Digital active optical target detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10895640-B2
Application number	US-201815964579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 27, 2018
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a detection system that utilizes high dynamic range, monolithically arranged, digital pixel sensors for situational awareness, targeting, tracking or locating. The detection system transmits a radially outwardly directed set of laser pulses into an environment, aspects of the pulses being reflected back by environmental elements to a single pixel array. The single pixel array scans volumetric space proximate the environment for profile characterization of the reflected aspects by the detection system in terms of intensity and multiplicity. The detection system is configured to compare this profile against a library of profiles of known environmental elements to distinguish between the environmental elements and a target. The detection system may be disposed about an outer periphery of a projectile for use in determining when the projectile is proximate the target for triggering an actionable element of the projectile, such as an initiator fuze for an explosive system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detection system for analyzing an environment about the detection system during movement of the detection system along a flight path through the environment, the detection system comprising:
a laser light assembly that transmits temporally spaced pulses of light outwardly from the detection system;
an optical detector that receives photonic energy of the transmitted light reflected back towards the detection system by the environment and that converts the photonic energy to electrical energy;
a charge storage architecture that receives and stores the converted electrical energy;
a charge reading architecture that digitizes the electrical energy stored at the charge storage architecture and transmits data regarding an energy level of the stored energy, wherein the electrical energy is digitized in a plurality of samples per emission of each pulse of light from the laser light assembly;
a controller that receives digitized data from the charge reading architecture and analyzes said data, wherein the controller compiles a profile of the environment about the detection system including the measurements of the electrical energy from the analyses versus the time elements, and compares the compiled profile against predetermined profiles of environmental elements to enable recognition of the environmental elements by the detection system, and wherein the controller is configured to output a target declaration signal upon recognition of a pre-determined environmental element,
wherein the charge reading architecture is configured to digitize each of the plurality of samples at least a factor of 10,000 times faster than the duration of an interval between signals sent by the controller to trigger subsequent emissions of light from the laser light assembly.

2. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the optical detector is a single pixel of a 1-by-1 array.

3. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein at least the optical detector, the charge storage architecture, the charge reading architecture, and the controller are monolithically arranged as a single integrated component.

4. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of samples digitized per emission by the charge reading architecture is at least tens of samples per emission.

5. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the charge reading architecture is configured such that a digitization speed of each sample of the plurality of samples is less than five nanoseconds.

6. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein each emission of the light transmitted by the laser light assembly is directed perpendicularly outwardly from the direction of movement in a fan-shaped pulse.

7. The detection system of claim 1 , further including a memory that stores the predetermined profiles of environmental elements, the profiles including measurements of electrical energy received versus time of digitization along a respective flight path.

8. A movable projectile, comprising:
a fuselage;
a motor coupled to the fuselage for driving movement of the fuselage through an environment, the fuselage extending along a central longitudinal axis of the projectile;
an actionable element for being activated upon proximity of the projectile to a target located within the environment;
a projectile controller directing activation of the actionable element; and
a target detector array including a plurality of detection systems according to claim 1 , communicatively coupled to the projectile controller and configured to detect the target and to output a signal to cause the activation of the actionable element upon the proximity of the projectile to the target, the detection systems positioned circumferentially about a periphery of the projectile and about the central longitudinal axis of the projectile, each of the detection systems wherein the respective controller is a detector controller that is configured to output the target declaration signal upon recognition of the target being the pre-determined environmental element, to cause the projectile controller to activate the actionable element.

9. The projectile of claim 8 , wherein the light transmitted by the respective laser light assemblies is directed perpendicularly outwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the projectile.

10. The projectile of claim 8 , wherein the actionable element is a warhead initiation fuze coupled to a warhead that is coupled to the fuselage.

11. A movable projectile, comprising:
a fuselage;
a motor coupled to the fuselage for driving movement of the fuselage through an environment, the fuselage extending along a central longitudinal axis of the projectile;
an actionable element for being activated upon proximity of the projectile to a target located within the environment;
a projectile controller directing activation of the actionable element; and
a target detector array including a plurality of detection systems, wherein each detection system is a detection system for analyzing an environment about the detection system during movement of the detection system along a flight path through the environment, the detection system including:
a laser light assembly that transmits temporally spaced pulses of light outwardly from the detection system;
an optical detector that receives photonic energy of the transmitted light reflected back towards the detection system by the environment and that converts the photonic energy to electrical energy;
a charge storage architecture that receives and stores the converted electrical energy;
a charge reading architecture that digitizes the electrical energy stored at the charge storage architecture and transmits data regarding an energy level of the stored energy, wherein the electrical energy is digitized in a plurality of samples per emission of each pulse of light from the laser light assembly; and
a controller that receives digitized data from the charge reading architecture and analyzes said data, wherein the controller compiles a profile of the environment about the detection system including the measurements of the electrical energy from the analyses versus the time elements, and compares the compiled profile against predetermined profiles of environmental elements to enable recognition of the environmental elements by the detection system, and wherein the controller is configured to output a target declaration signal upon recognition of a pre-determined environmental element,

wherein the plurality of detection systems are communicatively coupled to the projectile controller and configured to detect the target and to output a signal to cause the activation of the actionable element upon the proximity of the projectile to the target, the detection systems positioned circumferentially about a periphery of the projectile and about the central longitudinal axis of the projectile, each of the detection systems wherein the respective controller is a detector controller that is configured to output the target declaration signal upon recognition of the target being the pre-determined environmental element, to cause the projectile controller to activate the actionable element,
wherein the plurality of detection systems are circumferentially positioned in an arrangement circumferentially spaced from one another to prevent overlap of the transmitted light pulses, which are fan-shaped light pulses, in a predefined space about the projectile.

12. A detection system for analyzing an environment about the detection system during movement of the detection system along a flight path through the environment, the detection system comprising:
a laser light assembly that transmits temporally spaced pulses of light

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Crawford John Okerson

Classifications

• G01S7/4811

  common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title

• F42C13/023

  using active distance measurement · CPC title

• G01S7/487

  Extracting wanted echo signals {, e.g. pulse detection} · CPC title

• F42C13/02

  operated by intensity of light or similar radiation · CPC title

• G01S7/4863 Primary

  Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates · CPC title