Quotables
"Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible."
Simon Newcomb, astronomer ; Said in 1902, less than two years before the first flight at Kitty Hawk
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8110784 | Projectile having one or more windows for transmitting power and/or data into/from the projectile interior A projectile including: a casing; first and second windows provided on the casing for at least one of transmitting a first optical signal into an interior of the casing and transmitting a second optical signal from the interior of the casing; a receiving element dis... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8089033 | POD launched unmanned air vehicle A method and apparatus for attacking a plurality of dispersed targets are herein presented. In particular, the method and apparatus herein presented allow the user to upload target data onto a pod mounted on a host aircraft. Upon reaching the pre loaded target locat... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8076621 | Integrated reference source and target designator system for high-precision guidance of guided munitions A method for guiding a moving object to a target. The method comprising: transmitting a signal from one or more illuminating sources defined in a reference coordinate system; receiving the signal at three or more cavity waveguides disposed on the moving object; usin... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8076622 | Low profile, conformal global positioning system array for artillery The present invention is a device which includes an antenna and circuitry. The antenna may receive a circularly-polarized signal as first and second linearly-polarized signals. The circuitry is connected to the antenna and is configured for combining the first and s... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8063347 | Sensor independent engagement decision processing A method for engaging a target uses sensors to generate target track(s). The tracks are projected forward in time and associated with a track quality measure. The maximum seeker look angle and beamwidth, acceleration, and net radar sensitivity characteristics are li... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8063346 | Virtual image projector Systems and methods are provided for projecting a virtual image of an object. A projector mounted on the object for projecting a light beam. A photographic plate is provided that includes an interference pattern imprinted onto at least one surface, wherein the inter... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8058595 | Collapsible shape memory alloy (SMA) nose cones for air vehicles, method of manufacture and use A nose cone formed from a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a recoverable strain of at least 2% collapses about the dome for storage, deploys at launch to protect the sensor dome and reduce drag during atmospheric flight and is shed to allow sensing for terminal maneu... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8049148 | Missile airframe and structure comprising piezoelectric fibers and method for active structural response control Embodiments of a missile, an airframe and a structure comprising piezoelectric fibers and a method for active structural response control are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a housing structure includes a composite material containing a plurality of... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8022343 | Aiming system with integrated deviation meter According to the invention, the system comprises an infrared detector (7) for alternately generating images (5′) of sources of light (5) in the near infrared emitted by a missile flying towards a target and thermal images of the observed scene... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7989742 | Process to control the initiation of an attack module and initiation control device implementing said process The invention relates to a process to control the initiation of an attack module, such as a projectile or sub-projectile, such attack module having at least one pre-determined direction of action. Before firing or on trajectory, the coordinates of at least one targe... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7977613 | System and method for roll angle indication and measurement in flying objects A method for onboard measurement of a deviation in orientation of an object from a desired orientation of the object. The method including: transmitting a polarized RF signal from a reference source, with a predetermined polarization plane: receiving the signal at a... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7964830 | Large cross-section interceptor vehicle and method A vehicle may include a vehicle body maneuverable onto a near collision course with a target and a plurality of inflatable ballutes which, when inflated, extend generally radially from the vehicle body. A controller may cause the ballutes to be inflated prior to an ... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7910867 | Architecture for a launch controller A scalable and distributable software architecture for use in conjunction with various different weapons control system and launch systems is disclosed. The architecture discards the proprietary and non-open protocols and services that characterize in favor of open ... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7893390 | Guided missile A guided missile has a sensor unit, a propulsion unit, and a payload unit. A missile casing forms the outer contour, extends along a longitudinal direction, and accommodates the sensor unit, the propulsion unit, and the payload unit. At least two of the units can be... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7868276 | Airborne vehicle emulation system and method An apparatus includes a first interface configured to communicate via a first protocol, and a first holding device configured to hold an airborne vehicle. The first holding device includes a second interface configured to communicate with the first interface via the... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7795564 | Optical system An optical system comprising a first optical unit and a first sensor unit for sensing electromagnetic radiation. The optical system also comprises a micromirror matrix unit which is arranged in the beam path between the first optical unit and the first sensor unit. ... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7786416 | Combination conductor-antenna A combination conductor-antenna apparatus is provided comprising a surface that defines a passage for use as a receptor for a second conductor and for use as a waveguide. The surface is at least partially formed of an electrically conductive material, thus allowing ... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7786417 | RAM neutralization system and method An article for neutralizing an enemy weapon comprising an interceptor and a deployable net attached to the interceptor, said deployable net remaining attached to the interceptor upon deployment, is disclosed. A method of neutralizing an airborne enemy weapon compris... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7767944 | Piezoelectric fiber, active damped, composite electronic housings A vibration controlled housing. The novel housing includes a housing structure and a mechanism for receiving a control signal and in accordance therewith electronically tuning a structural response of the structure. In an illustrative embodiment, the housing structu... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7755011 | Target maneuver detection The present invention includes, in its various aspects and embodiments, a method and apparatus for determining whether a moving target is maneuvering. The method comprises determining an expected motion for the target assuming the target is not maneuvering; determin... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7718936 | Bulk material windows for distributed aperture sensors A distributed aperture sensor system and sensing method comprising a plurality of sensors each having an aperture and window that provides electromagnetic interference shielding by a material with a bulk resistivity of less than or approximately equal to 10 ohm-cm t... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7696459 | Techniques for articulating a nose member of a guidable projectile A guidable projectile has a nose member, a projectile body, and a nose member articulation assembly which couples the nose member to the projectile body. The nose member articulation assembly includes a stator attached to the nose member, a rotor attached to the pro... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7692126 | Device for countering and tracking a threat with optical delay device The invention concerns a device for countering and tracking a threat with optical delay device in the form of a homing-head missile, comprising a homing head adapted to receive an incident coherent light beam and in deflecting same to produce a transmitted beam. The... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7692125 | Evanescent wave coupling for Fresnel direction finding An apparatus includes a radome and an evanescent wave-coupled windowing system in the radome. In operation, the apparatus receives radiation reflected from an object that is incident upon a windowing system; emits evanescent waves from the windowing system whose amp... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7687751 | Enhancement of aimpoint in simulated training systems Embodiments of the invention, therefore, provide improved systems and methods for tracking targets in a simulation environment. Merely by way of example, an exemplary embodiment provides a reflected laser target tracking system that tracks a target with a video came... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7687750 | Multi-party missile firing control system A system under international control is in possession of the firing codes required to launch missiles owned by the parties to the system. Upon a request to the international authority for the release of its firing codes so that it may launch a first strike, the targ... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7679037 | Personal rifle-launched reconnaisance system A reconnaissance system includes a projectile having an opening through which images of a target area are acquired, a portable launcher having a mechanism for affixing the launcher to a rifle for launching the projectile to fly along and above the target area, an im... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7671311 | Gimbal system with airflow Systems, including apparatus and methods, for driving airflow along a surface of a gimbal. The systems may comprise a gimbal apparatus including a payload and also including a gimbal mount supporting a first gimbal and a second gimbal. The first gimbal may be couple... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7645969 | Low voltage device for the generation of plasma discharge to operate a supersonic or hypersonic apparatus A method, device, and projectile having a device for guiding or piloting projectiles or missiles (self-propelled or non-self-propelled), to deflect, in a direction Y, a hypervelocity projectile operating in a gas, such as a shell, a bullet, or a missile, having a no... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7582853 | Method and device for producing an optical link using light flashes The invention relates to a method and device for producing an optical link using light flashes. According to the invention, an arrangement (13) comprising a plurality of capacitors (C1 to C5) is provided in order to power a flash lamp (3)... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7550697 | Systems and methods for boresight adapters Boresighting systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an assembly adapted for boresighting a launch system includes first and second elongated members adapted to be coupled to the launch system. First and second alignment members are coupled to and exte... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7547865 | Optical element mount and method thereof for a gun-launched projectile An optical element mount is effective in high G environments to protect brittle optical elements in which tensile stresses are generated on surface S2 without degrading optical performance. A flexible spacer formed of a relatively low-stiffness material suppo... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7541563 | Magnetic gyro-projectile device with electronic combustion, turbogeneration and gyro stabilization A hollow cylinder has an electromagnet to hold back a canister and either an induction heating linear actuator or a firing pin to ignite the primer-containing combustive material inside the canister to eject a locked piston from the cylinder. There is a motor-includ... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7521655 | Method and system of automatic control A method and apparatus for protecting a civil aircraft from missiles with infrared seeker heads includes detecting a launch of a missile from a location of launch, the missile having an infrared seeker head with an infrared sensitivity range, a power and an operatio... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7511252 | Multihypothesis threat missile propagator for boost-phase missile defense A fire control system for a boost phase threat missile includes sensors for generating target-missile representative signals, and a multi-hypothesis track filter, which estimates the states of various target hypotheses. The estimated states are typed to generate hyp... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7495198 | System and method for improving nighttime visual awareness of a pilot flying an aircraft carrying at least one air-to-air missile A method for improving nighttime visual awareness of a pilot flying an aircraft carrying an air-to-air missile including one or more one gimbaled imaging sensor. The method includes providing a helmet for the pilot, a helmet tracking system for determining the attit... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7473876 | Boost phase intercept missile fire control system architecture A fire control system for a boost phase threat missile includes sensors for generating target-missile representative signals, and a multi-hypothesis track filter, which estimates the states of various target hypotheses. The estimated states are typed to generate hyp... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7446291 | Augmented proportional navigation guidance law using angular acceleration measurements A method guides an interceptor missile toward an accelerating target. The method sets up a line-of-sight between the interceptor and the target, and monitors the acceleration of the angle of the line-of-sight. The acceleration is multiplied by a gain factor dependen... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7434762 | Retractable thrust vector control vane system and method A retractable thrust vector control system (10) for a rocket motor (26) that can generate an exhaust plume comprises at least one control vane (12) connectable to an attitude control assembly (20) that rotates the vane (12) about a... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7431237 | Guided projectile with power and control mechanism A projectile has the ability to generate and provide power to components located in two sections of the projectile which have relative rotation to each other. The projectile has a pair of generators allowing the powering of components in two sections. The projectile... | 10/07/2008 |
