Patent US4967979A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4967979A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Command guidance technique for line-of-sight missile
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1973-09-21
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Granted: 1990-11-06
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Expires: 1993-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A line of sight missile system wherein the missile includes a beacon and aeceiver, and the control station includes a telescope and a four-quadrant, polarizing encoder. The telescope is sighted on a target by the operator, the illumination from the beacon passes through the encoder and is reflected back to the receiver. The signal received by the receiver is processed within the missile and provides flight control instruction.
Inventors
- 👤 Jon O. Balstad
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 07:00
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G7/00; F41G7/20; F41G7/24; F41G7/26; F41G7/263; F41G7/266; G; G01; G01S; G01S3/00; G01S3/78; G01S3/782; G01S3/787
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A line-of-sight missile guidance system for a guided missile comprising: (a) beacon and a receiver located on the missile; (b) a control station comprising: a control telescope; and a four quadrant, polarizing encoder; whereby when the telescope is sighted on a target by a control station operator the illumination from the beacon passes through the encoder and is reflected back to the receiver whereupon it is processed to provide flight control instruction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
A line-of-sight missile guidance system for a guided missile comprising: (a) beacon and a receiver located on the missile; (b) a control station comprising: a control telescope; and a four quadrant, polarizing encoder; whereby when the telescope is sighted on a target by a control station operator the illumination from the beacon passes through the encoder and is reflected back to the receiver whereupon it is processed to provide flight control instruction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device of claim 1 wherein: the encoder surface is situated in the focal plane of the telescope.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device of claim 2 wherein: said encoder is divided into first, second, third and fourth quadrants; and the beacon is situated on the missile airframe to yield a 45° from vertical polarization direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The device of claim 3 wherein: the first quadrant comprises reflective means for providing a vertical polarizing direction; the fourth quadrant comprises reflective means for providing a horizontal polarizing direction; the second quadrant is a mirror surface; and the third quadrant is a nonreflective surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device of claim 2 comprising: means for nutating the telescope image with respect to the encoder surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The device of claim 1 comprising: means for compensating for missile roll.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
The device of claim 6 comprising: the compensating means being situated in the body of the telescope; a second telescope; a spectral filter matched to the beacon spectrum; a polarization-free beamsplitter: the second telescope being situated between the filter and the beamsplitter; and the filter, the second telescope and the beamsplitter all being situated on the optic path of the beacon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The device of claim 7 comprising: the optic path from the beamsplitter passing respectively through a pair of orthogonally situated field stops, field lenses, polarizers and sensors; the polarizers being rotatable and geared to a servo motor; and the gearing of the pair of polarizers being identical so that their polarization directions remain orthogonal to each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 4 comprising: means for measuring the dwell time within each quadrant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device of claim 9 wherein the receiver comprises: a dual-channel device with a sensor channel for each of the orthogonal polarization directions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-11-05 | 1994-05-07 | 1994-11-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-11-05 | 1998-05-07 | 1998-11-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-11-05 | 2002-05-07 | 2002-11-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |