Raytheon Company

Ratheon Company

Craig O Shott

Gerald P Uyeno

Sean D Keller

Benn H Gleason

Eric Rogala

Mark K Lange

Garret A Odom

Jon E Leigh

Andrew Michael Wilds

Vanessa Reyna

Chris Eugene Geswender

Ryan D White

Zachary D Barker

Brayden Peery

Gary W Liles

Alex Karwas

Gregory J Larson

David James Knapp

James N Head

Mark E Elkanick

Gregory M Wagner

Thomas Sanderson

Scott Fleischman

Kyle Solander

The design of an existing air-to-air missile seeker is adapted to new missions that require both active laser illumination and detection (passive or active) capabilities. The gimbal is used to point the laser beam to a desired location in a transmit FOR. This approach minimizes the size, weight and power of the sensor because only a small portion of the transmit FOR is illuminated at any instant. This minimizes the laser output required, which reduces the power to operate the laser and the power to maintain the laser at operating temperature. In existing seekers, the gimbal points the detector in the desired direction to expand its FOR. To address the limitations of coupling the laser beam into the gimbaled optical system, the gimbal cannot perform the steering function for the detector. Instead, a staring detector receives light through an off-gimbal aperture within a fixed receive FOR that overlaps the transmit FOR.

Optical sensor with dual-axis gimballed transmitter and staring detector

An optical scanning system includes one or more Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Mirror Arrays (MMAs) used to scan a field-of-view (FOV) over a field-of-regard (FOR). The MEMS MMA is configured such that optical radiation from each point in the FOV does not land on or originate from out-of-phase mirror segments and a diffraction limited resolution of the optical system is limited by the size of the entrance pupil and not by the size of individual mirrors.

Optical scanning system using micro-electro-mechanical system (mems) micro-mirror arrays (MMAs)

An EO/IR optical imaging system comprises collection optics to collect light from a scene into a collimated or near-collimated space. An imaging detector is positioned at the image plane and configured to integrate incident light (radiant flux or photons) over an image frame and readout a sequence of pixelated images at a frame rate, said detector exhibiting a saturation threshold. To prevent saturation of the imaging detector, a MEMS MMA is positioned in the collimated or near-collimated space. A secondary detector (via a pick-off) samples light from the collimated or near-collimated space multiple times per image frame. A controller responsive to the sampled light commands a percentage of the mirrors to re-direct light incident on those mirrors to a light dump and commands the remaining mirrors to re-direct light incident on those mirrors to the imaging detector. Together the mirrors adjust a fraction of light reaching the imaging detector such that the integrated incident light for a given image frame is less than the saturation threshold.

EO/IR imaging system with a mems MMA configured to prevent saturation of the imaging detector

A method of encoding information in an object that may allow for enhanced tailorability of the encoding during the processing and/or also enhance the amount of information encoded in the object. More particularly, the method of encoding the object enables the magnetic characteristics at different spatial locations of the object to be modified to form a spatial array of the different magnetic characteristics for representing the encoded information. The method can be used to permanently embed a magnetic signature in a non-magnetic object, for example. More specifically, the method allows different portions of the object to exhibit different magnetic characteristics at each spatial location of the object in three dimensions, and more particularly configuring the magnetic vectors of those portions in many possible orientations with a 4n steradian solid angle and/or with different intensities.

Magnetic encoding of physical objects in an additive manufacturing process

Optical sensors and particularly gimbaled optical sensors transmit an active signal at a given wavelength and receive passive signals over a range of wavelengths while controlling pointing without benefit of measuring and locating the active signal return. The sensor includes a Tx/Rx Aperture Sharing Element (ASE) is configured to block the received active signal (e.g. reflections off a target in a scene) and process only the passive emissions. These optical sensors may, for example, be used with guided munitions or autonomous vehicles.

Optical sensor with Tx/Rx aperture sharing element (ASE) to block detection of the received active signal

A beam steering architecture for an optical sensor is based upon a pair of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Mirror Arrays (MMAs) and a fold mirror. The MEMS MMAs scan both primary and secondary FOR providing considerable flexibility to scan a scene to provide not only active imaging (to supplement passive imaging) but also simultaneously allowing for other optical functions such as establishing a communications link, providing an optical transmit beam for another detection platform or determining a range to target. A special class of MEMS MMAs that provides a 'piston' capability in which the individual mirrors may translate enables a suite of optical functions to 'shape' the optical transmit beam.

Optical sensor with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-mirror array (MMA) steering of the optical transmit beam

An optical sensor uses a MEMS MMA to scan a narrow laser beam over a transmit FOR to provide active illumination and to correct the beam profile (e.g., collimate the beam, reduce chromatic aberrations, correct the beam profile or wavefront). A staring detector senses light within a receive FOR that at least partially overlaps the transmit FOR. By completely eliminating the dual-axis gimbal, this sensor architecture greatly reduces the volume and weight of the optical sensor while avoiding the deficiencies of known systems associated with either fiber or free-space coupling of the laser beam into an existing receiver.

Optical sensor with MEMS MMA steered transmitter and staring detector

A system and method for authenticating a physical object. The method may include the steps of: (1) encoding a feed material with randomized information; (2) forming the object with the feed material such that one or more portions of the object have respective randomized signatures based upon at least some of the randomized information of the feed material; (3) reading the respective randomized signatures at the one or portions of the object; (4) creating a profile of the respective randomized signatures at the one or more portions of the object based upon information from the reading; (5) transporting the physical object to an authenticator, and transmitting the profile to the authenticator; (6) reading the respective randomized signatures at the one or more portions of the object by the authenticator; and (7) comparing the reading by the authenticator to the profile received by the authenticator to thereby authenticate the physical object.

System and method for authenticating physical objects with randomized embedded information

A projectile including an ejectable aft fin housing assembly. The aft fin housing assembly includes aft fins that increase a distance between a center of gravity and a center of pressure of the projectile, improving passive stabilization of the projectile. Once the projectile has been passively stabilized, the aft fin housing assembly is ejected, decreasing a distance between the center of gravity and the center of pressure, improving active stabilization of the projectile.

Small body dynamics control method

Small angle optical beam steering is performed using a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Mirror Array (MMA) that minimizes diffraction for a specified steering angle, Generally speaking, this is accomplished with a MEMS MMA that exhibits a 'piston' capability to translate individual mirrors in addition to the tip and tilt capabilities. Adjacent mirrors can be tipped/tilted to the specified steering angle and then translated by a requisite amount to approximate a continuous surface. For a specified steering angle, the MEMS MMA is partitioned into one or more sections with each section including the maximum number of mirrors that can be grouped together and actuated to approximate a continuous surface given a maximum translation z. As a result, the only edge discontinuities exist between adjacent sections thereby minimizing distortion for a given steering angle.

Small angle optical beam steering using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-mirror arrays (MMAS)

A distributed secured database system includes a ledger, a transmitting device, edge devices, and a time synchronization source. An evolving nonce is generated at the transmitting device and the edge devices. The evolving nonce is time-synced across the transmitting device and the edge devices. A hash value is generated at the transmitting device and the edge devices using the evolving nonce. The hash value is verified at the transmitting device and each of the edge devices during a particular time frame. A block is added to the distributed secured database system when the hash value is verified by the transmitting device and the edge devices.

Distributed secure database system using an evolving nonce

A method can include simulating, by at least one hardware processor, operation of an embedded device under a variety of conditions including a variety of electromagnetic interference (EMI) conditions and a variety of weather conditions, determining proper operation characteristics of the components based on the simulating, the proper operation characteristics of the components determined based on simulations that result in the embedded device operating properly, determining which components of the embedded device impact proper operation of the embedded device by a threshold amount, and programming the at least one hardware processor to implement a safeguard that ensures proper operation of a component of the components.

Mitigating device vulnerabilities in software

Some embodiments pertain to a projectile that includes a casing and a plurality of fins which are secured to the casing. Each of the fins is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The fins are typically in the stowed position during storage and launch, and move to the deployed position as soon as possible after launch. Each fin includes a first foil that has a first set of openings and a second foil that includes a second set of openings. The first sets of openings in the first foils are aligned with the second sets of openings in the second foils when each of the fins is in the stowed position. The first sets of openings in the first foils are not aligned with the second sets of openings in the second foils when each of the fins is in the deployed position.

Projectile that includes as needed pressure-relieving wrap-around tail fins

An aircraft, such as a missile, has control surfaces that have segments that are hinged together. The control surfaces deploy from a closed position, for example with the segments folded against a fuselage, so as to allow for launching from a launch tube. Once the aircraft is launched the control surfaces deploy from the closed position to an open position, with the segments opening up farther from the body or fuselage. In the open position or deployed state the segments may be substantially planar. Locks of the control surfaces may be used to lock the segments in place in the open position. The locks may include hollow sleeves that slide over the control surface segments. The sleeves and the segments may include a protrusions and depressions that engage each other to hold the segments in the open configuration.

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Benson, AZ, United States of America

Craig O Shott