System and method for communicating with airborne weapons platforms

• US 7,183,967 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Haendel, Richard S., Waller, Gary C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor; John B.
• Application Number:
  US10/736,472
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 342/25.R, 342/25.A, 342/25.B, 342/52, 342 58- 60, 342/62, 342/66, 342/89, 342/90, 342/175, 342/176, 342/179, 342189-191, 342/195, 342/196, 370/350, 370/454, 375/240.23, 375/240.28, 701/3, 701/6, 701/208, 701/220
• US Class Current: 342/59
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2206 using a remote control station
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2233 Multimissile systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2253 Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

An airborne network configured to simultaneously transmit video imagery for battle damage indication from multiple airborne missiles to multiple tactical airborne non-launch aircraft.

Claims

1. A battlefield communication system of the type having an interconnected tactical network such that a first mobile tactical platform is able to communicate location and status information simultaneously to a plurality of networked mobile tactical platforms, which are not mobile platforms from which said first mobile tactical platform is deployed;

wherein the improvement comprises;

said first mobile tactical platform further comprising an explosive munition and a first multi-channel transceiver which is configured to simultaneously receive control signals and broadcast surveillance signals on to said interconnected tactical network;

wherein said surveillance signals comprise a real time video image of a surveilled area;

a second mobile tactical platform configured to receive said real time video image, via said interconnected tactical network;

a third mobile tactical platform configured to receive said real time video image simultaneously with said second mobile tactical platform, via said interconnected tactical network; and

wherein said real time video image has a frame rate of at least four frames per second.

2. A system of claim 1 wherein each of said second mobile tactical platform and said third mobile tactical platform are not mobile tactical platforms from which said first mobile tactical platform was deployed.

3. A system of claim 2 wherein one of said second mobile tactical platform and said third mobile tactical platform communicate control signals with said first mobile tactical platform.

4. A system of claim 3 wherein said first mobile tactical platform is a non-ballistic missile.

5. A system of claim 4 wherein said control signals comprise a signal to detonate an explosive before impact.

6. A system of claim 1 further comprising:

a fourth mobile tactical platform comprising an explosive munition and a second multi-channel transceiver which is configured to simultaneously receive control signals and broadcast surveillance signals onto said interconnected tactical network;

wherein said fourth mobile tactical platform and said first mobile tactical platform being configured to directly communicate targeting information therebetween without a requirement to communicate through an intermediary.

7. A system of claim 4 further comprising:

a fourth mobile tactical platform comprising an explosive munition and a second multi-channel transceiver which is configured to simultaneously receive control signals and broadcast surveillance signals onto said interconnected tactical network; and

wherein said fourth mobile tactical platform and said first mobile tactical platform being configured to directly communicate targeting information therebetween without a requirement to communicate through an intermediary.

8. A system of claim 1 wherein said second mobile tactical platform is an aircraft and wherein said control signals are output at a power level which is less than an output power level of said surveillance signals.

9. A system of claim 1 wherein said first mobile tactical platform is an air-launched non-ballistic missile.

10. A system of claim 9 wherein said control signal comprises a code division multiple access signal and said surveillance signals comprise a digital spread spectrum signal;

wherein each of said surveillance signals and said controls signals have a latency of less than two milliseconds.

11. A method of assessing damages inflicted in battle comprising the steps of:

transmitting a real time video image signal from an explosive missile, where said explosive missile was deployed from a first mobile platform; and

simultaneously receiving and demodulating said real time video image signal at a plurality of receiving mobile platforms, each not being said first mobile platform.

12. A method of claim 11 wherein said first mobile platform is an aircraft.

13. A method of claim 11 wherein said step of transmitting a real time video image signal is done at a power level higher than a transmission power level of a code division multiple access control signal transmitted from said first mobile platform to said explosive missile.

14. A method of claim 13 wherein said real time video image signal comprises a digital spread spectrum signal.

15. A method of claim 14 wherein said real time video image signal and said code division multiple access control signal each have a latency of less than two milliseconds.

16. A method of claim 15 wherein said real time video image signal has an information data rate more than twice as high as an information data rate of said code division multiple access control signal.

17. A method of claim 16 wherein said real time video image signal has an information data rate more than four times as high as an information data rate of said code division multiple access control signal.

18. A method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a targeting control signal directly from a second explosive missile;

wherein said targeting control signal at least partially defines a planned flight characteristic of an explosive missile.

19. A method of claim 11 wherein said explosive missile responds, in flight, to control signals from said first mobile platform and subsequently switches a source of said control signal to a second mobile platform.

20. A system comprising:

a first aircraft configured to launch explosive missiles and to control explosive missiles in flight, via two-way communication;

a second aircraft configured to launch explosive missiles and to control explosive missiles in flight, via two-way communication;

a third aircraft configured to launch explosive missiles and to control explosive missiles in flight, via two-way communication;

a first airborne explosive missile comprising a forward looking surveillance system, configured to simultaneously transmit digital spread spectrum real time video signals of a target to one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft which is not an aircraft from which said first explosive missile has been launched, and receive a code division multiple access control signal with a latency of less than two milliseconds from said one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft which is not an aircraft from which said first explosive missile has been launched;

a second airborne explosive missile comprising a forward looking surveillance system, configured to simultaneously transmit digital spread spectrum real time video signals of a target to one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft which is not an aircraft from which said second explosive missile has been launched, and receive a code division multiple access control signal with a latency of less than two milliseconds from said one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft which is not an aircraft from which said second explosive missile has been launched;

a third airborne explosive missile comprising a forward looking surveillance system, configured to simultaneously transmit digital spread spectrum real time video signals of a target to a one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft which is not an aircraft from which said third explosive missile has been launched, and receive a code division multiple access control signal with a latency of less than two milliseconds from said one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft which is not an aircraft from which said third explosive missile has been launched;

wherein each of said code division multiple access signals has a transmit power level which is less than one-fourth of a transmit power level of each of said digital spread spectrum real time video signals; and

,

wherein each of said first explosive missile, said second explosive missile and said third explosive missile further comprises a transmitter configured for directly communicating targeting information between said first explosive missile, said second explosive missile and said third explosive missile, so that each missile can be reprogrammed for a different target after having been launched from one of said first aircraft, said second aircraft, and said third aircraft.