Network-centric targeting

• US 8,251,288 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Woitalla, Michael J., Beary, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gudorf, Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/250,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20100044434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 235400-418, 244/3.1
• US Class Current: 235/411
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/02 using an independent line of sight
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/04 for dispersing fire from a battery ; for controlling spread of shots; for coordinating fire from spaced weapons
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/00 Systems for controlling missiles or projectiles, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A network-centric targeting system includes a prepare module to plan for targeting engagements and to identify a target; a sense module to locate targets of opportunity and targets generated by the prepare module to form targeting information; a refine module to enhance the targeting information from the sense module; a track module to maintain a location of a target, a state of the target and target activity, the track module being coupled to the refine module; a target module to select effects and to coordinate delivery of selected effects to the target, the target module being coupled to the track module, the refine module and the sense module; a deliver module to deliver effects to the target, the deliver module being coupled to the track module, the refine module, the target module and the sense module; and an assess module to assess effectiveness of the delivered effects on the target.

Claims

1. A network-centric targeting system, comprising:

modules comprising;

a prepare module configured to plan for targeting engagements and to identify a target;

a sense module configured to locate targets of opportunity and targets generated by the prepare module to form targeting information;

a refine module configured to enhance the targeting information from the sense module;

a track module configured to maintain a location of a target, a state of the target and target activity, the track module being directly coupled to the refine module by at least one of a wired or wireless connection;

a target module configured to select effects and to coordinate delivery of selected effects to the target, the target module being directly coupled to each of the track module, the refine module and the sense module by at least one of a wired or wireless connection;

a deliver module configured to deliver effects to the target, the deliver module being directly coupled to each of the track module, the refine module, the target module and the sense module by at least one of a wired or wireless connection; and

an assess module configured to assess effectiveness of the delivered effects on the target, the assess module being directly coupled to each of the track module, the deliver module, the target module, the sense module and the prepare module by at least one of a wired or wireless connection,

wherein one or more of the modules include a processor and a storage medium to store executable instructions performed by the processor;

wherein the modules are configured to provide a user with a battle-space-wide single application (SA) view of both strategic and tactical targets.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two of the modules are processing simultaneously.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the modules are implemented using a schema comprising:

an external communications interface connected to one or more external data sources; and

a target server to receive target updates from the external communications interface and to provide normalized target data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the one or more external data sources comprises:

a Joint Target Manager (JTM) system;

an Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS); and

a Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS).

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the schema further comprises a database that stores, for a target, a JTM ID and target IDs for the AFATDS system and the TBMCS system.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the schema further comprises a web service.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the schema further comprises a gateway plug-in.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the schema further comprises:

a situational awareness component to provide map displays; and

a workspace component to collect screens to render target data.

9. A method to provide a network-centric targeting system comprising:

planning for targeting engagements comprising identifying a target;

sensing a target comprising locating targets of opportunity and targets generated by the planning to form targeting information;

enhancing the targeting information;

tracking a location of a target, a state of the target and target activity using the enhanced targeting information;

targeting the target to select effects and to coordinate delivery of the selected effects to the target;

delivering the selected effects to the target;

receiving target data on the target from external systems;

providing a unique target identifier for the target;

providing system-specific target identifiers for the external systems; and

assessing an effectiveness of the delivered effects on the target, the assessing based on the tracking, the delivering, the sensing and the preparing.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a user with a battle-space-wide single application (SA) view of both strategic and tactical targets.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving target data on the target from external systems comprises receiving target data on the target from a Joint Target Manager (JTM) system, an Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) system and a Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS) system.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the unique target identifiers and the system-specific identifiers in target correlation.

13. An article comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions to provide a network-centric targeting system, the instructions causing a machine to;

plan for targeting engagements comprising identifying a target;

sense a target comprising locating targets of opportunity and targets generated by the planning to form targeting information;

enhance the targeting information;

track a location of a target, a state of the target and target activity using the enhanced targeting information;

target the target to select effects and to coordinate delivery of the selected effects to the target;

deliver the selected effects to the target;

receive target data on the target from external systems;

provide a unique target identifier for the target;

provide system-specific target identifiers for the external systems; and

assess an effectiveness of the delivered effects on the target, the assessing based on the tracking, the delivering, the sensing and the preparing.

14. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions causing a machine to provide a user with a battle-space-wide single application (SA) view of both strategic and tactical targets.

15. The article of claim 13 wherein the instructions causing a machine to receive target data on the target from external systems comprises instructions causing a machine to receive target data on the target from a Joint Target Manager (JTM) system, an Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) system and a Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS) system.

16. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions causing a machine to use the unique target identifiers and the system-specific identifiers in target correlation.