Vehicle Weapon Line-of-Sight Control for Full Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weapon systems on vehicles face challenges in achieving complete 4π steradian coverage due to obscured sightlines caused by vehicle components, making it impractical to use multiple gimballed apertures for full coverage.
Innovation Solution
A control system that alters the vehicle's configuration to maintain a clear line-of-sight to the target, using a directed-energy weapon with gimballed apertures and overriding vehicle commands to ensure continuous engagement without obscuration, thereby increasing coverage and preventing damage to the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple gimballed apertures are used to provide full 4π steradian coverage, then coverage is improved, but device complexity, cost, and weight become impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Dynamics principle by making the vehicle itself movable rather than making multiple weapon apertures movable. The control system dynamically adjusts the vehicle's configuration (attitude, position, or shape) in response to detected obscuration, allowing a single static aperture to achieve full 4π steradian coverage by leveraging the vehicle's dynamic reconfiguration capability instead of requiring multiple gimballed apertures.
2Reliability
If the vehicle configuration is altered to maintain clear line-of-sight, then engagement reliability is improved, but vehicle operation may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements the Feedback principle through a control system that continuously monitors whether vehicle components obscure the aperture's line-of-sight to the target. When obscuration is detected, the control system automatically triggers a vehicle configuration alteration to restore clear line-of-sight. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures reliable target engagement while minimizing manual intervention, as the system autonomously manages the trade-off between engagement reliability and vehicle operation.
3Device complexity
If a single aperture is used instead of multiple gimballed apertures, then device complexity is reduced, but coverage area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Another dimension principle by transitioning from a two-dimensional solution (multiple apertures rotating in different directions) to a three-dimensional solution (vehicle reconfiguration in attitude, position, and/or shape). By utilizing the additional dimension of vehicle configuration space, a single aperture can achieve full 4π steradian coverage as the vehicle dynamically repositions itself relative to the target, eliminating the need for complex multi-aperture gimbal systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a weapon system for use on a vehicle, comprising: a control system, the control system configured to, in response to a determination that a line-of-sight from the weapon system to a target of the weapon system is currently, or going to be obscured, trigger an alteration of a configuration of the vehicle such that the line-of-sight to the target is not obscured. Thus, the weapon system can ensure a line-of-sight of the target, allowing it to be successfully engaged.