All weather precision guidance of distributed projectiles

• US 6,653,972 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosen, Robert A., Krikorian, Kapriel V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, ISAM A
• Application Number:
  US10/143,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 342/62, 342/107, 342/147, 244/3-1-, 244/3.1, 244/3-9-, 89/360.1, 89/412.2, 701/221
• US Class Current: 342/62
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/303 Sighting or tracking devices especially provided for simultaneous observation of the target and of the missile
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/305 for spin-stabilized missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/308 for guiding a plurality of missiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data

Abstract

A system and method (32) for measuring line-of-sight angular rates for all-weather precision guidance of distributed projectiles (16) and a guidance system (10) based thereon. In accordance with the novel method (32) for measuring line-of-sight angular rates, first the range rates of the target (14) relative to at least two projectiles (16) is determined, as well as the position and velocity of each projectile (16). Then, the line-of-sight angular rate of the target (14) relative to at least one projectile (16) is computed from the range rates, positions, and velocities. In the illustrative embodiment, the range rate of the target (14) relative to a projectile (16) is determined based on a monostatic target Doppler measurement, a monostatic projectile Doppler measurement, a bistatic Doppler measurement of the target (14) by the projectile (16), and the carrier frequency of a data link (26) between the projectile and the shipboard system. The guidance system (10) of the present invention includes a monostatic radar (18) illuminating the target (14), bistatic receivers (44) aboard at least two projectiles (16) fired at the target (14), and a system (32) for determining line-of-sight angular rates to the target based on the monostatic measurements and the bistatic measurements from at least two projectiles. The guidance system (10) further includes a system (34) for computing guidance command signals for at least one projectile based on the line-of-sight angular rates, and a projectile steering unit (52) aboard at least one projectile for steering the projectile based on the guidance command signals.

Claims

1. A system for determining the line-of-sight angular rate to a target comprising:

first means for determining range rates {dot over (R)}_i of the target relative to at least two projectiles, wherein said first means includes a monostatic millimeter wave radar which measures the range, range rate and angle of the target, and the range, range rate, angle, and angle rate of each projectile;

second means for determining the position and velocity of each projectile;

third means for calculating the line-of-sight angular rate of the target relative to at least one projectile {circumflex over (ω

)}_i from said range rates, positions, and velocities; and

fourth means for obtaining a bistatic range rate {dot over (R)}_B from each of the projectiles, wherein said fourth means is included in said first means.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said fourth means includes a bistatic radar receiver aboard each projectile for measuring the Doppler frequency of the target from each of the projectiles.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said fourth means further includes fifth means for transmitting said Doppler measurements to said system.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said fifth means includes a data link having a carrier frequency synchronized to the local oscillator of the projectile radar receiver.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said first means further includes means for adjusting said Doppler measurements for differences between the projectile receiver local oscillator frequency and the monostatic radar local oscillator frequency.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said adjusted Doppler frequencies f_BDT are obtained by taking the bistatic Doppler measurements f_BD and subtracting the fractional local oscillator frequency error ε

times the frequency of the monostatic radar f_R.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the fractional local oscillator frequency error is computed from $\varepsilon$

=fDLMfDL-1+R.SMc,

where f_DL is the nominal data link carrier frequency, f_DLM is the measured data link carrier frequency, {dot over (R)}_SM is the range rate of the projectile relative to the monostatic radar, and c is the speed of light.

8. The invention of claim 5 wherein said bistatic range rate {dot over (R)}_B is calculated by taking the adjusted Doppler frequency f_BDT, multiplying by the speed of light c, and dividing by the frequency of the monostatic radar f_R.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein the range rate of the target relative to a projectile {dot over (R)}_i is determined by subtracting the range rate of the target relative to the monostatic radar {dot over (R)}_M from the bistatic range rate {dot over (R)}_B.

10. The invention of claim 1 wherein the position and velocity of each projectile is calculated based on the monostatic radar measurements of the projectile.

11. The invention of claim 1 wherein said third means includes calculating the line-of-sight angular rate of the target relative to the centroid of the projectiles {circumflex over (ω

)}_i using the following equation $\widehat{\mathrm{\omega <br><br>}}=s\times <br><br>I^{-1}<br><br>\underset{i}{\sum <br><br>}<br><br>b_i<br><br>\left({\stackrel{.}{R}}_i+\mathrm{\Delta <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>v_i^T<br><br>s\right),$

where s is the line-of-sight unit vector from the centroid towards the target and I is the second order moment matrix of the ensemble of projectiles in the plane perpendicular to s.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the line-of-sight angular rate of the target relative to each projectile {circumflex over (ω

)}_i is calculated by the following equation;

${\widehat{\mathrm{\omega <br><br>}}}_i=\widehat{\mathrm{\omega <br><br>}}-\left[\frac{s}{R}\times <br><br>\left(\mathrm{\Delta <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>v_i-\frac{b_i<br><br>\stackrel{.}{R}}{R}\right)\right],$

where R is the mean range to the target and {dot over (R)} is the mean range rate of the target relative to the projectiles.

13. A system for guiding projectiles to a target comprising:

a monostatic radar system for illuminating the target and measuring monostatic returns from the target and from the projectiles;

a bistatic receiver aboard each projectile for measuring the bistatic Doppler off the target;

a target tracking system for determining the line-of-sight angular rates to the target based on said monostatic measurements and the bistatic measurements from at least two projectiles;

a guidance system for computing guidance command signals for each projectile based on said line-of-sight angular rates;

a projectile steering unit aboard each projectile for steering the projectile based on said guidance command signals;

a transceiver for receiving the bistatic measurements from the projectiles and sending the guidance command signals to the projectiles; and

a transceiver aboard each projectile for sending the bistatic measurements to the target tracking system and receiving the guidance command signals.

14. A system for determining the line-of-sight angular rate to a target comprising:

first means for determining range rates {dot over (R)}_i of the target relative to at least two projectiles, wherein said first means includes a monostaric shipboard radar which measures the range, range rate and angle of the target, and the range, range rate, angle, and angle rate of each projectile;

second means for determining the position and velocity of each projectile;

third means for calculating the line-of-sight angular rate of the target relative to at least one projectiles {circumflex over (ω

)}_i from said range rates, positions, and velocities; and

fourth means for obtaining a bistatic range rater {dot over (R)}_B from each of the projectiles, wherein said fourth means is included in said first means.