Seamless smart munitions system and method

• US 10,641,582 B1
• Filed: 05/13/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fenix Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fenix Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, David, Schaner, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US16/410,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20200149845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• 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 7/2206 using a remote control station
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2233 Multimissile systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/30 Command link guidance systems homing F41G7/2206
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/301 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/308 for guiding a plurality of missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/34 based on predetermined target position data

Abstract

Systems and methods for deploying smart munitions may provide targeting metadata generated by surveillance networks to munitions deployment and guidance systems for smart munitions. Targeting metadata may be received by a conduit system and automatically processed to generate guidance and deployment data actionable by a munitions deployment platform.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a link between one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a smart munition;

validating the smart munition by checking for a device entry in a database;

transmitting, over the link, target coordinates from the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles to the smart munition;

programming the smart munition with targeting information based in part on the target coordinates; and

deploying the smart munition based on the programming.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the link further comprising a connection over a common wireless network and the smart munition comprising a munition with a radio receiver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network is a combination of one or more dynamic mesh networks and one or more hub and spoke networks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is established through a control box comprising a radio, processor, and virtual core network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the grid coordinates are for a Military Grid Reference System (MGRS).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, from the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles to the smart munition and over the link, metadata.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinates are grid coordinates.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to;

establish a link between one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a smart munition;

transmit, over the link, coordinates from the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles to the smart munition;

program the smart munition with targeting information including at least in part the coordinates; and

deploy the smart munition based on the programming.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the link further comprising a connection over a common wireless network and the smart munition comprising a munition with a radio receiver.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the network is a combination of one or more dynamic mesh networks and one or more hub and spoke networks.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the link is established through a control box comprising a radio, a processor, and a virtual core network, the link including a virtualized network management system.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the grid coordinates are for a Military Grid Reference System (MGRS).

13. The system of claim 8, the computer readable medium storing further instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to transmit metadata over the link.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the coordinates are grid coordinates.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

establish a link between one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a smart munition;

transmit, over the link, coordinates from the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles to the smart munition;

program the smart munition with targeting information including at least in part the coordinates; and

deploy the smart munition based on the programming.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the link further comprising a connection over a common wireless network and the smart munition comprising a munition with a radio receiver.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the network is a combination of one or more dynamic mesh networks and one or more hub and spoke networks.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the link is established through a control box comprising a radio, processor, and virtual core network.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the grid coordinates are for a Military Grid Reference System (MGRS).

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the computer readable medium storing further instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to transmit metadata over the link.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the coordinates are grid coordinates.