AERIAL BOMB AND OPTICAL LIGHT BEAM GUIDANCE SYSTEM THEREFOR

• US 3,829,047 A
• Filed: 09/29/1972
• Issued: 08/13/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph E. Gonsalves
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Gonsalves
• Inventors: Gonsalves, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feinberg, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tudor, H. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/293,345
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 244/3.15,3.13,3.16,3.21,3.22,3.24,3.3,3.18
• US Class Current: 244/3.16
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/26 Optical guidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 10/64 of fins

Abstract

An optical light beam guiding system comprising the use of a single concentrated parallel small diameter beam of light rays, which may be of the visible, or invisible, ultraviolet or infrared, or laser or maser type. They may also be produced by the use of a light source which itself produces a light with a narrow restricted range of wave lengths.

Claims

1. An optical light beam rider guidance system for guiding a movable device, such as an aerial bomb or missile having an opening therein, from a launching base to a target, wherein said base comprises;

light beam generating means for producing a single concentrated beam of parallel light which passes through the opening in the movable device, means on said movable device comprising a plurality of light sensors which cooperate with said light beam and lock the movements of said movable device to the movements of said light beam by means on the movable device connecting the output of said sensors to deflector means forming a part of the movable device to deflect said movable device laterally of said light beam path as required to keep said movable device travelling to said target on the said single light beam path, regardless of the movement of the target for the movable device, from the launching base to the said target.

2. The system of claim 1 in which said light sensors are arranged circumferentially around said opening through which the said single light beam passes on its way from the launching base to its target.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the launching base has an optical device for sighting the target.

4. The system of claim 2 in which said light beam comprises a laser beam.

5. The system of claim 2 in which said light beam comprises an infrared beam of invisible light.

6. The system of claim 2 in which said beam comprises a light beam of a narrow restricted range of wavelengths.

7. The system of claim 2 in which said light sensors cooperate with the light beam to cause transverse movement of the movable device by means of thrust devices located at a position centrally of the movable device at the outer surface thereof.

8. The system of claim 7 in which the light sensors produce a stronger corrective force to the thrust devices as the light beam moves further from the central path of the explosive device.

9. The system of claim 7 in which the path of the light to the target through said opening in the movable device is quickly adjusted by means of a single stick hydraulic control for quickly shifting the housing and the light beam emitted therefrom.

10. The system Of claim 9, wherein the speed of movement of the light path to correct for movement of the target during the flight of the movable device thereto is correlated with and limited by the speed at which the sensors and thrust devices can control the movement of the explosive device.

11. The system of claim 3 in which said light sensors are arranged circumferentially around said opening in the rear end of the movable device through which the said single light beam passes on its way from the launching base to the target.

12. The system of claim 3 in which said sensors are arranged circumferentially around the rear end of a tubular housing attachment for mounting the attachment to a more or less convential bomb or missile to convert it for operation in a light guidance system as described herein.

13. The system of claim 3 in which said sensors are arranged circumferentially around said opening through the movable device on the outer perifery o the rear surface thereof.

14. The system of claim 3 in which the sensors are arranged circumferentially around said opening which passes longitudinally through the movable device on the longitudinal axis thereof.

15. A method of guiding a movable device from a launching base to a target comprising the steps of directing a single, concentrated, small diameter parallel beam of light to a target, passing said beam of light through a longitudinal opening in said movable device, adjusting the position of said beam of light so that the light thereof impinges on said target, releasing the said movable device from the launching base and directing its travel to said target by keeping the movable device travelling on the said light beam path until the movable device reaches the said target regardless of movements of the target after the movable device was released from its launching base or movements of the movable device due to weather conditions such as changes in wind direction.

16. A method of guiding a movable device from a launching base to a target as set forth in claim 15 comprising the further step of keeping the beam of light on the target regardless of any movement of the target during the travel of the movable device by shifting the position of the light beam to keep it on said target as the target changes position.

17. A method of guiding a movable device from a launching base to a target as set forth in claim 15 comprising the further step of shifting from the light beam control for guiding the said movable device when the said movable device nears its target to another form of guidance control which is more effective when the said movable device nears its target.

18. A movable device, comprising an elongated generally cylindrical member, having a longitudinal opening therethrough for coopera;

tion with a light beam the entire area of which passes through this opening to guide the said movable device to a target, a plurality of light sensors located on said movable device at the periphery of the opening therein, a plurality of thrust devices corresponding to the respective sensors and located on the surface of the said movable device centrally thereof and means connecting the respective sensors and thrust devices in accordance with the deviation of the said movable device from its correct path to bring it automatically into the correct path position regardless of the changing position of the target as the said movable device travels from its launching base to its target.

19. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the longitudinal opening in the movable device is in a tubular member readily attachable to the outer surface of the explosive device.

20. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the longitudinal opening in the movable device is along the central axis of the explosive device.

21. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 having a group of heat sensors located around the opening in the nose of the movable device to guide the explosive device to the target only when the movable device is cloSe thereto.

22. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein a timer is provided to automatically increase the volume of the amplifiers as the movable device gets further away from its launching base on its way to the target to compensate for the decrease in activity of the sensors due to their increased distance from the light source.

23. A movable device as claimed in claim 21 wherein an automatic changeover means is provided to shift the guidance control means from the light sensors to the heat sensors as the movable device approaches its target.

24. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein retroreflecting material is applied to the rear end of the movable device on the area between the light sensors to enable the operator at the launching base to see where the movable device is going by the light reflected back to him.

25. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein a plurality of spaced jets are used to apply the desired transverse thrust to the movable device to bring it back into the correct light ray path.

26. A movable device as claimed in claim 20 wherein a plurality of spaced pivoted vanes are used to apply the desired transverse thrust.

27. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein a plurality of infrared laser beam detectors are spaced around the opening in the front part of the movable device to detect infrared laser beam light reflected from the target when an infrared laser beam is used for the light beam guiding path.

28. A movable device as claimed in claim 21 wherein heat shields are positioned around the light and heat sensors to prevent unwanted heat interfering with their proper operation.

29. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein stabilizing fins extend longitudinally of the rear surface of the movable device.

30. A movable device as claimed in claim 20 wherein a reticle sighting means is provided in the longitudinal opening near the forward end thereof.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the launching base is supported in a substantially stationary satellite in space and the aerial bomb has a power plant therein for driving the aerial bomb at an accelerated speed and a timer for automatically starting the operation of the power plant a few seconds after the bomb has been dropped from the substantially stationary launching base.

32. A movable device as claimed in claim 19 in which the outer surface of the movable device has an additional plurality of similarly shaped tubular outer housing members for forming a set of four symmetrically arranged housing members on the outer surfacr of the movable device to help stabilize the flight of the movable device.

33. A movable device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the movable device is a missile having a powerplant for driving the missile located at the rear portion of the missile and along the central longitudinal axis thereof.

34. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the longitudinal opening in the movable device is located on an axis spaced from the central axis of the devie and parallel to the central axis and comprises an integral part of the device.

35. A movable device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the light sensors are located within the longitudinal opening of the movable device at approximately the center of dynamic balance thereof.

36. A movable device as claimed in claim 35 wherein a reticle is provided in the central area of the longitudinal opening of the movable device.