Search and protect device for airborne targets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852113-B2
Application number	US-201916294549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2019
Priority date	Mar 6, 2019
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a search and protect device for airborne targets including projectiles. The disclosure is directed to a search and protect device for airborne threats of interest within a 360-degree field of view via a spinning device with range finders. The disclosure relates to a search and protect device that can autonomously determine threats and engage said threats with appropriate counter-measures by determining its future location through the use of range finders within an at least three sensor array with a rotating path of a given speed to protect a target. The location of the projectile may be determined using a distance formula and further trigonometry.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A search and protect device comprising:
a rangefinder including:
a first transmitter transmitting energy in a pattern about a first angle, said first transmitter operatively coupled to a first receiver;
a second transmitter transmitting energy in a pattern about a second angle, said second transmitter operatively coupled to a second receiver; and
at least one third transmitter transmitting energy in a pattern about at least one third angle, said at least one third transmitter operatively coupled to at least one third receiver, said first, second and at least one third transmitter constituting a transmitter array, said transmitter array transmitting energy by the first, second and at least one third transmitter in succession towards an object, wherein reflected energy from the object is received by the first, second and at least one third receiver;
at least one processor operative to receive the reflected energy and determine if the object is an actual threat;
at least one alternative effector operative to be deployed towards the object if deemed an actual threat; and
an electromagnetic radiation detector coupled to the processor, the electromagnetic radiation detector being operative to use image recognition to look at the object and for the processor to determine if the object is the actual threat, independent of the reflected energy.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of transmitter arrays, each transmitter array of the plurality of transmitter arrays are electrically coupled to the other transmitter arrays and to the processor.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of transmitter arrays are in a line with one another, disposed at different angles.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of the energies of the first, second, and at least one third transmitters are conical shaped.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rangefinder is mounted to a movable platform.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rangefinder is mounted to an outer wall of a building.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of rangefinders.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein there are four rangefinders.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rangefinder is operative to rotate.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and at least one third transmitters are disposed at adjustable angles.

11. A method of eliminating a threat comprising:
transmitting energy from a transmitter array; wherein said transmitter array comprises:
a first transmitter for transmitting energy in a pattern about a first angle, said first transmitter operatively coupled to a first receiver,
a second transmitter for transmitting energy in a pattern about a second angle, said second transmitter operatively coupled to a second receiver, and
at least one third transmitter for transmitting energy in a pattern about at least one third angle, said at least one third transmitter operatively coupled to at least one third receiver, said first, second and at least one third transmitter constituting said transmitter array, said transmitter array transmitting energy by the first, second and at least one third transmitter in succession towards an object, wherein reflected energy from the object is received by the first, second and at least one third receiver;
at least one processor operative to receive the reflected energy and determine if the object is an actual threat;

receiving portions of energy back from the transmitted energy by a plurality of receivers corresponding to the object;
prior to determining if the object is the actual threat, calculating a velocity and trajectory of the object as a function of movement from a geospatial location of the object and determining whether a future position of the object is proximate a target;
determining that the object is the actual threat; and
deploying countermeasures in response to the actual threat.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising prior to transmitting energy mounting said transmitter array onto a movable platform.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising prior to transmitting energy mounting said transmitter array onto an outer wall of a building.

14. The device of claim 1 , further comprising deploying the alternate effector towards the object if deemed the actual threat by the electromagnetic radiation detector.

Assignees

• Bae Sys Inf & Elect Sys Integ

Inventors

• Viviani Gary L

Classifications

• B64U2101/15

  for conventional or electronic warfare · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G06V20/64

  Three-dimensional [3D] objects · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D7/00

  Arrangement of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft (dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00) · CPC title