined elevation angle and azimuth angle.

[0017] A flight guidance method for a counter-projectile flight guidance system equipped with a counter-projectile and military equipment according to an embodiment comprises: a step in which the military equipment detects a target using radar, and when the target is detected, launches and detects the counter-projectile; a step in which the military equipment confirms the relative position of the counter-projectile relative to the position of the target, and determines a direction of movement for the counter-projectile to fly toward the target based on the confirmed relative position; a step in which the military equipment beamforms a radio signal radiated from the radar to form a beam radiated toward a monopulse antenna positioned toward the rear of the counter-projectile and divided into four regions, wherein the beam is formed such that the intensity of the beam received in the four regions differs according to the determined direction of movement; a step in which the counter-projectile receives the beam radiated from the radar by dividing it into four regions of the monopulse antenna and analyzes the radio signal included in the beam received by each region; and a step in which, if a guidance signal is included in the received radio signal, the counter-projectile is controlled to fly in a direction according to the intensity of the beam received by each region.

[0018] Accordingly, the flight guidance system and method according to the embodiment can efficiently intercept a target in terms of cost and performance by controlling a counter-projectile using a beamformed radio signal of a radar operated in military equipment to search for a target.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a corresponding projectile flight guidance system according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of the detailed structure of the monopulse antenna of the corresponding projectile of Figure 1.

[0021] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the method by which a counter-projectile detects a beam emitted from a radar.

[0022] Figure 4 shows the schematic configuration of a counter-projectile flight guidance device equipped in the military equipment of Figure 1.

[0023] Figure 5 shows a schematic configuration of a flight guidance device equipped on the corresponding projectile of Figure 1.

[0024] Figure 6 shows an example of a pattern in which a beam radiated from a radar is received in a separated area of ​​a monopulse antenna.

[0025] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the method by which the counter-projectile flight guidance system of Figure 1 guides the flight of a counter-projectile to intercept a target.

[0026] FIG. 8 illustrates a flight guidance method for a corresponding projectile according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining a computing environment including a computing device according to one embodiment.

[0028] Hereinafter, specific embodiments according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. However, this is merely illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] In describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of known technology related to the present invention are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the embodiments. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined with consideration of their functions in the present invention, and these may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator. Therefore, such definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification. Terms used in the detailed description are intended merely to describe specific embodiments and should not be limiting. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, expressions in the singular form include the meaning of the plural form. In this description, expressions such as “include” or “comprising” are intended to refer to certain characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts thereof, or combinations thereof, and should not be interpreted to exclude the existence or possibility of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts thereof, or combinations thereof other than those described. Additionally, terms such as “...part,” “...unit,” “module,” and “block” described in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a counter-projectile flight guidance system according to one embodiment, FIG. 2 shows an example of the detailed structure of a monopulse antenna of the counter-projectile of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the method of detecting a beam radiated from a radar by the counter-projectile.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, a counter-projectile flight guidance system of one embodiment includes military equipment (10) and a counter-projectile (30).

[0032] Military equipment (10) may include an equipment body (11), a radar (12), and a launcher (13). The equipment body (11) is equipment configured to perform operations according to the design purpose of the military equipment (10). Here, a tank is illustrated as an example, but other ground military equipment such as self-propelled guns, trucks, or armored vehicles may be implemented as the equipment body (11). In some cases, immobile fixed gun emplacements or missile launchers may also be implemented as the equipment body (11). Additionally, various naval military equipment such as destroyers, frigates, and high-speed boats may be implemented as the equipment body (11).

[0033] The radar (12) is equipped on the equipment body (11) to detect the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30). At this time, the target (20) is an object that the equipment body (11) must strike, and may refer to enemy military equipment. The target (20) is mostly the equipment body of enemy military equipment, but in some cases, it may be a flying weapon launched from enemy military equipment and flying to strike itself. Here, the explanation assumes that the target (20) is a flying weapon flying toward it to strike itself.

[0034] In one embodiment, the radar (12) may be implemented as an Active Electronically Scanned Array (hereinafter AESA) radar, as shown in FIG. 3. The AESA radar includes an array antenna in which a plurality of radiating elements (14) are arranged to each independently receive a feed signal. The AESA radar is a radar that detects a target (20) or a counter-projectile (30) by beamforming a radio wave signal radiated from the array antenna to form beams (b1, b2, b3). The AESA radar can form a single or multiple beams by varying the frequency, signal strength, and phase of the feed signal applied to the plurality of radiating elements (14), and can also independently control the direction in which each of the formed multiple beams is radiated, that is, the direction of the beams.

[0035] The radar (12) can form a beam by beamforming a radiated radio signal and detect an object located in the direction in which the beam is formed by analyzing the signal received after the radiated radio signal is reflected. The radar (12) can detect an object located within a certain angle range by scanning the direction in which the beam is formed and adjusting the direction in which the beam is formed to change according to the position change of the detected object, and can track the detected object.

[0036] And the radar (12) analyzes the received signal to detect the counter-projectile (30) launched from the launcher (13) and distinguish it from the target (20). Here, the radar (12) detects the counter-projectile (30) along with the target (20) in order to confirm the relative position so that the counter-projectile (30) can fly toward the target (20).

[0037] Additionally, the radar (12) can perform modulation so that various radio signals are included in the formed beam. When forming the beam, the radar (12) may include a signal modulated according to a Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) method, for example, in the radio signal. Since the method of modulating the radio signal to include various signals according to the beamforming technique in an AESA radar is a known technology, it is not described in detail here. In particular, in one embodiment, the radar (12) forms a beam not only to detect a target (20) or a counter-projectile (30), but also to induce the flight of the counter-projectile (30) and control its operation. Accordingly, the radar (12) may form a beam using a radio signal containing different signals to distinguish between the beam formed for detection and the beam for controlling the flight and operation of the counter-projectile (30).

[0038] For example, the radar (12) may form a beam containing a guidance signal to guide the flight of the counter-projectile (30) and a beam containing a self-destruct signal to self-destruct the counter-projectile (30). Additionally, the radar (12) may include a detection signal in the beam formed to detect the target (20) or the counter-projectile (30). In this case, the radar (12) may distinguish between a target detection signal for detecting the target (20) and a projectile detection signal for detecting the counter-projectile (30), and ensure that only one of the distinguished target detection signal and projectile detection signal is included in each of the formed beams, thereby distinguishing between the beam for detecting the target (20) and the beam for detecting the counter-projectile (30). However, the radar (12) may also distinguish between the beam for detecting the target (20) and the beam for detecting the counter-projectile (30) by making the frequency or phase of the radio signal forming the beam different.

[0039] Including a guidance signal or a self-destruct signal in the beam here is intended only to allow the counter-projectile (30) to recognize that the beam is formed to control flight and operation. Accordingly, the radar (12) can detect the target (20) or the counter-projectile (30) even from a beam formed to include a guidance signal or a self-destruct signal. Accordingly, after the counter-projectile (30) is detected, the radar (12) can control the flight direction of the counter-projectile (30) using the beam containing the guidance signal and simultaneously detect the changed position of the counter-projectile (30) without forming a separate beam to detect the counter-projectile (30).

[0040] Meanwhile, when a target (20) is detected by the radar (12), a counter-projectile (30) that is launched is placed on a launcher (13). The launcher (13) acts as a support so that the counter-projectile (30) can fly toward the air during the initial launch phase, and in some cases, the launch angle may be adjusted so that the counter-projectile (30) is launched toward the direction of the target (20) detected by the radar (12).

[0041] Here, the radar (12) and the launcher (13) can be controlled by a flight guidance device (not shown) provided within the military equipment (10). A detailed description of the flight guidance device provided within the military equipment (10) will be provided later.

[0042] Meanwhile, the counter-projectile (30) is initially launched and flies in a direction designated by the launcher (13), and subsequently flies in a direction guided by a beam (B2, b3) radiated from a radar (12) equipped in military equipment (10). As shown in FIG. 2, the counter-projectile (30) of one embodiment is positioned facing the rear and is equipped with a monopulse antenna (31) divided into four regions (A to D) by being divided vertically and horizontally. At least one antenna element (32) is placed in each of the four regions (A to D). Accordingly, the monopulse antenna (31) can independently detect beams received in the four regions (A to D). At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the monopulse antenna (31) can form a receiving beam that receives a beam radiated from the radar (12) by arranging a plurality of antenna elements (32) in each of the four regions (A to D), and the receiving beam formed at this time can be formed so as not to overlap each other as much as possible.

[0043] The counter-projectile (30) can analyze the beam received in each divided area of ​​the monopulse antenna (31) by the flight guidance device provided inside, and the flight of the counter-projectile (30) can be controlled according to the analysis result. Specifically, the flight guidance device of the counter-projectile (30) can adjust the direction of movement of the counter-projectile (30) based on the difference in beam intensity received in the four divided areas (A to D) of the monopulse antenna (31). That is, the flight guidance device can guide the flight of the counter-projectile (30) so that it flies along the direction in which the radar (12) of the military equipment (10) forms a beam. At this time, the flight guidance device can control the counter-projectile (30) so that it is guided in the direction in which the beam is formed and flies toward the target (20) only when the beam received by the monopulse antenna (31) contains a modulated guidance signal, so that the flight direction is not guided by the beam formed by the radar (12) to detect and track the target (20) or the counter-projectile (30). The flight guidance device of the counter-projectile (30) can be controlled to fly toward the target (20) by concentrating the beam formed by the radar (12) in the direction of area A (A) among the four separated areas (A to D) when received as shown in the example of FIG. 3.

[0044] Additionally, the flight guidance device can cause the counter-projectile (30) to self-destruct and explode together with the target (20) if the beam received by the monopulse antenna (31) contains a self-destruct signal.

[0045] Figure 4 shows the schematic configuration of a counter-projectile flight guidance device equipped in the military equipment of Figure 1.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 4, the flight guidance device for a counter-projectile equipped in military equipment (10) may include a radar control module (41), a received signal analysis module (42), a beam direction determination module (43), a beam setting module (44), and a signal modulation module (45).

[0047] The radar control module (41) controls the operation of the radar (12) of the military equipment (10) so that the radar (12) forms a beam. The radar control module (41) transmits a signal applied from the radar signal modulation module (47) to the radiation element (14) of the radar (12), and the radar (12) radiates a radio signal according to the transmitted signal to form a beam. At this time, the radar (12) can form a beam with a direction of direction adjusted according to the transmitted signal, and can also form multiple beams having independent directions of direction. Then, the signal received by the radar (12) after the beam formed by the radio signal is reflected by an object is transmitted to the received signal analysis module (42).

[0048] The received signal analysis module (42) analyzes the received signal received by the reflection of the beam emitted from the radiating element (14) to determine whether a target (20) or a counter-projectile (30) is detected. If the received signal analysis module (42) detects a target (20) or a counter-projectile (30) from the analyzed received signal, it transmits the location information of the detected target (20) and counter-projectile (30) to the beam direction determination module (43). At this time, the received signal analysis module (42) can detect the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30) separately and obtain location information of each of the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30).

[0049] The beam direction determining module (43) can periodically adjust the direction of the beam so that when a target (20) or a counter-projectile (30) is not detected, the radar (12) searches for objects in a scanning manner within an angle range according to a designated search range. Accordingly, the radar (12) continuously searches for objects located within the search range. And when a target (20) is detected, the beam direction determining module (43) can adjust the direction of the beam to track changes in the position of the target (20).

[0050] Additionally, when the target (20) or the counter-projectile (30) is detected and the location information of the target (20) and the location of the counter-projectile (30) are confirmed, the beam direction determination module (43) confirms the relative position of the counter-projectile (30) relative to the location of the target (20), and determines the direction of movement to move the counter-projectile (30) toward the target (20) based on the confirmed relative position. Then, the beam direction is determined such that the beam formed by the radar (12) is formed in a direction tilted toward the direction of movement determined from the current location of the counter-projectile (30). At this time, the beam formed according to the determined beam direction is determined to be skewed toward the direction of movement within the range received by the monopulse antenna (31) of the counter-projectile (30). For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the monopulse antenna (31) must be able to detect a beam formed by the radar (12) by overlapping with at least one of the four receiving beams formed in each of the four regions (A to D) of the monopulse antenna (31), and the direction of the beam can be determined so that a more concentrated beam is detected in the direction where the target (20) is located among the four regions (A to D) (here, as an example, region A).

[0051] In addition, when a target (20) is detected by the received signal analysis module (42), the beam direction determination module (43) can transmit a launch signal to the counter-projectile (30) deployed on the launcher (13) so that the counter-projectile (30) is launched. At this time, the beam direction determination module (43) can also transmit an initial flight direction to the counter-projectile (30). Furthermore, if the launcher (13) is configured to control the launch direction of the counter-projectile (30), the beam direction determination module (43) can also transmit launch direction information to the launcher (13) so that the launcher (13) launches the counter-projectile (30) in the direction according to the launch direction information.

[0052] That is, the flight guidance device equipped in the military equipment (10) controls the radar (12) to form a beam to search for a target (20), and when the target (20) is detected, transmits a launch signal to the counter-projectile (30) so that the counter-projectile (30) is launched from the launcher (13). Then, the launched counter-projectile (30) is detected. At this time, the beam used to detect the counter-projectile (30) may be the same beam as the beam formed to detect the target (20), but they may also be different beams. For example, the flight guidance device may form a beam in which the direction of radiation from the radar (12) changes over time, and use the same formed beam to detect and track both the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30), but the radar (12) may also form a beam for detecting and tracking the target (20) and a beam for detecting and tracking the counter-projectile (30) separately. That is, the radar (12) may form multiple different beams to individually detect and track the target (20) and the corresponding projectile (30).

[0053] Additionally, the beam direction determination module (43) can determine whether a self-destruct signal should be included in the beam radiated from the radar (12) to the monopulse antenna (31) of the counter-projectile (30) when the position of the counter-projectile (30) is determined to be within a reference distance from the target (20) based on the relative position of the counter-projectile (30) relative to the position of the target (20).

[0054] The beam setting module (44) generates a beam forming signal to be transmitted to the radiating element (14) of the radar (12) so that the beam is formed in the direction determined by the beam direction determining module (43). Then, the signal modulation module (45) modulates the guidance signal or the self-destruct signal into the beam formed according to whether it is a beam to guide the flight of the counter-projectile (30) or a beam to command the self-destruction of the counter-projectile (30). The signal modulation module (45) can modulate the guidance signal or the self-destruct signal into the beam according to the PCM method. Additionally, depending on the case, the beam setting module (44) can perform modulation so that a detection signal is included in the beam to detect the target (20) or the counter-projectile (30), and can modulate so that the target detection signal included in the beam to detect the target (20) and the projectile detection signal included in the beam to detect the counter-projectile (30) are distinguished and included in the beam.

[0055] Accordingly, the radar control module (41) controls the radar (12) so that a beam is formed according to the signal modulated and applied by the signal modulation module (45).

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a flight guidance device equipped on a corresponding projectile of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 shows an example of a pattern in which a beam radiated from a radar is received in a separated area of ​​a monopulse antenna.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 5, the flight guidance device equipped in the corresponding projectile may include a received signal analysis module (51), a region-specific beam analysis module (52), a flight control module (53), and an explosion control module (54).

[0058] The receiving signal analysis module (51) demodulates the radio signal forming the beam received by the monopulse antenna (31) and detects the signal included in the radio signal. As described above, the radar (12) of the military equipment (10) can generate a radio signal by modulating a guidance signal, a self-destruct signal, or a detection signal using a PCM method, and can form a beam by beamforming the generated radio signal. Accordingly, the receiving signal analysis module (51) can detect the guidance signal, the self-destruct signal, or the detection signal included in the beam by demodulating the radio signal forming the beam received by the monopulse antenna (31). At this time, the receiving signal analysis module (51) can detect the signal included from the beam detected in at least one area regardless of the four distinct areas (A to D) of the monopulse antenna (31).

[0059] When an inductive signal is detected in the beam received by the receiving signal analysis module (51), the region-specific beam analysis module (52) separates and analyzes the beam received into each of the four regions (A to D) of the monopulse antenna (31).

[0060] As described above, the flight guidance device of the military equipment (10) can use a radar (12) to identify the positions of the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30), and guide the flight of the counter-projectile (30) by forming a beam that is offset from the current position of the counter-projectile (30) toward the target (20) according to the identified positions. If the target (20) is located in front of the counter-projectile (30), the radar (12) can form a beam concentrated at the center of the monopulse antenna (31) as shown in (a) of FIG. 6. However, if the target (20) is located in the forward right direction or in the forward lower direction of the counter-projectile (30), a beam concentrated to the right or lower side of the monopulse antenna (31) can be formed as shown in (b) and (c). Additionally, if the target (20) is located in the forward upper right direction of the corresponding projectile (30), a beam concentrated on the upper right side of the monopulse antenna (31) can be formed as in (d).

[0061] The beam analysis module (52) for each region analyzes the beam received in each of the four distinct regions (A to D) of the monopulse antenna (31), and, for example, can analyze the intensity of the beam received in each region (A to D).

[0062] The flight control module (53) determines the flight direction based on the beam strength of each region analyzed by the region-specific beam analysis module (52), and controls the corresponding projectile (30) to fly in the determined flight direction. At this time, the flight control module (53) can determine the elevation (ΔEL) based on the difference ((A + B) - (C + D)) between the sum of the beam strengths (A + B) received in the upper two regions (A, B) among the four regions (A ~ D) and the sum of the beam strengths (C + D) received in the lower two regions (C, D). And the azimuth (ΔAZ) can be determined based on the difference ((A + D) - (B + C)) between the sum of the beam strengths (A + D) received in the left two regions (A, D) among the four regions (A ~ D) and the sum of the beam strengths (B + C) received in the right two regions (B, C). Specifically, by considering the sum (SUM) of the beam intensities received in four regions (A to D), the elevation angle (ΔEL) can be calculated as ΔEL = [(A + B) - (C + D)] / SUM, and the azimuth angle (ΔAZ) can be calculated as ΔAZ = [(A + D) - (B + C)] / SUM. Then, the flight direction of the corresponding projectile can be controlled to be adjusted according to the determined elevation angle (ΔEL) and azimuth angle (ΔAZ).

[0063] Meanwhile, the explosion control module (54) enables the counter-projectile (30) to self-destruct and explode together with the target (20) when a self-destruct signal is detected in the beam received by the reception signal analysis module (51), thereby allowing the target (20) to be intercepted.

[0064] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the method by which the military equipment of Figure 1 guides the flight of a counter-projectile to intercept a target.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 7, military equipment (10) in one embodiment first searches for a target using radar (12) (①). Then, it tracks the location where the detected target (20) is moving (②). At the same time, it launches a counter-projectile (30) (③) and tracks the location of the launched counter-projectile (30) (④). Once the locations of the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30) are confirmed through tracking, the relative location of the counter-projectile (30) relative to the location of the target (20) is determined, and the direction of movement is determined so that the counter-projectile (30) moves toward the target (20). By forming a beam of the radar (12) so that it is received at the determined direction of movement at a monopulse antenna (31) positioned at the rear of the counter-projectile (30), the flight of the counter-projectile (30) is induced (⑤). At this time, the beam formed includes a guidance signal in the PCM modulation method so that the counter-projectile (30) is not guided to fly by the beam used to track the target (20). Subsequently, while continuously tracking the position of the target (20), the flight of the counter-projectile (30) is guided by the guidance beam formed by the radar (12) so that the counter-projectile (30) approaches the target (20) (⑥). Then, if the distance between the target (20) and the counter-projectile (30) according to their relative positions is within a reference distance, the beam radiated by the monopulse antenna (31) is modulated to include a self-destruct signal, and the counter-projectile (30) self-destructs according to the self-destruct signal detected in the beam received by the monopulse antenna (31) to intercept the target (20).

[0066] Consequently, in the flight guidance system of one embodiment, unlike conventional systems, the counter-projectile (30) is not only guided to fly toward the target (20) by a beam emitted from a radar (12) equipped in military equipment (10) to search for the target, without being equipped with a communication module, IMU, GPU, etc., but can also self-destruct to intercept the target (20). Therefore, the target (20) can be intercepted efficiently at low cost.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiments, each component may have different functions and capabilities in addition to those described above and may include additional components not described. Additionally, in one embodiment, each component may be implemented using one or more physically separated devices, or by one or more processors or a combination of one or more processors and software, and may not be clearly distinguished in specific operation as in the illustrated examples.

[0068] And the flight guidance device illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be implemented in a logic circuit by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof, and may also be implemented using a general-purpose or specific-purpose computer. The device may be implemented using a hardwired device, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. Additionally, the device may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) including one or more processors and controllers.

[0069] In addition, the flight guidance device may be installed in the form of software, hardware, or a combination thereof on a computing device or server equipped with hardware elements. A computing device or server may refer to various devices that include, in whole or in part, communication devices such as communication modems for communicating with various devices or wired / wireless communication networks, memory for storing data for executing programs, and microprocessors for executing programs to perform calculations and commands.

[0070] FIG. 8 illustrates a flight guidance method for a corresponding projectile according to one embodiment.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 8, the flight guidance method for a counter-projectile first involves the military equipment (10) using a radar (12) to beam-form a radio signal radiated so that an object is detected in a scanning manner within an angle range according to a designated search range, thereby forming a beam (71). At this time, the direction in which the beam is formed can be periodically adjusted. Then, it is determined whether a target (20) is detected by the formed beam (72). If a target (20) is detected, a launch signal is generated to launch a counter-projectile to intercept the detected target (73). The counter-projectile (30) can be launched from a launcher (13) of the military equipment (10) and can be controlled to fly in the direction of the location of the target (20) detected by the radar (12) at the beginning of launch.

[0072] Subsequently, the radar (12) is used to detect the counter-projectile (30) (74). At this time, the radar (12) can independently generate the beam for searching the target (20) and the beam for searching the counter-projectile (30) by separately setting the frequency or the modulated signal included to be different from each other. However, the beam for searching the target (20) and the beam for searching the counter-projectile (30) may not be separated, and beams directed alternately toward different positions may be formed by separating them in time.

[0073] Then, the location of the detected target (20) and the location of the detected counter-projectile (30) are confirmed, the relative location of the counter-projectile (30) relative to the location of the target (20) is confirmed, and it is determined whether the counter-projectile (30) is located within a reference distance from the target (20) from the confirmed relative location (75). If it is determined that the counter-projectile (30) is not close to the target (20), the direction of movement for the counter-projectile (30) to fly toward the target (20) is determined based on the confirmed relative location (76). Then, the radar (12) forms a beam through beamforming that is directed toward the monopulse antenna (31) which is positioned toward the rear of the counter-projectile (30) and divided into four regions (A to D) according to the determined direction of movement (77). At this time, the radar (12) forms a beam so that the counter-projectile (30), whose flight direction is adjusted according to the difference in beam intensity received in four regions (A to D), flies toward the target (20) according to the determined direction of movement. Specifically, the beam is formed so that it is skewed toward the direction of movement within the range received by the monopulse antenna (31) of the counter-projectile (30). In addition, a guidance signal is included in the beam formed by modulating it in a PCM manner and included as a radio signal so that the counter-projectile (30) can recognize that the beam is formed for flight guidance. At this time, the radar (12) can continuously track the position of the counter-projectile (30) by receiving the signal reflected from the counter-projectile (30) of the beam formed for flight guidance of the counter-projectile (30).

[0074] However, when it is determined that the counter-projectile (30) is close to the target (20), a beam is formed in the direction of the counter-projectile (30) through beamforming, and a self-destruct signal is modulated and included in the beam formed to cause the counter-projectile (30) to self-destruct (78).

[0075] The counter-projectile (30) launched therein is positioned facing the rear, and a determination is made whether a beam radiated by the radar (12) of the military equipment (10) is detected by the monopulse antenna (31) divided into four areas (A to D) (81). If a beam is detected, the detected beam is demodulated and the signal contained in the beam is analyzed (82). Then, it is determined whether the signal contained in the beam is a guidance signal to guide the flight of the counter-projectile (30) (83). If it is determined to be a guidance signal, the signal strength received in each of the four divided areas (A to D) is analyzed (84). Afterward, the direction of movement of the counter-projectile (30) is determined based on the analyzed signal strength in each area (85). For example, the elevation angle (ΔEL) can be determined based on the difference ((A + B) - (C + D)) between the sum of the beam intensities received in the upper two regions (A, B) among the four regions (A ~ D) and the sum of the beam intensities received in the lower two regions (C, D), and the azimuth angle (ΔAZ) can be determined based on the difference ((A + D) - (B + C)) between the sum of the beam intensities received in the left two regions (A, D) among the four regions (A ~ D) and the sum of the beam intensities received in the right two regions (B, C). Once the direction of movement is determined, the corresponding projectile (30) is controlled to fly in the determined direction of movement (86).

[0076] Meanwhile, if the signal included in the beam is not a guidance signal intended to guide the flight of the counter-projectile (30), it is determined whether it is a self-destruct signal (87). If it is not a self-destruct signal, it is determined again whether the beam emitted by the radar (12) is detected (81). However, if it is determined to be a self-destruct signal, the counter-projectile (30) is controlled to self-destruct (88). When the military equipment (10) determines that the counter-projectile (30) is close to the target (20), it includes a self-destruct signal in the beam, and the counter-projectile (30) self-destructs, causing the target (20) to explode along with it, thereby intercepting the target (20).

[0077] Although FIG. 8 describes each process being executed sequentially, this is merely an illustrative description, and a person skilled in the art can apply various modifications and variations by changing the order described in FIG. 8, executing one or more processes in parallel, or adding other processes, within the scope of not departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining a computing environment including a computing device according to one embodiment.

[0079] In the illustrated embodiments, each component may have different functions and capabilities in addition to those described below, and may include additional components in addition to those described below. The illustrated computing environment (90) may include a computing device (91) to perform the flight guidance method illustrated in FIGS. 8 and FIGS. 9. In one embodiment, the computing device (91) may be one or more components included in the flight guidance device illustrated in FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5.

[0080] A computing device (91) includes at least one processor (92), a computer-readable storage medium (93), and a communication bus (95). The processor (92) may enable the computing device (91) to operate according to the exemplary embodiment described above. For example, the processor (92) may execute one or more programs (94) stored in the computer-readable storage medium (93). The one or more programs (94) may include one or more computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions may be configured to enable the computing device (91) to perform operations according to the exemplary embodiment when executed by the processor (92).

[0081] The communication bus (95) interconnects various other components of the computing device (91), including the processor (92) and the computer-readable storage medium (93).

[0082] The computing device (91) may also include one or more input / output interfaces (96) and one or more communication interfaces (97) that provide an interface for one or more input / output devices (98). The input / output interfaces (96) and communication interfaces (97) are connected to a communication bus (95). The input / output devices (98) may be connected to other components of the computing device (91) through the input / output interfaces (96). An exemplary input / output device (98) may include an input device such as a pointing device (such as a mouse or trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (such as a touchpad or touchscreen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices and / or imaging devices, and / or an output device such as a display device, a printer, a speaker and / or a network card. An exemplary input / output device (98) may be included inside the computing device (91) as a component constituting the computing device (91), or it may be connected to the computing device (91) as a separate device distinct from the computing device (91).

[0083] Although the present invention has been described in detail above through representative embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical concept of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A counter-projectile having a monopulse antenna positioned toward the rear and divided into four regions, and flying in a direction according to the intensity of the beam received in the four regions; and Military equipment comprising: detecting a target using radar; when the target is detected, launching and detecting a counter-projectile to determine the relative position of the counter-projectile relative to the position of the target; determining the direction of movement for the counter-projectile to fly toward the target based on the confirmed relative position; beamforming a radio signal radiated from the radar to form a beam radiated toward the monopulse antenna of the counter-projectile, wherein the beam is formed such that the intensity of the beam received in four regions differs according to the determined direction of movement. The above military equipment is Using the above radar, distinguish between a beam radiated by the monopulse antenna to control the direction of movement of the above counter-projectile and a beam radiated to search for the target or the above counter-projectile, A corresponding projectile flight guidance system that modulates and radiates a radio signal to include a guidance signal in a beam forming to control the direction of movement.

2. In paragraph 1, the above military equipment is A counter-projectile flight guidance system that, when it is determined that the position of the counter-projectile from the above relative position is within a reference distance from the above target, modulates and radiates a radio signal forming a beam radiated from the radar to a monopulse antenna to include a self-destruct signal for the counter-projectile.

3. In paragraph 1, the above military equipment is A counter-projectile flight guidance system that determines the direction of movement by analyzing signals received from the target or the counter-projectile, including a beam radiated to search for the target or the counter-projectile, as well as a beam radiated to control the direction of movement of the counter-projectile.

4. In paragraph 1, the above military equipment is A counter-projectile flight guidance system that alternately forms a beam for detecting the counter-projectile, a beam for detecting the target, and a beam radiated by the monopulse antenna in a temporally separated manner.

5. In paragraph 1, the above military equipment is A counter-projectile flight guidance system that independently and simultaneously forms the frequency or included signal of the beam for detecting the counter-projectile, the beam for detecting the target, and the beam radiated by the monopulse antenna.

6. In paragraph 1, the above-mentioned counter-projectile A counter-projectile flight guidance system that demodulates the radio signal modulated and included in the received beam to distinguish and identify the beam for searching for the target, the beam containing the guidance signal for moving the counter-projectile toward the target direction, and the beam containing the self-destruct signal for self-destructing the counter-projectile.

7. In paragraph 1, the above-mentioned counter-projectile A counter-projectile flight guidance system that self-destructs to intercept the target if the received beam contains a self-destruct signal.

8. In paragraph 1, the above-mentioned counter-projectile The elevation angle is determined based on the difference between the sum of the beam intensities received in the upper two regions and the sum of the beam intensities received in the lower two regions among the four regions above, and The azimuth angle is determined based on the difference between the sum of the beam intensities received in the two left regions and the sum of the beam intensities received in the two right regions among the four regions mentioned above, and A corresponding projectile flight guidance system that adjusts the flight direction according to the determined elevation angle and azimuth angle.

9. A method for guiding the flight of a counter-projectile in a counter-projectile flight guidance system equipped with a counter-projectile and military equipment, The above military equipment detects a target using radar, and when the target is detected, the step of launching and detecting the counter-projectile; A step in which the military equipment identifies the relative position of the counter-projectile relative to the position of the target, and determines the direction of movement for the counter-projectile to fly toward the target based on the identified relative position; The above military equipment beamforms a radio wave signal radiated from the radar to form a beam radiated toward a monopulse antenna positioned toward the rear of the counter-projectile and divided into four regions, wherein the beam is formed such that the intensity of the beam received in the four regions differs according to a determined direction of movement; The above-mentioned corresponding projectile receives a beam radiated from the radar by dividing it into four regions of the monopulse antenna, and analyzes the radio signal included in the beam received by dividing it into regions; and A method for guiding the flight of a corresponding projectile, comprising the step of controlling the corresponding projectile to fly in a direction according to the intensity of the beam received in each region if the received radio signal includes a guidance signal.

10. In claim 9, the step of forming the beam Using the above radar, distinguish between a beam radiated by the monopulse antenna to control the direction of movement of the above counter-projectile and a beam radiated to search for the target or the above counter-projectile, A flight guidance method for a corresponding projectile that modulates and radiates a radio signal forming a beam to control the direction of movement, so that a guidance signal is included.

11. In claim 9, the step of forming the beam A method for guiding the flight of a counter-projectile, wherein when it is determined that the position of the counter-projectile from the above relative position is within a reference distance from the above target, the radio signal forming the beam radiated from the radar to the monopulse antenna is modulated to include a self-destruct signal for the counter-projectile and radiated.

12. In paragraph 9, the step of determining the direction of movement above A flight guidance method for a counter-projectile that determines the direction of movement by analyzing a signal received from the target or the counter-projectile, which is reflected by a beam radiated to search for the target or the counter-projectile, as well as a beam radiated to control the direction of movement of the counter-projectile.

13. In claim 9, the step of forming the beam A method for guiding the flight of a counter-projectile by alternately forming a beam for detecting the counter-projectile, a beam for detecting the target, and a beam radiated by the monopulse antenna in a temporally separated manner.

14. In claim 9, the step of forming the beam A method for guiding the flight of a counter-projectile by setting the frequency or included signal of a beam for detecting the counter-projectile, a beam for detecting the target, and a beam radiated by a monopulse antenna differently, so as to form them independently and simultaneously.

15. In paragraph 9, the step of analyzing the radio signal A method for guiding a corresponding projectile flight by demodulating the radio signal modulated and included in the received beam, and distinguishing and identifying the beam for searching the target, the beam containing the guidance signal, and the beam containing the self-destruct signal.

16. In paragraph 9, the step of controlling to fly above A flight guidance method for a counter-projectile that intercepts the target by causing the counter-projectile to self-destruct if the received beam contains a self-destruct signal.

17. In paragraph 9, the step of controlling to fly above The elevation angle is determined based on the difference between the sum of the beam intensities received in the upper two regions and the sum of the beam intensities received in the lower two regions among the four regions above, and The azimuth angle is determined based on the difference between the sum of the beam intensities received in the two left regions and the sum of the beam intensities received in the two right regions among the four regions mentioned above, and A flight guidance method for a corresponding projectile that controls the flight direction of the corresponding projectile according to the determined elevation angle and azimuth angle.

18. In any one of paragraphs 9 through 17, the corresponding projectile flight guidance method A flight guidance method performed by the processor of the military equipment and the corresponding projectile, each including a memory and a processor.

Images