US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Michael M Jones

Walter E Miller, Jr

Robert R Mitchell

Richard G Westrich

The Side-Scatter Beamrider Missile Guidance System projects into the guidance field a pulsed beam that is spatially encoded with azimuth and elevation scans of pre-determined angles. This pulsed beam is indirectly relayed to side-looking missile-borne receivers by way of scattered radiation effected by atmospheric particles. Multiple optical receivers mounted on the exterior of the missile, each receiver having a different field-of-view from its adjacent receivers, receive light from the transmitting laser that is thusly scattered by atmospheric particles. In response to the received scattered radiation, the missile's signal processor calculates the missile's position within the guidance field by determining which of the receivers detects the scattered energy and when the detection shifts from that receiver to an adjacent receiver. Subsequently, steering commands are generated to guide the missile to or near the center of the guidance field, which center is normally coaxial with the target line-of-sight.

Side-scatter beamrider missile guidance system

A linear detector array is positioned a fixed distance behind a narrow slot n an opaque mask. The array is oriented perpendicular to the slot as viewed from the 'front', or direction of laser energy arrival. Light from the laser source, limited by the mask and slot, falls on only a few adjacent elements of the detector array, depending on the direction of arrival of the light. Further, since such crossed linear elements (slots and array) provide this measure of angle of arrival in the single direction perpendicular to the slot, two such systems of mask, detector linear array, and processing electronics may be employed (one rotated 90 degrees with respect to the other) to provide `vertical` and `horizontal` measurements of direction to the laser source.

Coordinate position detector

In accordance with this invention, a missile referenced beamrider guidance ink is provided in which a continuous wave or pulsed laser output is formed into a gaussian cross section or similarly shaped beam and projected to one offset sensor, or to two sensors located on opposite sides and as far from the missile's roll axis as possible. The rolling missile motion amplitude modulates the received signal and the amplitude of the modulation is a measure of the missile's distance from beam axis. The phase of the modulation provides the direction to beam center.

Missile referenced beamrider

An optical rangefinder having a transmitter and receiver located closely acent for short range operation allows optimum detection of a target when either or both the target and the rangefinder are moving. An optical window region is established where the transmitter look axis intersects the receiver look axis and is adjustable for providing an output signal when the rangefinder and target are less than approximately ten feet apart. The transmitter may emit either noncoherent or coherent infrared energy. The receiver includes zero crossing detection when a received maximum signal intensity is reached and adequate signal detection means which activates when the signal level exceeds a desired minimum. An output signal is generated when the outputs of these two detection circuits are coincident.

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Michael M Jones