US3642233A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for the optical automatic and autonomous guiding of self-rotating missiles
Assignee: Societe Anonyme de Telecommunications SAT
•
Filing: 1969-12-29
•
Granted: 1972-02-15
•
Expires: 1989-12-29
Abstract
Abstract An automatic and autonomous optical guidance system for an autorotative missile to be directed towards a target emitting radiations, the missile having a single flight-control rudder operable at each revolution of the missile about its axis of rotation; comprising an optical target position detecting means for producing, at each revolution of the missile, signals which are a function of the deviation between the autorotational axis of the missile and the missile-target direction; control signal producing means connected to the optical detecting means for generating, at each revolution of the missile, a control energy; and motor means connected to the control signal producing means in order to be supplied thereby and positively coupled with the single flight-control rudder in order to guide the missile, at each revolution thereof, as a function of the deviation between its autorotational axis and the missile-target direction; the optical target position detecting means comprising an optical modulator formed of a plane support provided, radially from a point of origin, with a succession of opaque sectors and transparent sectors arranged in alternate sequence, the optical modulator being disposed in the image plane of an objective lens which projects the target image on to the image plane, and, a photoelectric cell located downstream of the optical modulator for receiving light pulses generated by a relative displacement between the target and the optical modulator, the photoelectric cell converting the light pulses into electric signals which are transmitted to a frequency discriminator producing an output voltage which is a function of the frequency of the pulses, thereby a function of the angular deviation of the target with respect to a reference direction constituted by the optical axis of the optical target position detecting means, the voltage actuating, the control signal producing means; the relative displacement between the optical modulator and the target image being produced by the autorotational movement of the missile.
Inventors
- 👤 Jean Pierre Bezerie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 07:12
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G7/00; F41G7/20; F41G7/22; F41G7/222; F41G7/2253; F41G7/2273; F41G7/2293
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
351 words
An automatic and autonomous optical guidance system for an autorotative missile to be directed towards a target emitting radiations, the missile having a single flight control rudder operable at each revolution of the missile about its axis of rotation; said system comprising an optical target position detecting means for producing, at each revolution of the missile, signals which are a function of the deviation between the autorotational axis of the missile and the missile-target direction; control signal producing means connected to said optical-detecting means for generating, at each revolution of the missile, a control signal; and motor means connected to said control signal producing means to receive said control signal and adapted to be positively coupled with the single flight-control rudder in order to guide the missile, at each revolution thereof, as a function of the deviation between its autorotational axis and the missile-target direction; said optical target position detecting means comprising an optical modulator disposed perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the missile and supported in the missile for rotation and provided, radially from a center point, with a succession of opaque sectors and transparent sectors arranged in alternate sequence, said optical modulator being disposed in the image plane of an objective lens which projects the target image onto said image plane, and a photoelectric cell located downstream of said optical modulator for receiving light pulses generated by a relative displacement between the target and said optical modulator, the frequency of said pulses being a function of said deviation between the axis of rotation of the missile and the missile target direction, said photoelectric cell converting said light pulses into electric signals which are transmitted to a frequeNcy discriminator producing an output voltage which is a function of the frequency of said pulses, thereby a function of the angular deviation of the target with respect to a reference direction constituted by the optical axis of the optical target position detecting means, said voltage actuating the control signal producing means; said relative displacement between said optical modulator and said target image being produced by the autorotational movement of the missile.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
351 words
An automatic and autonomous optical guidance system for an autorotative missile to be directed towards a target emitting radiations, the missile having a single flight control rudder operable at each revolution of the missile about its axis of rotation; said system comprising an optical target position detecting means for producing, at each revolution of the missile, signals which are a function of the deviation between the autorotational axis of the missile and the missile-target direction; control signal producing means connected to said optical-detecting means for generating, at each revolution of the missile, a control signal; and motor means connected to said control signal producing means to receive said control signal and adapted to be positively coupled with the single flight-control rudder in order to guide the missile, at each revolution thereof, as a function of the deviation between its autorotational axis and the missile-target direction; said optical target position detecting means comprising an optical modulator disposed perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the missile and supported in the missile for rotation and provided, radially from a center point, with a succession of opaque sectors and transparent sectors arranged in alternate sequence, said optical modulator being disposed in the image plane of an objective lens which projects the target image onto said image plane, and a photoelectric cell located downstream of said optical modulator for receiving light pulses generated by a relative displacement between the target and said optical modulator, the frequency of said pulses being a function of said deviation between the axis of rotation of the missile and the missile target direction, said photoelectric cell converting said light pulses into electric signals which are transmitted to a frequeNcy discriminator producing an output voltage which is a function of the frequency of said pulses, thereby a function of the angular deviation of the target with respect to a reference direction constituted by the optical axis of the optical target position detecting means, said voltage actuating the control signal producing means; said relative displacement between said optical modulator and said target image being produced by the autorotational movement of the missile.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
98 words
The guidance system of claim 1 further comprising gyroscope means mounted in the missile and having a stationary part, a corrective voltage producing generator having a rotative part attached to the missile and a nonrotative part coupled with said stationary part of said gyroscope means, said generator being connected in circuit with said control signal producing means for delivering thereto a preset corrective voltage to nullify an error voltage generated by said optical target position-detecting means as a function of the angle of incidence defined by the longitudinal axis of the missile with the tangent to its trajectory.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
161 words
The guidance system of claim 1, further comprising a generator for producing a sinusoidal reference-voltage the frequency of which is dependent on the spin velocity of said missile; an amplifier having two outputs the input of which is connected to said generator; a mixer connected to the output of said optical target position detecting means and to one of the outputs of said amplifier; a retunable retunable phase-to-carrier-wave delay equalizer connected to the output of said mixer; a device for measuring the frequency as dependent on the spin velocity of said missile and coupled with said delay equalizer for the continuous tuning thereof as a function of said spin velocity; a second mixer coupled with the second output of said amplifier and with the output of said delay equalizer; a coder connected to a power amplifier and coupled with said second mixer for converting the sinusoidal input voltage into polarized square waves having a width which is proportional to the half-wave.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
209 words
The guidance system of claim 1, further comprising generator means with two outputs for delivering two corrective voltages, the voltage delivered by the first output being a pulsating voltage at a frequency dependent on the spin velocity of the missile and being in the form of square waves, the other voltage having the same frequency as the first and delivered by the second output as an alternating current sinusoidal voltage; a mixer having two inputs, one of which is connected to the second output of said generator means, the other of said inputs being connected to the output of a frequency discriminator of said optical target position detecting means; means for measuring the spin velocity of the missile; a phase-to-carrier wave delay equalizer having two inputs connected respectively with said mixer and with said spin velocity measuring means; a detector connected by an amplifier to the output of said delay equalizer; an amplitude limiter connected with the output of said detector; a first power amplifier connected to the output of the amplitude limiter; a second power amplifier connected to the first output of the said generator means; a flight control motor means for actuating the rudder and having two inputs connected respectively with said first and second power amplifiers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The guidance system of claim 1 wherein the optical axis of the objective lens and the center point of said modulator are disposed on the autorotatable axis of the missile, said modulator having alternately transparent and opaque radial sectors with widths progressively increasing through an angle of 180* and then progressively decreasing through an angle of 180* to revert to the initial width, the angle variation being a substantially sinusoidal function.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
116 words
The guidance system of claim 1 wherein said optical modulator has a plurality of annular zones concentric to said center point which is locAted on an axis coincident with the optical axis of said objective lens, each zone having alternately transparent and opaque radial sectors which form angles progressively increasing through an angle of 180* then progressively decreasing through an angle of 180* so as to revert to the initial angle, the sector angle variation being a substantially sinusoidal function, each zone also having the number of sectors increasing linearly the further that said zone is removed radially from said point with the narrowest sectors of all of the zones being aligned on said same radius.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
130 words
The guidance system of claim 1, further comprising a gyroscope having a first part affixed to the wall of the missile, a second part mounted in said first part about an axis in coincidence with the missile axis and carrying a gyroscope rotor, said second part being stationary with respect to said axis, and a shaft integral with and extending from said second part and coaxial with said axis; a stationary unit carried by said shaft including a condensing lens, photoelectric cell and a preamplifier; a modulator axle parallel to said shaft, carrying said optical modulator and journaled in missile supports at its ends; and transmission means for operatively coupling said modulator axle with said shaft so that said optical modulator describes one revolution for each revolution of the missile.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
148 words
The guidance system of claim 1, further comprising a gyroscope having a first part affixed to the wall of the missile, a second part mounted in said first part about an axis in coincidence with the missile axis and carrying a gyroscope rotor, said second part being stationary with respect to said axis, and a shaft integral with and extending from said second part and coaxial with said axis; means attached to said shaft for mounting said optical modulator thereon; a supporting unit including a condensing lens, photoelectric cell and a preamplifier; and means coincident with said axis for supporting said supporting unit and about which said optical modulator is centered, said means being fastened to a pair of missile partitions with one of said partitions having an opening therein; said condensing lens and said photoelectric cell being aligned with said opening in said one of said partitions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2989640A
Cited
US3021096A
Cited
US3010677A
Cited
US2942118A
Cited
US2931912A
Cited
US3263084A
Cited
US3239674A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-02-14 | 1975-08-16 | 1976-02-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-02-14 | 1979-08-16 | 1980-02-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-02-14 | 1983-08-16 | 1984-02-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |