Reconnaissance sonde

• US 6,380,889 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall W & M GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall W & M GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Ralf-Joachim, Seidel, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/510,191
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 340/870.1, 367/3, 367/4
• US Class Current: 342/357.57
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/02 using an independent line of sight
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/365 Projectiles transmitting information to a remote location using optical or electronic means F42B12/385 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 13/06 operated by sound waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/18 Military applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A reconnaissance sonde to be dropped and erected in an area for wirelessly transmitting data to a data processing apparatus. The sonde includes a housing having top and bottom portions; a parachute disposed at the top housing portion; a plurality of support legs peripherally mounted on the housing in a circumferential array and having a folded state and a deployed state; a drive for simultaneously moving the support legs from the folded state into the deployed state upon landing of the sonde; a GPS navigation system, a magnetic field sensor and an attitude sensor for accurately determining a position and an attitude of the sonde; at least three target bearing determining sensors supported by the housing and distributed circumferentially; an electronic evaluating apparatus supported by the housing and connected to the GPS navigation system, the magnetic field sensor, the attitude sensor and the target bearing determining sensors for evaluating measured sensor signals thereof; a transmitting and receiving apparatus connected to the electronic evaluating apparatus for wirelessly transmitting evaluated signals to a remote data processing apparatus or an additional sonde; and a battery for supplying electric energy to the sonde components.

Claims

1. A reconnaissance sonde to be dropped and erected in an area for wirelessly transmitting data to a data processing apparatus, comprising

(a) a housing having top and bottom portions and a longitudinal axis;

(b) a parachute disposed at said top portion;

(c) a plurality of support legs peripherally mounted on said bottom portion in a circumferential array and having a folded state and a deployed state;

(d) drive means for simultaneously moving said support legs from said folded state into said deployed state upon landing of the sonde;

said drive means including an airbag positioned within said array and having a deflated state and an inflated state;

said air bag, upon passing from said deflated state to said inflated state, moving said support legs from said folded state into said deployed state;

in said inflated state said air bag having a circular configuration being generally in axial alignment with said longitudinal axis;

(e) locking means for maintaining said support legs in said deployed state;

(f) a GPS navigation system, a magnetic field sensor and an attitude sensor for accurately determining a position and an attitude of the sonde;

(g) at least three target bearing determining sensors supported by said housing and distributed circumferentially;

(h) an electronic evaluating apparatus supported by said housing and connected to said GPS navigation system, said magnetic field sensor, said attitude sensor and said target bearing determining sensors for evaluating measured sensor signals thereof;

(i) a transmitting and receiving apparatus connected to said electronic evaluating apparatus for wirelessly transmitting evaluated signals to one of a remote data processing apparatus and an additional sonde; and

(j) a battery for supplying electric energy to at least some of the components defined in (d) through (i).

2. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 1, wherein target bearing determining sensors are at least one of an acoustic sensor and a radar sensor.

3. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 1, further comprising an ejectable cassette mounted on said housing and accommodating said parachute.

4. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 1, further comprising an IR camera whose images are processed in said electronic evaluating apparatus for target classification.

5. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 1, in combination with a projectile and a data processing apparatus for receiving evaluated signals from said transmitting and receiving apparatus for target-combating;

said data processing apparatus being carried by said projectile.

6. A reconnaissance sonde to be dropped and erected in an area for wirelessly transmitting data to a data processing apparatus, comprising

(a) a housing having top and bottom portions and a longitudinal axis;

(b) a parachute disposed at said top portion;

(c) six support legs peripherally mounted on said bottom portion in a circumferential array and having a folded state and a deployed state;

(d) six acoustic sensors carried respectively on six cantilever arms secured to respective said support legs;

said acoustic sensors lying on an imaginary circle whose center coincides with said longitudinal axis;

said acoustic sensors constituting target bearing determining sensors supported by said housing and distributed circumferentially;

(e) drive means for simultaneously moving said support legs from said folded state into said deployed state upon landing of the sonde;

(f) a GPS navigation system, a magnetic field sensor and an attitude sensor for accurately determining a position and an attitude of the sonde;

(g) an electronic evaluating apparatus supported by said housing and connected to said GPS navigation system, said magnetic field sensor, said attitude sensor and said target bearing determining sensors for evaluating measured sensor signals thereof;

(h) a transmitting and receiving apparatus connected to said electronic evaluating apparatus for wirelessly transmitting evaluated signals to one of a remote data processing apparatus and an additional sonde; and

(i) a battery for supplying electric energy to at least some of the components defined in (d) through (h).

7. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 6, wherein target bearing determining sensors are at least one of an acoustic sensor and a radar sensor.

8. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 6, further comprising an ejectable cassette mounted on said housing and accommodating said parachute.

9. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 6, further comprising a seismic sensor connected to said electronic evaluating apparatus.

10. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 6, further comprising an IR camera whose images are processed in said electronic evaluating apparatus for target classification.

11. The reconnaissance sonde as defined in claim 6, in combination with a projectile and a data processing apparatus for receiving evaluated signals from said transmitting and receiving apparatus for target-combating;

said data processing apparatus being carried by said projectile.