Patent classifications
F41G7/2246
Systems, Methods and Computer-Readable Media for Improving Platform Guidance or Navigation Using Uniquely Coded Signals
A spatially-distributed architecture (SDA) of antennas transmits respective uniquely coded signals. A first receiver having a known position in a coordinate system defined by the SDA receives reflected versions of the uniquely coded signals. A first processor receives the reflected versions of the uniquely coded signals and identifies a position of a non-cooperative object in the coordinate system. A platform with a platform receiver receives non-reflected versions of the uniquely coded signals. The platform determines a position of the platform in the coordinate system. In an example, the platform uses a self-determined position and a position of the non-cooperative object communicated from the SDA to navigate or guide the platform relative to the non-cooperative object. In another example, the platform uses a self-determined position and information from an alternative signal source in a second coordinate system to guide the platform. Guidance solutions may be generated in either coordinate system.
Compact Wideband Radio Frequency Antenna Systems and Associated Methods
A compact, wideband antenna system includes first and second monopole radiating elements positioned near an edge of a common ground plane. The first and second monopole radiating elements may be located on opposite sides of the ground plane. Additional monopole elements may also be provided. In some embodiments, the ground plane includes an opening in a central region thereof to accommodate an optical system. In some embodiments, an additional antenna (e.g., an array antenna) may be provided over the same ground plane in a region between the monopole elements.
Gimbal-assisted radar detection system for unmanned aircraft system (UAS)
A gimbal-assisted continuous-wave (CW) Doppler radar detection system mountable to an unmanned aircraft system may be rotated in three degrees of freedom relative to the UAS to provide targeted multidirectional obstacle detection by transmitting CW signals throughout a field of view and analyzing reflected signals from obstacles within the field of view. The radar assembly may be articulated to provide track-ahead detection in anticipation of a heading or altitude change of the UAS, to center on a detected obstacle in order to classify or identify it more clearly. The radar assembly may be rotated below the UAS and its field of view changed to increase breadth and accuracy at a shorter effective range, in order to determine real-time altitude or terrain data while the UAS executes a landing.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACQUIRING AND LAUNCHING AND GUIDING MISSILES TO MULTIPLE TARGETS
Systems and methods that can be used in lightweight vehicles, such as lightweight small Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) vehicles, and can provide small, lightweight weapons capable of “Fire and Forget” type performance to defeat the next generation “Swarm Weapon Systems”, such as, groups of high speed attack boats armed with anti ship weapons, are disclosed.
Active seeker head system
Disclosed herein is an active seeker system for detection and/or tracking of moving targets. The system includes: an illumination module generating an illumination beam to be output from the system; an optical assembly for shaping the solid angle of the field of view (FOV) of the output beam; an optical path scanning module adapted for angularly deflecting the output optical path of the output beam about a scan axis to perform one or more scanning cycles; and an imaging module adapted to image light in the spectral regime of the beam, arriving from a certain field of view about the output optical path of the beam. In some cases, the solid angle of the output light beam is shaped such that it has an elongated FOV cross-section extending along a certain lateral of the beam; and the output optical path is angularly deflected in a direction travers to the longer axis of the elongated FOV of beam so as to swipe the elongated FOV of the beam to cover a desired field of regard (FOR) with one dimensional scanning. In some implementations, the system is adapted for monitoring the FOR for detecting and tracking the target. The monitoring may include a target detection stage during which the FOV of the light beam is set to an extent smaller than the FOR and the FOR is imaged in a scanning imaging mode. The monitoring may include a target tracking stage during which one or more imaging parameters are adjusted according to certain estimated properties associated with the target being tracked.
METHOD FOR STEERING A MISSILE TOWARDS A FLYING TARGET
A method steers a missile towards a flying target. In order to permit precise flight to the target even under poor visibility conditions owing to the weather, a radar which is remote from the missile detects the target and transmits data relating to a first location area of the target to the missile. The missile determines, from the data of its own missile radar, a second location area of the target, processes both location areas to form a target area and flies to the target area.
CODED APERTURE SEEKER FOR NAVIGATION
A guided munition system includes a munition body including at least one fluid dynamic control for changing course of the munition body in flight. A seeker onboard the munition body is operatively connected to control the at least one fluid dynamic control. The seeker includes a coded aperture imaging device facing outward from the munition body for image based control for guiding the munition body in flight.
EOIR and RF sensors fusion and tracking using a dual EKFs system
The system and method for EO/IR and RF sensor fusion and tracking using a dual extended Kalman filter (EKF) system provides a dynamic mixing scheme leveraging the strength of each individual sensor to adaptively combine both sensors' measurements and dynamically mix them based on the actual relative geometries between the sensors and objects of interest. In some cases the objects are adversarial targets and other times they are assets.
NARROW BAND ANTENNA HARMONICS FOR GUIDANCE IN MULTIPLE FREQUENCY BANDS
A narrow band antenna is configured to guide a munition toward a target location during a flight of the munition from a launch location toward the target location. The antenna has a first mode of operation operable during a first portion of the flight at a first bandwidth, and a second mode of operation operable during a second portion of the flight at a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being a harmonic of the first bandwidth, and may be a third harmonic of the first bandwidth. The method includes transmitting a target location information to the munition in the first bandwidth during the first portion of the flight and then transmitting the target location information to the munition in the second bandwidth during the second portion of the flight. The first band may be X-band and the second band may be Ka-band.
Systems, methods and computer-readable media for improving platform guidance or navigation using uniquely coded signals
A spatially-distributed architecture (SDA) of antennas transmits respective uniquely coded signals. A first receiver having a known position in a coordinate system defined by the SDA receives reflected versions of the uniquely coded signals. A first processor receives the reflected versions of the uniquely coded signals and identifies a position of a non-cooperative object in the coordinate system. A platform with a platform receiver receives non-reflected versions of the uniquely coded signals. The platform determines a position of the platform in the coordinate system. In an example, the platform uses a self-determined position and a position of the non-cooperative object communicated from the SDA to navigate or guide the platform relative to the non-cooperative object. In another example, the platform uses a self-determined position and information from an alternative signal source in a second coordinate system to guide the platform. Guidance solutions may be generated in either coordinate system.