Method and Apparatus for Precision Tracking of Approaching Magnetic-Detonated and Traditional Impact Torpedoes

• US 20150225052A1
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steve Cordell
• Original Assignee: Steve Cordell
• Inventors: Cordell, Steve
• Application Number:
  US13/940,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20150225052A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2009/005 of sonic watch equipment, e.g. low-frequency or sonar
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 9/02 Means for protecting vessels against torpedo attack armoured hulls B63B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/18 Military applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

Capturing or impeding traditional or supercavitating torpedoes from striking a side or entering the keel area of a capital ship depends on very precise tracking. Because supercavitating torpedoes travel at about 550 miles/hr, even milliseconds will be vital, perhaps causing a countermeasure weapon, like a supercavitating cannon shell, to disrupt its cavitation but not impeding its slower motion toward the ship. Likewise, capture curtain soft-kill defense allows not one second to be squandered because of inaccurate tracking. One purpose of the invention is to scatter, in and around the roughly calculated path of the torpedo, tiny, inexpensive balls that have sonar, magnetometers and other active and passive sensors to aid Fire Control predicting arrival time and where it will strike. Over time, smaller swarms of measurement balls are continually launched as tracking precision improves. Countermeasures are constantly updated by Fire Control.

A second use aids a helicopter that acquired a super quiet submarine; it can initially launch a wide swarm of sensors in the sub'"'"'s area, and they will continually monitor the movement. As location becomes more precise, smaller swarms are launched in sequence. If the sub dives for safe layers, the swarm detaches the sonar ball and they will sink slowly, using sonar and sending location pinging messages to Fire Control.

Claims

1. A method, using Sentinel Marbles as specified in the specification, for timely and roughly determining the speed, depth, path, size, magnetic characteristics, noise signatures and other, currently unknown characteristics of an incoming torpedo comprising the steps of:

determining the torpedo'"'"'s rough speed, depth, path and type from own-ship Fire Control and its own sonar, from sonar of accompanying ships'"'"', submarines, or helicopters, and

via Fire Control determining the optimum countermeasures using the apparatus of the invention that are the specified Sentinel Marbles, then determining the optimum targeting sector for the marbles, remotely programming the marbles while they are in the launcher or after launching, and

launching the optimum number of marbles as a swarm within a sector encompassing the path of the torpedo, marbles using final firmware entering from Fire Control, causing the Sentinels to execute opening sequences, involving turning on all elements of marbles and executing physical tasks of releasing and/or employing the antenna, radio transceiver, sonar and all sensors within said marble, and

communicating with Fire Control, working with said Sentinel Marbles, each of which is constantly monitoring the torpedo after initially detecting it, making all calculations possible and transferring the data to Fire Control, and

it is monitoring the command and data transferring from Fire Control, it is carrying out the input commands, and after Fire Control orders shutting down its monitoring, executing erasing and scrubbing its database begins.

2. A method, using Monitor Marbles as specified in the Specification, for timely and precisely determining the speed, depth, path, magnetic and noise signatures and other currently unknown characteristics of an incoming torpedo, each Monitor Marble in a swarm executes the steps of:

sampling magnetometer values of the torpedo beginning with the initial detection of the torpedo and ceasing after the torpedo is no longer in the area, and the marbles that collected the data are now transferring the raw, time-stamped data to Fire Control, and

at the same time, each marble in the swarm, having been assigned by Fire Control at least one other task, is collecting noise signatures, or depth data, length of torpedo based on sonar returns, location based on GPS, and

then transferring collected data to Fire Control.

3. The first of two auxiliary methods, which is continuously monitoring the location of a quiet submarine that has already been detected by a helicopter comprising the steps of:

updating Fire Control from the helicopter with the coordinates of the detected submarine, launching a wide swarm of Sentinel Marbles using the detection coordinates as the initial center of the marble swarm, preparing for launching the next marble swarm and

launching it on command from Fire Control using the method for the initial swarm launch, and

repeating the last step as often as required by Fire Control, and

The second of two auxiliary methods, which is continuously monitoring a given seaway path from one or two boats for sea mines, comprising the steps of;

launching a small swarm of Sentinel Marbles on the selected search path safely in front of or on the side of the boat in the usual Navy searching manner, or in the path of boats in side-to-side tandem formation, and

monitoring the magnetometers locally on the boats for iron detection that possibly indicates detection of a sea mine.