Method and an apparatus for steering an aerodynamic body having a homing device

Claim 1

A method for steering an aerodynamic body, e.g. a missile or a projectile, after its firing in a flight path toward a target for interception, the body having a homing device generating an output signal (ε m ) which is a measurement of an error angle (ε) between a body-fixed axis, preferably the symmetry axis of the body, and a line of sight (S i ) from the body to the target, and the body being guided in response to a control variable signal (u, u m ) which is dependent on the angular rate (σ) of the line of sight, characterized in that a computing unit (10) which operates on the basis of relationships describing the aerodynamic behaviour of the body with respect to the target and has said control variable (u, u m ) of the body as an input signal, forms a first signal value (σ) representing the angular rate (σ) of the line of sight, which is employed to provide the control variable signal (u, u m ), and a second signal value (θ) representing the angular rate (θ) of the attitude of the body, that a third signal value (ε) representing an approximate value of the error angle (ε) is formed from said two signal values (σ, θ), that a difference signal value (Δε) between the measurement (ε m ) and the approximate value (ε) of the error angle (ε) is formed and is fed back to the computing unit for correcting quantities of the relationships of the computing unit.

Claim 2

A method for steering an aerodynamic body, e.g. a missile or a projectile, after its firing in a flight path toward a target for interception, the body having a homing device generating an output signal (ε m ) which is a measurement of an error angle (ε) between a body-fixed axis, preferably the symmetry axis of the body, and a line of sight (S i ) from the body to the target, and the body being guided in response to a control variable signal (u, u m ) which is dependent on the angular rate (σ) of the line of sight, characterized in that a computing unit (10) which operates on the basis of relationships describing the aerodynamic behaviour of the body with respect to the target and has said control variable (u, u m ) of the body as an input signal, forms a first signal value (σ) representing the angular rate (σ) of the line of sight, which is employed to provide the control variable signal (u, u m ), and a second signal value (θ) representing the angular rate (θ) of the attitude of the body, that a third signal value (ε) representing an approximate value of the error angle (ε) is formed from said two signal values (σ, θ), that a difference signal value (Δε) between the measurement (ε m ) and the approximate value (ε) of the error angle (ε) is formed and is fed back to the computing unit for correcting quantities of the relationships of the computing unit.

Claim 7

An apparatus for steering an aerodynamic body, such as a missile or a projectile, after its firing towards a target for interception thereof, said body having a homing device (1) supplying an output signal (ε m ) which is a measurement of an error angle (ε) between a body-fixed axis (A), preferably the axis of symmetry of the body, and a line of sight (S i ) from the body to the target, and a unit (4) provided to determine a control variable signal (u, u m ) dependent upon the line of sight angular rate (σ), characterized by a computing unit (10) which operates on the basis of relationships describing the aerodynamic behaviour of the body with respect to the target and has the control variable signal (u, u m ) as an input signal for establishing a first signal value (σ) representing the line of sight angular rate (σ), said signal value being an input signal to the unit (4) for determining the control variable signal, and a second signal value (θ) for the body attitude angular rate (θ), a unit (20) for determining from said two signal values a third signal value (ε) representing an approximate value of the error angle (ε), a unit (12) for forming a difference signal value (Δε) between the measurement angle (εm) and the approximate signal value (ε), and a feed-back unit (13) provided to feed back to the computing unit (10) the difference signal value (Δε) of the error angle for correcting quantities of the relationships of the computing unit.

Claim 8

An apparatus for steering an aerodynamic body, such as a missile or a projectile, after its firing towards a target for interception thereof, said body having a homing device (1) supplying an output signal (ε m ) which is a measurement of an error angle (ε) between a body-fixed axis (A), preferably the axis of symmetry of the body, and a line of sight (S i ) from the body to the target, and a unit (4) provided to determine a control variable signal (u, u m ) dependent upon the line of sight angular rate (σ), characterized by a computing unit (10) which operates on the basis of relationships describing the aerodynamic behaviour of the body with respect to the target and has the control variable signal (u, u m ) as an input signal for establishing a first signal value (σ) representing the line of sight angular rate (σ), said signal value being an input signal to the unit (4) for determining the control variable signal, and a second signal value (θ) for the body attitude angular rate (θ), a unit (20) for determining from said two signal values a third signal value (ε) representing an approximate value of the error angle (ε), a unit (12) for forming a difference signal value (Δε) between the measurement angle (εm) and the approximate signal value (ε), and a feed-back unit (13) provided to feed back to the computing unit (10) the difference signal value (Δε) of the error angle for correcting quantities of the relationships of the computing unit.