Process to control the initiation of an attack module and initiation control device implementing said process

• US 7,989,742 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexter Munitions
• Original Assignee: Nexter Munitions
• Inventors: Bredy, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US12/213,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20090001215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 244 31- 33, 89/11.1, 342 61- 68, 342/175, 342/195, 34235701-35717, 701 1- 18, 701/200, 701207-224, 102/200, 102/206, 102215-221
• US Class Current: 244/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/34 based on predetermined target position data
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/346 using global navigation satellite systems, e.g. GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 13/006 for non-guided, spinning, braked or gravity-driven weapons, e.g. parachute-braked sub-munitions
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/40 wherein the safety or arming action is effected electrically

Abstract

The invention relates to a process to control the initiation of an attack module, such as a projectile or sub-projectile, such attack module having at least one pre-determined direction of action. Before firing or on trajectory, the coordinates of at least one target are programmed into a fixed terrestrial reference, the orientation of the direction(s) of action in the fixed terrestrial reference is determined at least once on trajectory, and the initiation of the attack module is only authorized if the direction of action is oriented in the direction of the target. The invention also relates to the device implementing such a process.

Claims

1. A process to control an initiation of an attack module, said such attack module having at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H), wherein said process has the following steps:

(i) before firing or on trajectory, coordinates of at least one target are determined in a fixed terrestrial reference, and

(ii) an orientation of each of the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) in said fixed terrestrial reference is determined at least once on trajectory,

(iii) the initiation of said attack module is only authorized if the at least one pre-determined direction of action is oriented in a direction toward said target.

2. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the orientation of the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) with respect to said fixed terrestrial reference is made by measuring the orientation of said attack module with respect to at least two components of a terrestrial magnetic field, the components of the terrestrial magnetic field being previously known in said fixed terrestrial reference.

3. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 1, wherein a measurement of a distance of said attack module and said target is made based on a coordinate (X_tY_tZ_t) of said target in said fixed terrestrial reference, programmed before firing or on trajectory, and measurements are made of a coordinate (X_pY_pZ_p) of said attack modules in said fixed terrestrial reference, such measurements being made on trajectory by a satellite positioning system or else transmitted to said attack module by a platform having trajectography means.

4. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 3, the process controlling an initiation of a firing of a projectile with a non-vertical trajectory, wherein the coordinates of an attack module/target vector (Δ

) are calculated on trajectory and in said fixed terrestrial reference, such computation being made from a pre-programmed coordinate (X_tY_tZ_t) of a pre-programmed target as well as the coordinate (X_pY_pZ_p) measured of said attack module and using a tri-axial magnetic compass the orientation of the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) of said attack module is determined in said fixed terrestrial reference.

5. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 4, wherein, to determine an orientation of the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) of said attack module in said fixed terrestrial reference, a coefficient of a transition matrix (T) from a reference linked to said attack module to said fixed terrestrial reference, these components being calculated by associating, for points of the trajectory under consideration, a measurement of components (H_Xm, H_Ym, H_Zm) of said terrestrial magnetic field in a reference linked to said attack module and a value of components (H_X, H_Y, H_Z) of the magnetic field in said terrestrial reference, a value of the components being known and pre-programmed in said attack module, an indetermination of the computation being lifted by a determination of at least one direction in said terrestrial reference of one of the axes of a reference linked to said attack module.

6. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 5, wherein, to lift the indetermination, an orientation of a longitudinal axis (GXm) of said attack module is calculated from a computation of angle of said projectile of incidence (Inc), said computation being made using measurements of the trajectory followed, a velocity (Vt) in said terrestrial reference, as well as a knowledge of an aerodynamic transfer function of said projectile.

7. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 1, the process controlling an initiation of a firing of a sub-projectile scattered about a zone of ground by a carrier and to which a downward movement following a substantially vertical axis and a spin movement around the descending vertical axis have been imparted, wherein the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of a given angle (β

), wherein the orientation of each of the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) in said fixed terrestrial reference is determined using a measurement of the components of the magnetic field in a horizontal plane, said plane defined by two magnetic sensors carried by said attack module, the orientation of each of the at least one pre-determined direction of attack (W_H) with respect to said plane being known and the orientation of the magnetic field in said fixed terrestrial reference also being known.

8. The process to control the initiation of an attack module according to claim 7, wherein target detection means are implemented in said attack module and wherein said attack module will only be initiated if a condition for authorization has been fulfilled and that a target has effectively been detected.

9. An initiation control device for an attack module which has at least one pre-determined direction of action, and which implements the process according to claim 1, said device comprises means facilitating memorizing the coordinates in a fixed terrestrial reference of at least one target, means facilitating measurement of the coordinate (X_pY_pZ_p) of said attack module in said fixed terrestrial reference, as well as a computation means facilitating determining the orientation on trajectory of the direction of action of said attack module in said fixed terrestrial reference and incorporating means to initiate the attack module being coupled with said computation means so as to authorize initiation only if the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) is oriented in the direction of said target.

10. The initiation control device for an attack module according to claim 9, wherein said means to measure the coordinates of said attack module in said fixed terrestrial reference comprises at least one of a GPS receiver and a receiver for location data transmitted by a remote platform.

11. The initiation control device for an attack module according to claim 9, wherein said device comprises at least two fixed magnetic sensors to determine the orientation of the at least one predetermined direction of action of said attack module with respect to said terrestrial magnetic field, a memory means supplying the components of the terrestrial magnetic field in said fixed terrestrial reference.

12. The initiation control device for an attack module according to claim 11, the initiation control device being adapted to initiate firing a projectile with a non-vertical trajectory, wherein said attack module incorporates at least three magnetic sensors and the memory means determining values of said terrestrial magnetic field in a fixed terrestrial reference for the different points of said trajectory, the computation means to determine the orientation of the reference linked to said attack module with respect to said terrestrial reference using the different values of the terrestrial magnetic field, as well as the coordinates of said attack module/target in said fixed terrestrial reference, and those of the at least one pre-determined direction of attack (W_H) of said attack module.

13. The initiation control device for an attack module according to claim 11, the initiation control device being adapted to initiate firing a sub-projectile that is scattered above a zone of ground by a carrier and which has a downward movement after scattering with a substantially vertical axis as well as a spin movement around this vertical axis, wherein the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) is inclined with respect to a vertical axis of a given angle (β

), device wherein said attack module incorporates at least two magnetic sensors arranged along two axes (GXm, GYm) of a reference linked to said attack module, said two axes defined by said sensors thereby determining a plane which is perpendicular to a planned vertical fall axis, the orientation of the at least one pre-determined direction of action (W_H) of said attack module with respect to this horizontal plane being known.