Autonomous onboard absolute position and orientation referencing system

• US 6,724,341 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Pereira, Carlos M., Rastegar, Jahangir S., Niver, Edip
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US10/065,023
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 244/3.1, 244/3.11, 244/3-2-, 244/3.19, 244/3.16, 342/61, 342/62, 342/147, 342/148-158, 342/175, 342/195, 342/352-367, 343/705-718, 343/772-786
• US Class Current: 342/62
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/34 based on predetermined target position data
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 15/01 Arrangements thereon for guidance or control steering arrangements F42B10/60; aircraft flight control B64C; guidance systems other than those installed aboard F41G7/00, F41G9/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; flight control in general G05D1/00; computer aspects G06]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/024 using polarisation effects in waveguides H01P1/165; for aerials H01Q, e.g. H01Q15/22, H01Q15/24, H01Q19/195

Abstract

An autonomous onboard absolute position and orientation referencing system provides a means of efficaciously and economically embedding guidance and control components into the fins of supersonic, highly maneuverable small, medium-caliber and long range munitions. Embedded resonant cavities form an integral part of the referencing system. The magnitude and phase information received by the integral antennas is used to determine the munition orientation. Embedded sensors provide continuous, onboard information about the angular orientation of the munition, such as its pitch, yaw, and roll angles, as well as its absolute position relative to a ground station.

Claims

1. A Onboard autonomous referencing system for measuring an angular orientation of an object having an external structure, relative to an illuminating source that emits a polarized radio frequency field, the system comprising:

a cavity type waveguide that is embedded in the external structure of the object and that receives the polarized radio frequency field along a predetermined plane;

wherein the polarized radio frequency field comprises an electric field component and a magnetic field component;

wherein the electric field component defines an electric field orientation angle with the predetermined plane;

wherein the magnetic field component defines a magnetic field orientation with the predetermined plane; and

a sensor that converts the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at a resonance point of the waveguide, to the angular orientation of the object relative to the illuminating source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further converts the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at the resonance point of the waveguide into a position of the object relative to the illuminating source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is generally horn shaped.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide has a generally pyramidical shape.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide has a generally sectoral shape.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide has a feed point, and wherein the resonance point is located at the feed point.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor is located at the feed point.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide faces the illuminating source.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide partially faces the illuminating source.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide does not face the illuminating source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is secured to the object.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is embedded in the object.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is moving object relative to the illuminating source.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a static relative to the illuminating source.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a projectile.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a projectile in flight.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is an object in flight.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is stationary.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the object comprises a pitch orientation, a yaw orientation, and a roll orientation.

20. A projectile comprising an onboard autonomous reference system that measures an angular orientation of the projectile relative to an illuminating source that emits a polarized radio frequency field from a platform, the projectile comprising:

a cavity type waveguide that is embedded in an external structure of the object and that receives the polarized radio frequency field along a predetermined plane;

wherein the polarized radio frequency field comprises an electric field component and a magnetic field component;

wherein the electric field component defines an electric field orientation angle with the predetermined plane;

wherein the magnetic field component defines a magnetic field orientation with the predetermined plane; and

a sensor that converts the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at a resonance point of the waveguide, to the an angular orientation of the object relative to the illuminating source.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide is generally horn shaped.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide has a generally pyramidical shape.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide has a generally sectoral shape.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide has a feed point, and wherein the resonance point is located at the feed point.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the sensor is located at the feed point.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide faces the illuminating source.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide partially faces the illuminating source.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide does not face the illuminating source.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide is secured to the object.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the waveguide is embedded in the object.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the object is moving object relative to the illuminating source.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the object is a static relative to the illuminating source.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein the object is a projectile.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein the object is a projectile in flight.

35. The system of claim 20, wherein the object is an object in flight.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein the object is stationary.

37. The system of claim 20, wherein the orientation of the object comprises a pitch orientation, a yaw orientation, and a roil orientation.

38. The system of claim 20, wherein the external structure comprises at least one fin.

39. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor further converts the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at the resonance point of the waveguide into a position of the object relative to the illuminating source.

40. A method for autonomously measuring an angular orientation of an object having an external structure, relative to an illuminating source that emits a polarized radio frequency field, the method comprising:

receiving the polarized radio frequency field along a predetermined plane by means of a cavity type waveguide that is embedded in the external structure of the object;

wherein the polarized radio frequency field comprises an electric field component and a magnetic field component;

wherein the electric field component defines an electric field orientation angle with the predetermined plane;

wherein the magnetic field component defines a magnetic field orientation with the predetermined plane; and

converting the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at a resonance point of the waveguide by means for a sensor, to the angular orientation of the object relative to the illuminating source.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising converting the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at the resonance point of the waveguide into a position of the object relative to the illuminating source.

42. An Onboard autonomous referencing system for measuring an angular orientation of an object relative to an illuminating source that emits a polarized radio frequency field, the system comprising:

a cavity type waveguide that is embedded in the object and that receives the polarized radio frequency field along a predetermined plane;

wherein the polarized radio frequency field comprises an electric field component and a magnetic field component;

wherein the electric field component defines an electric field orientation angle with the predetermined plane;

wherein the magnetic field component defines a magnetic field orientation with the predetermined plane; and

a sensor that converts the electric field orientation and the magnetic field orientation at a resonance point of the waveguide, to the angular orientation of the object relative to the illuminating source.