Vehicle based independent range system (VBIRS)

• US 10,302,398 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Space Information Laboratories LLC
• Original Assignee: Space Information Laboratories LLC
• Inventors: Burke, Edmund David, Waldman, Martin Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US15/589,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/002 Launch systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1014 Navigation satellites
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/242 Orbits and trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/247 Advanced control concepts for autonomous, robotic spacecraft, e.g. by using artificial intelligence, neural networks or autonomous agents
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/04 for dispersing fire from a battery ; for controlling spread of shots; for coordinating fire from spaced weapons
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/006 Guided missiles training or simulation devices
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/007 Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/008 Combinations of different guidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/224 Deceiving or protecting means jamming or anti-jamming of radio-wave systems in general G01S7/36, G01S7/38; defense installations in general F41H11/02; chaff dispensers F42B12/70
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/346 using global navigation satellite systems, e.g. GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/36 using inertial references
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/00 Systems for controlling missiles or projectiles, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A Vehicle Based Independent Range System (VBIRS) (10) comprised of individual stacked chambered modules that function as a single integrated system that provides a self-contained space based range capability, and is comprised of a power module (12), an artificial intelligence/autonomous engagement/flight termination system module (20), a satellite data modem module system (30) and a navigation, communications and control module system (40), all of which interface with a VBIRS test and checkout system (52) and a weather data system (116). The artificial intelligence/autonomous engagement/flight termination system module (20) is comprised of an inherent artificial intelligence capability that envelopes and interchanges data with an autonomous engagement controller (22) that contains all missile/rocket autonomous cooperative engagement, destruct decision software and range safety algorithm parameters required for optimum mission planning. VBIRS employed aboard an aircraft or between any combination of launching systems allows that aircraft to launch a missile/rocket from any location on earth, whether the missile/rocket is singularly launched by itself or as a larger group of missiles/rockets launched in a salvo arrangement, while providing collaborative real-time targeting to occur directly between missiles/rockets in conjunction with other missile/rocket launch platforms or stand-alone mission control centers.

Claims

1. A Vehicle Based Independent Range System (VBIRS) operating completely independent of ground based tracking, telemetry and command transmit range assets is comprised of the following individually stacked faraday cage modules systems collectively forming a single integrated deployable system for aircraft, missiles, rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles and any other desired vehicle to provide a self-contained space based range capability:

i. a power module system comprised of a charging access means a battery and a dc-dc

converter means with an electromagnetic interference filter means, providing power in proportions as required to the following modules,

ii. an artificial intelligence and autonomous engagement flight termination

module system comprised of an autonomous engagement controller means containing all destruct and engagement decision making software and range safety algorithm parameters required to make destruct or weapon engagement decisions, communicating with a vehicle propulsion controller means, a vehicle component separation system means, an ordnance means and vehicle destruct system means,

iii. a satellite data module system comprised of a satellite data modem means, a satellite uplink controller means and a satellite downlink controller means,

iv. a navigation, communications and control module system comprised of a radiation tolerant data processing system means, a communications system means, an inertial navigation system, a global positioning system antenna system, a global positioning system antenna combiner, and a global positioning system receiver, said navigation, communications and control module system interfaces with a VBIRS test and checkout system means and a weather data system means,

said artificial intelligence and autonomous engagement flight termination module system

comprised of an inherent artificial intelligence means that envelopes and

interchanges data with an autonomous engagement controller means, containing all vehicle

engagement and destruct decision software and range safety algorithm parameters required for mission planning to make autonomous destruct and weapon engagement decisions for any vehicle at any juncture from checkout

through flight,

said artificial intelligence and autonomous engagement flight termination

module system interfaces to said vehicle propulsion controller means to selectively control and also terminate vehicle thrust, said vehicle ordnance and destruct subsystem means to autonomously destroy any vehicle if it becomes a hazard, and said vehicle component separation system means that separates vehicle stages and components as dictated by mission requirements,

said artificial intelligence and autonomous engagement flight termination module system engages with said radiation tolerant central processing means, and a communications system means at the heart of said navigation, communications and control module system, said radiation tolerant data processing means and communications system means receives direct input from a GPS receiver and an inertial navigation system that ingests GPS data via a GPS antenna system and a GPS antenna signal combiner, said radiation tolerant data processing system means and said communications system means directly interfaces with said satellite data modem means, communicating with any required communication satellite via said satellite uplink antenna controller means and said satellite downlink antenna controller means providing control of the antenna system communicating with satellites, whereby said satellite data modem means solves all complex Doppler Shift dynamics that naturally occur at high vehicle velocities and accelerations, in order to provide a sufficient communications link capability to meet any mission requirements,

said navigation, communications and control module system simultaneously communicates with said satellite data module system and said artificial intelligence and autonomous engagement flight termination module system enabling a

salvo launch capability in any sequence amongst any flight vehicles to occur autonomously within a

collaborative environment whereby all flight vehicles communicate with each other via a satellite

cross-link communication path from pre-launch through mission completion enabling optimized autonomous vehicle on target allocations to be prioritized amongst all vehicles, while giving the option to engage with human intervention, whereby said VBIRS enables a collaborative weapon and salvo launch capability in any sequence, while simultaneously operating completely independent of ground based tracking, telemetry and command transmit range assets.

2. A Vehicle Based Independent Range System (VBIRS) of claim 1 whereby said

VBIRS is operationally installed aboard an aircraft launching system that launches a vehicle

from any location on earth with the pilot locally in control of that vehicle launch, in addition to that functional launch capability being accomplished from anywhere else on earth whether the vehicle is singularly launched alone versus being part of a larger group of vehicles being launched within any theatre in any sequential arrangement, all in

tactical communication with each other via said VBIRS aboard all aircraft launching systems and all vehicles undergoing launch with all vehicles and aircraft launching systems employing an arrangement of collaborative engagement algorithms means resident within said artificial intelligence and autonomous engagement flight termination module system in order to communicate tactical data between the aircraft launching system and the vehicles being launched.

3. A Vehicle Based Independent Range System (VBIRS) of claim 2 whereby said

VBIRS is operationally and simultaneously employed on any combination of said air launch platforms and any number of ground launch vehicle launch sites.

4. A Vehicle Based Independent Range System (VBIRS) of claim 3 whereby a VBIRS

equipped UAV launch platform operates within the same defined theatre that simultaneously communicates with said orbiting satellite cross-link communication path to participate in said salvo arrangement as part of the same mission.