Missile Inertial Sensor Selection Across Flight Phases

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Solution Overview

Problem

Inertial sensor systems for missiles face challenges in achieving precise and long-term stability while being cost-efficient and compact, as they need to meet conflicting requirements such as high accuracy, wide measuring range, and error tolerance, which existing solutions fail to address effectively.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an inertial sensor system with multiple redundant sensors of different measurement properties, allowing a central control device to select the optimal set based on flight phase, reducing the need for large and expensive sensors that meet all requirements simultaneously.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If high-precision inertial sensors with wide measuring range are used, then measurement accuracy and reliability are improved, but cost and structural volume increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidstructural volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the sensor system into multiple specialized sensors, each optimized for specific measurement tasks or flight phases, rather than using a single comprehensive high-precision sensor. This segmentation allows each sensor to be smaller and less expensive while maintaining overall system accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically selects and switches between different sensor sets based on flight phases and measurement requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the use of smaller, lower-cost sensors during phases where full precision is not required, while activating larger high-precision sensors only when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If redundant sensors with different measurement properties are integrated, then error tolerance and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror toleranceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs sensors with different measurement parameters and characteristics (different types, ranges, and precision levels) to measure the same physical quantities. This parameter diversity provides redundancy and error tolerance while the central control unit manages the complexity through automated selection and fusion algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If sensors optimized for specific flight phases are used, then cost and volume are reduced, but adaptability across all flight phases decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost efficiencyVSAvoidadaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal sensor system where multiple specialized sensors work together under centralized control. Each sensor is optimized for specific functions, but the system as a whole adapts to all flight phases through the control unit's ability to select and combine sensor outputs based on current operational requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3428580B1Inertial sensor system for missiles and a method for flight phase dependent inertial sensor measuring
Publication Date: 2021.10.27 MBDA DEUTSCHIAND GMBH
  • EP3428580B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3428580B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3428580B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8

AI summary

An inertial sensor system for use in an inertial navigation system of a missile comprises a first inertial sensor module, a second inertial sensor module, and a control processor. The first inertial sensor module has at least two first inertial sensors of a first inertial sensor type and a first multiplexer coupled to the outputs of the first inertial sensors. The second inertial sensor module has at least one second inertial sensor of a second inertial sensor type different from the first inertial sensor type. The control processor is coupled to the first multiplexer and is configured to control the first multiplexer to output the sensor readings of an inertial sensor selected by the control processor from among the first inertial sensors.