REMOTE DIGITAL FIRING SYSTEM
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A remote digital firing system for selectively firing a plurality of remote mission payloads. The remote digital firing system includes a first set of firing circuits communicatively coupled to and operative to fire a corresponding first set of remote mission payloads and a second set of firing circuits communicatively coupled to and operative to fire a corresponding second set of remote mission payloads. The remote digital firing system includes a firing control panel communicatively linked to the first and second sets firing circuits, a first digital code plug configured to be integrated in communicative combination with each firing circuit of the first set and the firing control panel, a second digital code plug configured to be integrated in communicative combination with each firing circuit of the second set and the firing control panel, and a payload selector switch for selecting a remote mission payload.
-
Citations
47 Claims
-
1-26. -26. (canceled)
-
27. A method for hiding the intent of an operator of a remote digital firing system for firing a remote mission payload, the method comprising:
-
generating a first encrypted heartbeat status request message containing a quantity of data that is the same as the quantity of data contained in encrypted arm, fire, and safe/disarm messages; transmitting the first encrypted heartbeat status request message; waiting for a randomly selected period of time; generating a second encrypted heartbeat status request message containing a quantity of data that is the same as the quantity of data contained in encrypted arm, fire, and safe/disarm messages; and transmitting the second encrypted heartbeat status request message.
-
-
28-34. -34. (canceled)
-
35. A method of diagnosing a remote digital firing system remotely and securely, without revealing to an observer the status of the system, the method comprising:
-
providing a remote digital firing system comprising a firing circuit, a digital code plug, and a firing control panel to fire a remote mission payload communicatively coupled to the firing circuit; generating and encrypting, at the firing circuit, a message comprising information about an error made by the firing circuit and a possible cause of the error; transmitting the message to the firing control panel; decrypting the message at the control panel; and generating a parsable local message. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A method performed by a firing control panel, the method comprising:
-
generating a first encrypted command message, the first encrypted command message containing a first quantity of data, the first encrypted command message being an ARM, FIRE, or SAFE/DISARM command message; transmitting the first encrypted command message to a firing circuit communicatively coupled to a remote mission payload; generating a first encrypted heartbeat message, the first encrypted heartbeat message having a second quantity of data equal to the first quantity of data contained in the first encrypted command message, the first encrypted heartbeat message not containing a command to ARM, FIRE, or SAFE/DISARM the firing circuit; and transmitting the first encrypted heartbeat message to the firing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
-
Specification