Risley prism line-of-sight control for strapdown missile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077971-B1
Application number	US-16866408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2008
Priority date	Jul 7, 2008
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

An optical system and method comprising refracting light with a pair of Risley prisms and employing a line-of-sight control unit to adjust the pair.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system comprising:
a pair of Risley prisms;
a line-of-sight control unit adjusting said pair; and
a non-uniformity compensation unit.

2. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said system employs no gimbals for line-of-sight control.

3. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said optical system is incorporated into a missile seeker.

4. The optical system of claim 3 wherein said optical system is incorporated into a strapdown missile.

5. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said optical system further comprises units for one or more of the group consisting of dead pixel replacement, bilinear interpolation, frame summation, and scene correlation.

6. A missile seeker comprising an optical system comprising:
a pair of Risley prisms;
a line-of-sight control unit adjusting said pair; and
a non-uniformity compensation unit.

7. The missile seeker of claim 6 wherein said system employs no gimbals for line-of-sight control.

8. The missile seeker of claim 7 additionally comprising an electronic stabilization unit receiving output from said optical system.

9. The missile seeker of claim 6 wherein said missile seeker is incorporated into a strapdown missile.

10. The missile seeker of claim 6 wherein said optical system further comprises units for one or more of the group consisting of dead pixel replacement, bilinear interpolation, frame summation, and scene correlation.

11. An optical method comprising the steps of:
refracting light with a pair of Risley prisms;
employing a line-of-sight control unit to adjust the pair; and
compensating for non-uniformity with a non-uniformity compensating unit.

12. The optical method of claim 11 wherein no gimbals are employed for line-of-sight control.

13. The optical method of claim 11 wherein the prisms and control unit are incorporated into a missile seeker.

14. The optical method of claim 13 wherein the prisms and control unit are incorporated into a strapdown missile.

15. The optical method of claim 11 additionally comprising employing units for one or more of the group consisting of dead pixel replacement, bilinear interpolation, frame summation, and scene correlation.

16. A missile seeking method comprising the steps of:
refracting light with a pair of Risley prisms;
employing a line-of-sight control unit in a missile to adjust the pair; and
compensating for non-uniformity with a non-uniformity compensating unit.

17. The missile seeking method of claim 16 wherein no gimbals are employed for line-of-sight control.

18. The missile seeking method of claim 17 additionally comprising employing an electronic stabilization unit receiving output from the pair.

19. The missile seeking method of claim 16 wherein the method is employed in a strapdown missile.

20. The missile seeking method of claim 16 additionally comprising employing units for one or more of the group consisting of dead pixel replacement, bilinear interpolation, frame summation, and scene correlation.

Assignees

• Tener Gene D
• Hawkins Andrew H
• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Tener Gene D
• Hawkins Andrew H

Classifications

• F41G7/2253 Primary

  Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target · CPC title

• F41G7/22 Primary

  Homing guidance systems · CPC title

• F41G7/2226

  comparing the observed data with stored target data, e.g. target configuration data · CPC title

• G01S3/785

  using adjustment of orientation of directivity characteristics of a detector or detector system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that detector or detector system · CPC title

• F41G7/2293

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title