Interactive weapon targeting system displaying remote sensed image of target area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867479-B2
Application number	US-202318104718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2023
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for determining a predicted impact point of a selected weapon and associated round based on stored ballistic information, provided elevation data, provided azimuth data, and provided position data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a weapon having an associated round;
a fire control controller configured to determine a predicted impact point of the weapon and the associated round; and
a weapon display configured to display at least one of: a first viewed area of a first remote sensor of a first aerial vehicle and a second viewed area of a second remote sensor of a second aerial vehicle when at least one of: the predicted impact point is within the first viewed area of the first remote sensor and the predicted impact point is within the second viewed area of the second remote sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fire control controller transmits information on the predicted impact point to a first sensor controller on the first aerial vehicle, and wherein the first sensor controller directs a pointing of the first remote sensor of the first aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within the first viewed area of the first remote sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fire control controller transmits information on the predicted impact point to a second sensor controller on the second aerial vehicle, and wherein the second sensor controller directs a pointing of the second remote sensor of the second aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within the second viewed area of the second remote sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first viewed area of the first remote sensor is a first field of view of the first remote sensor, and wherein the second viewed area of the second remote sensor is a second field of view of the second remote sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the weapon display is configured to display a third viewed area of a third remote sensor of a third aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within a third viewed area of the third remote sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fire control controller further comprises:
a data store having ballistic information associated with the weapon and the associated round.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the fire control controller determines the predicted impact point of the weapon and the associated round based on at least one of: the ballistic information, elevation data received from an inertial measurement unit, azimuth data received from a magnetic compass, and position data received from a position determining component, wherein the inertial measurement unit is in communication with the fire control controller, wherein the magnetic compass is in communication with the fire control controller, wherein the position determining component is in communication with the fire control controller, and wherein the position determining component is a navigation unit.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the fire control controller determines the predicted impact point of the weapon and the associated round based on the ballistic information, elevation data received from an inertial measurement unit, azimuth data received from a magnetic compass, and position data received from a position determining component.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and wherein the second aerial vehicle is a UAV.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fire control controller determines a position and orientation of the weapon and further uses a ballistic lookup table to determine the predicted impact point of the weapon and the associated round.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first remote sensor is an optical camera, wherein the second remote sensor is an optical camera, wherein the first optical camera is configured to provide video images for display on the weapon display, and wherein the second optical camera is configured to provide video images for display on the weapon display.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
an environmental condition determiner configured to provide information related to environmental conditions of the surrounding areas of the predicted impact point in order for the fire control controller to determine the predicted impact point.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a ballistic range determiner in communication with the fire control controller, wherein the ballistic range determiner is configured to determine the predicted impact point based on the weapon position, azimuth, elevation, and type of the associated round.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fire control controller receives image metadata from the first remote sensor and the second remote sensor, and wherein the image metadata comprises a ground position of a Center Field of View (CFOV) of the first remote sensor and the second remote sensor, and wherein the CFOV is directed at the determined predicted impact point.

15. A method comprising:
determining, by a fire control controller, a predicted impact point of a weapon and an associated round; and
displaying, by a weapon display of the weapon, a first viewed area of a first remote sensor of a first aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within the first viewed area of the first remote sensor; and
displaying, by the weapon display of the weapon, a second viewed area of a second remote sensor of a second aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within the second viewed area of the second remote sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the fire control controller, information on the predicted impact point to a first sensor controller on the first aerial vehicle;
directing, by the first sensor controller, a pointing of the first remote sensor of the first aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within the first viewed area of the first remote sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the fire control controller, information on the predicted impact point to a second sensor controller on the second aerial vehicle;
directing, by the second sensor controller, a pointing of the second remote sensor of the second aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within the second viewed area of the second remote sensor.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
displaying, by the weapon display of the weapon, a third viewed area of a third remote sensor of a third aerial vehicle when the predicted impact point is within a third viewed area of the third remote sensor.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the predicted impact point of the weapon and the associated round is based on at least one of: a ballistic information in a data store associated with the weapon and the associated round, elevation data received from an inertial measurement unit, azimuth data received from a magnetic compass, and position data received from a position determining component.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the predicted impact point of the weapon further comprises:
determining, by the fire control controller, a position and orientation of the weapon; and
utilizing, by the fire control controller, a ballistic lookup table based on the determined position and orientation of the weapon.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Mcneil John C
• Cox Earl Clyde
• Ueno Makoto
• Ross Jon Andrew

Classifications

• F41G5/14 Primary

  for vehicle-borne guns · CPC title

• F41G3/02 Primary

  using an independent line of sight · CPC title

• F41G3/142

  based on observation of a first shoot; using a simulated shoot (training F41G3/26) · CPC title

• F41G3/165

  using a TV-monitor · CPC title

• F41G3/14 Primary

  Indirect aiming means · CPC title