Wireless power transfer for a rotating turret system

• US 10,804,747 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2017
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Byrd, Thomas E., Baer, Joshua E., Hunn, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thai H
• Application Number:
  US15/479,043
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 361108
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/24 Turret gun mountings feeding, loading or guiding ammunition F41A9/00; mechanical elevating or traversing systems for turret guns F41A27/18
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/34 on wheeled or endless-track vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A turret system includes a base subassembly and a turret subassembly. The base subassembly includes a base housing and a first turret mounting interface coupled to the base housing. The base subassembly also includes a first antenna configured to wirelessly transmit an electrical power signal. The turret subassembly includes a turret housing and a second turret mounting interface coupled to the turret housing. The second turret mounting interface is configured to rotate with respect to the first turret mounting interface, thereby rotating the turret housing with respect to the base housing. The turret subassembly further comprises a second antenna configured to wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna.

Claims

1. A turret system comprising:

a base subassembly comprising;

a base housing;

a first turret mounting interface coupled to the base housing;

a first antenna mounted in a center of the first turret mounting interface, the first antenna configured to wirelessly transmit an electrical power signal, the first antenna having a first spiral configuration, being positioned in a first plane and having a first external radius; and

a first optical transceiver; and

a turret subassembly comprising;

a turret housing;

a second turret mounting interface coupled to the turret housing, the second turret mounting interface configured to rotate about an axis of rotation with respect to the first turret mounting interface;

a second antenna mounted in a center of the second turret mounting interface, the second antenna configured to wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna, the second antenna having a second spiral configuration, the first external radius and being positioned in a second plane that is parallel to and positioned a distance from the first plane, wherein the first spiral configuration and the second spiral configuration are a same spiral configuration aligned along a common axis; and

a second optical transceiver aligned in the axis of rotation; and

wherein the first optical transceiver is aligned in the axis of rotation and is configured to communicate with the second optical transceiver via optical signals while the second turret mounting interface rotates about the axis of rotation.

2. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the second antenna is further configured to:

rotate with respect to the first antenna in response to the second turret mounting interface rotating with respect to the first turret mounting interface; and

wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna during rotation of the second antenna with respect to the first antenna.

3. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna is further configured to wirelessly transmit a data-bearing signal, and the second antenna is further configured to wirelessly receive the data-bearing signal from the first antenna.

4. The turret system of claim 3, wherein the data-bearing signal is embedded in the electrical power signal.

5. The turret system of claim 1, the base subassembly further comprising a first power distribution system coupled to the first antenna and configured to output the electrical power signal to the first antenna;

and

the turret subassembly further comprising a second power distribution system coupled to the second antenna, the second power distribution system comprising an electrical component, the second power distribution system configured to;

receive the electrical power signal from the second antenna; and

electrically power the electrical component.

6. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna has a flat ring shape with the first external radius and a first internal radius, and the second antenna has a flat ring shape with the first external radius and a second internal radius.

7. The turret system of claim 6, wherein the first internal radius is equal to the second internal radius.

8. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the base subassembly further comprises a first optical transmitter configured to transmit a first optical signal, and the turret subassembly further comprises a first optical receiver configured to receive the first optical signal during rotation of the second turret mounting interface with respect to the first turret mounting interface.

9. The turret system of claim 8, wherein the turret subassembly further comprises a second optical transmitter configured to transmit a second optical signal, and the base subassembly further comprises a second optical receiver configured to receive the second optical signal during rotation of the second turret mounting interface with respect to the first turret mounting interface.

10. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the second antenna is further configured to wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna during rotation of the second turret mounting interface with respect to the first turret mounting interface through at least 360°

.

11. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the second antenna is further configured to continuously wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna during rotation of the second turret mounting interface with respect to the first turret mounting interface.

12. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna is at least one (1) inch.

13. The turret system of claim 12, wherein the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna is at least three (3) inches.

14. The turret system of claim 13, wherein the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna is at least seven (7) inches.

15. The turret system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle body, wherein the base subassembly is mounted to the vehicle body.

16. The turret system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle body is an armored fighting vehicle body.

17. The turret system of claim 1, wherein the turret subassembly further comprises an object detection subassembly configured to detect objects using one of a group consisting of:

imaging, RADAR, LIDAR, or SONAR.

18. An antenna system for a turret comprising:

a first antenna positioned in a first plane and having a first spiral configuration having a first external radius, the first antenna configured to;

be mounted in a center of a first turret mounting interface of a turret base; and

wirelessly transmit an electrical power signal; and

a second antenna positioned in a second plane that is parallel to and positioned a distance from the first plane and having a second spiral configuration having the first external radius, wherein the first spiral configuration and the second spiral configuration are a same spiral configuration aligned along a common axis, the second antenna configured to;

be mounted in a center of a second turret mounting interface of a turret subassembly;

rotate with respect to the first antenna in response to rotation of the second turret mounting interface with respect to the first turret mounting interface; and

wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna.

19. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein the second antenna is further configured to wirelessly receive the electrical power signal from the first antenna during rotation of the second antenna with respect to the first antenna.

20. A method of wirelessly transferring power comprising:

providing an electrical power signal from an electrical component of a base subassembly of a turret system to a first antenna having a first spiral configuration mounted in a center of a first turret mounting interface disposed in the base subassembly, the first antenna being positioned in a first plane and having a first external radius;

wirelessly transmitting the electrical power signal from the first antenna;

receiving the electrical power signal from the first antenna by a second antenna having a second spiral configuration mounted in a center of a second turret mounting interface, the second turret mounting interface disposed in a turret subassembly of the turret system, the second antenna configured to rotate with respect to the first antenna in response to the second turret mounting interface rotating with respect to the first turret mounting interface, the second antenna having the first external radius and being positioned in a second plane that is parallel to and positioned a distance from the first plane, wherein the first spiral configuration and the second spiral configuration are a same spiral configuration aligned along a common axis; and

providing the electrical power signal from the second antenna to an electrical component of the turret subassembly coupled to the second antenna.