GUIDANCE SYSTEM

• US 3,856,237 A
• Filed: 08/03/1967
• Issued: 12/24/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1964
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: John T. Torian, Richard W. Safford
• Inventors: Torian, John T., Safford, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hubler, Malcolm F.
• Application Number:
  US04/661,164
• Time in Patent Office: 2,700 Days
• Field of Search: 244/3.11,3.12,3.14,3.17 343/5MM,11
• US Class Current: 244/3.11
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2206 using a remote control station
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2266 Systems comparing signals received from a base station and reflected from the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2286 using radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/30 Command link guidance systems homing F41G7/2206

Abstract

A selectively controlled radiant energy mapping apparatus having a separate transmitter and receiver located, respectively, in a controllable vehicle and at a predetermined location relatively remote from the vehicle, is used to illuminate a target area with radiant energy susceptible of being reflected from at least some portions of the target area to enable an image of the target area to be received by the receiver. This image provides information concerning the intended convergence of the controllable vehicle and the target, and preferably may relate to the azimuthal orientation and pitch orientation of the controllable vehicle relative to the target.

Claims

1. Apparatus for producing a map of a target area at a first station as observed from a second station, comprising transmitter means at one of said stations for transmitting radiant energy toward a target area, receiver means at the other of said stations for receiving radiant energy directly from said transmitter means and the radiant energy reflected from said target area, said transmitter and receiver means each including an antenna having a radiation pattern, means for scanning one of said radiation patterns over said target area, display means including a screen located at said first station and responsive to said receiver for displaying a map of the area scanned by said one pattern, said display means including means for moving a visual indication across said screen at a preselected rate, means responsive to the time interval between the direct and reflected radiant energy arriving at the receiving means for varying the intensity of said visual indication thereby indicating the range of said target area relative to said second station, and means for synchronizing the movement of said one radiation pattern and the movement of said visual indication whereby the location of said visual indication on said screen is representative of the bearing of said second station with respect to said target area.

2. Mapping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation pattern of said transmitter antenna is scanned over said target area.

3. Mapping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmitter means is substantially closer to said target area than is said receiver means.

4. Apparatus for producing a map of a target area at a first station as observed from a moving body, comprising transmitter means at said moving body for transmitting radiant energy toward a target area, receiver means at said first station for receiving radiant energy directly from said transmitter means and the radiant energy reflected from said target area, said transmitter and receiver means each including an antenna having a radiation pattern, means for scanning the radiation pattern of said transmitter over said target area, display means located at said first station and responsive to said receiver for displaying a map of the area scanned by said transmitter radiation pattern, said display means including a cathode ray tube and means for moving a beam of electrons across the face of said tube at a preselected rate, means responsive to the time interval between the direct and reflected radiant energy arriving at the receiver means for varying the intensity of said beam thereby indicating the range of said target area relative to said second station, and means for synchronizing the movement of said transmitter radiation pattern and the movement of said beam whereby a visual location of said beam on the face of said tube is representative of the bearing of said moving body with respect to said target area.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, comprising selectively energizable means for providing a relatively narrow beam of radiant energy from said moving body to the target area having a direction fixed with respect to said moving body and pointing generally in the direction of said body'"'"''"'"'s velocity vector for further illuminating the target area, said receiving means including means responsive to the reflected energy from said narrow beam for indicating the pitch orientation of the missile.

6. AppaRatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising selectively enabled means for rendering said selectively energizable means operative during predetermined portions of the terminal phase of the convergence of the moving body with the target area.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first station comprises a moving aircraft.

8. A guidance system for use in remotely controlling a directionally controllable missile adapted to be launched from an aircraft in its movement toward a selected target within a predetermined target area of uncertainty relative to a known identification point from directional command means positioned in the aircraft, said aircraft being maintained in line of sight relative to the target area, comprising selectively controlled radar mapping means including selectively energizable radar transmitting means mounted on the missile for scanning the target area through a horizontal scanning sector of predetermined angular dimension to illuminate the target area with radiant energy having predetermined frequency characteristics and susceptible of reflection from objects within the target area, radar receiving means mounted on the launch aircraft and adapted to receive radiant energy of said predetermined frequency characteristics for scanning through a horizontal scanning sector having an angular dimension less than the predetermined angular dimension of said radar transmitting means scanning sector, image display means mounted in the launch aircraft responsive to said radar receiving means, and means for operating said radar receiving means to scan the illuminated target area to produce an image in said image display means of at least a portion of the sector of said target area illuminated by said radar transmitting means to provide information as to the azimuthal and pitch orientation of the controllable missile;

selectively energizable auxiliary radar transmitting means mounted on the missile for providing a beam of radiant energy from the missile to the target area having a direction fixed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the missile and adapted to point in the direction of the missile'"'"''"'"'s velocity vector for further illuminating the target area with radiant energy susceptible of being reflected from said illuminated target area toward the launch aircraft;

means mounted on the missile and responsive to the operation of said radar transmitting means for transmitting a synchronizing signal to said radar receiving means in the launch aircraft for synchronizing the operation of said radar transmitting means and said radar receiving means; and

command transmitting means operable at a frequency different from said predetermined frequency characteristics of said radiant energy from said radar transmitting means for selectively transmitting directional control signals to the missile for controlling the azimuthal orientation of the missile relative to the target, for selectively energizing said auxiliary radar transmitting means during predetermined portions of the terminal phase of the convergence of the controllable missile with the target, and for controlling the pitch orientation of the missile during the terminal phase of the convergence of the controllable missile with the target.