Coordinating multiple missile targeting via optical inter-missile communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655936-B2
Application number	US-201615337932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to coordinating guided-missile targeting among multiple guided missiles using inter-missile optical communications. An inter-missile communications channel is optically established with a first guided missile illuminating a first target within a scene aligned along a first missile axis, and a second guided missile receiving the illumination reflected by the first target. By illuminating the first target within the scene, the first guided missile designates the first target. The second guided missile can be configured to navigate to the designated first target or to select a second target not designated by the first guided missile. In some embodiments, the second guided missile can be configured to illuminate its selected second target so as to designate the selected second target and to communicate the designation to other guided missiles. By facilitating communications among a plurality of guided missiles, missile targeting can be coordinated during a flight portion of a guided-missile operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system configured to be mounted to a guided missile and to facilitate communications between the guided missile and other systems mounted to other guided missiles, the system comprising:
an optical imaging system configured to generate an image of a scene aligned with a missile axis of the guided missile, the image comprising a two-dimensional array of pixel data;
a controller including:
a target identifier configured to identify a plurality of image portions within the image as corresponding to a plurality of potential targets in the aligned scene; a designation detector configured to determine a designated subset of the plurality of image portions within the image, the designated subset corresponding to potential targets in the aligned scene that have been designated via illumination by other optical emitters of the other systems mounted to the other guided missiles; and
a target selector configured to select, if at least one of the plurality of identified image portions is not a member of the designated subset, a target corresponding to one of the plurality of identified image portions that is not a member of the designated subset; and

an optical emitter configured to illuminate the selected target thereby communicating, to other missiles equipped to detect illumination of the target, that the selected target has been designated.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes:
a Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) module configured to:
determine a direction of the selected target relative to the missile axis; and
generate an output signal indicative of the determined direction of the selected target relative to the missile axis.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical emitter further includes:
a laser electrically coupled to the controller, the laser generating, in response to receiving from the controller a timing signal at an emission time, a pulse of coherent light.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the optical imaging system comprises:
an integrated photonics LIDAR system including:
a two-dimensional array of light emitters, each optically coupled to receive a portion of the generated pulse of coherent light from the laser via an optical wave guide, and to emit the received portion of coherent light; and
a plurality of phase modulators electrically coupled to the controller, the plurality of phase modulators configured to coordinate, in response to receiving from the controller a signal indicative of an emission angle, relative phases of the emitted portions of optical light so as to form a beam of light directed at an emission angle relative to the missile axis.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the laser is a Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) laser.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical emitter is further configured to illuminate the selected target using an illumination signal pattern identifying the optical emitter as being the source of the illumination.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes:
a target evaluator configured to determine a target value of the plurality of potential targets corresponding to the plurality of image portions within the image.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of identified image portions that is not a member of the designated subset corresponds to the potential target of the highest target value amongst targets that are not members of the designated subset, as determined by the target evaluator.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the target selector is further configured to:
select, if all of the plurality of identified image portions are members of the designated subset, one of the plurality of identified image portions that is a member of the designated subset.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging system comprises:
a focal plane array having an two-dimensional array of pixels that provide the two-dimensional array of pixel data; and
an optical lens stack configured to receive light from the aligned scene and configured to focus at least a portion of the received light onto the imaging region of the focal plane array thereby forming an image of the aligned scene, the image comprising pixel data generated by the plurality of pixels.

11. A seeker for a Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guided missile, the seeker comprising:
a Short-Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) camera comprising:
a focal plane array having an imaging region comprising a two-dimensional array of pixels; and
an optical lens stack configured to receive SWIR light from a scene aligned along a missile axis of the optical lens stack and further configured to focus at least a portion of the received SWIR light onto the imaging region of the focal plane array thereby forming an image of the aligned scene, the image comprising pixel intensity data generated by the two-dimensional array of pixels; and

a controller comprising:
a target identifier configured to identify a plurality of image portions within the image as corresponding to a plurality of potential targets in the aligned scene;
a designation detector configured to detect illuminations by Laser Target Designators (LTDs) and to associate detected illuminations with potential targets corresponding to identified portions within the image; and
a target selector configured to select, if at least one of the plurality of potential targets is not associated with detected illuminations, at least one of the plurality of potential targets that is not associated with detected illuminations as determined by the designation detector.

12. The seeker of claim 11 , further comprising:
a target evaluator configured to determine a target value of the plurality of potential targets,
wherein the selected one of the plurality of potential targets-corresponds to the potential target of the highest target value amongst targets that are not associated with detected illuminations, as determined by the target evaluator.

13. The seeker of claim 11 , wherein the target selector is further configured to:
select, if all of the plurality of potential targets are associated with detected illuminations, one of the plurality of potential targets.

14. The seeker of claim 11 , wherein the controller further comprises:
a Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) module configured to:
determine a direction of the selected target relative to the missile axis; and
generate an output signal indicative of the determined direction of the selected target relative to the missile axis.

15. The seeker of claim 14 , wherein the GNC module is further configured to:
chart a navigation path calculated to arrive at the selected target at a time coordinated by information of the decoded illumination pattern.

16. A method for facilitating communications between guided missiles, the method comprising:
capturing an image of a scene aligned with a missile axis;
identifying a plurality of image portions within the captured image, the identified plurality of image portions corresponding to a plurality of potential targets in the aligned scene;
determining a designated subset of the plurality of image portions within the image, the designated subset corresponding to potential targets in the aligned scene that have been designated via illumination by other optical emitters;
selecting, if at least one of the plurality of identified image portions is not a member of the designated subset, a selected target corresponding to one of the plurality of identified image portions that is not a member of the designated subset; and
illum

Assignees

• Rosemount Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Ginsberg David
• Veronesi William A
• Mantese Joseph V
• Ell Todd
• Krucinski Martin

Classifications

• F41G7/2246

  Active homing systems, i.e. comprising both a transmitter and a receiver · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• F41G7/2233 Primary

  Multimissile systems · CPC title

• F41G7/2293

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G05D1/12

  Target-seeking control · CPC title