Jul 29, 2025

US12372330 - Missile guidance system

A hypersonic self-guided missile system is described. Particularly, embodiments describe missiles whose trajectories are controlled by an on-board control unit that decrease the effect of damaging heat to sensitive internal components by employing one or more annular windows, internal mirrors, lenses, and/or cameras. Embodiments may have an internal camera oriented substantially toward or away from the nose of the missile.

Assignee: Applied Research Associates, Inc.
Inventors: Jasper C. Lupo, Joseph N. Paranto
Filing date: 2024-03-18

The patent describes a hypersonic missile system featuring a nose cone with multiple windows that filter light, allowing an array of internal cameras to capture images for real-time trajectory adjustments. This system employs an optical subsystem with mirrors to direct filtered light to the cameras, enhancing the missile’s guidance capabilities while protecting sensitive components from heat damage.

Claim 1

A hypersonic missile system comprising: a missile body comprising a nose cone; a set of thrusters configured to provide thrust to propel the hypersonic missile system to hypersonic speeds; a plurality of windows formed in at least a portion of the nose cone, wherein the plurality of windows is configured to filter out unwanted wavelengths of light providing filtered light to an interior of the nose cone; a plurality of cameras disposed in the nose cone and configured to receive the filtered light, wherein each camera of the plurality of cameras is configured to detect a different wavelength of light; an optical subsystem disposed within the nose cone, the optical subsystem comprising a plurality of mirrors configured to reflect the filtered light, wherein the plurality of mirrors is configured to direct the filtered light into the plurality of cameras; and a control unit operable to adjust a real-time trajectory of the hypersonic missile system based on at least one image formed by the plurality of cameras created from the filtered light from the plurality of windows. a missile body comprising a nose cone; a set of thrusters configured to provide thrust to propel the hypersonic missile system to hypersonic speeds; a plurality of windows formed in at least a portion of the nose cone, wherein the plurality of windows is configured to filter out unwanted wavelengths of light providing filtered light to an interior of the nose cone; a plurality of cameras disposed in the nose cone and configured to receive the filtered light, wherein each camera of the plurality of cameras is configured to detect a different wavelength of light; an optical subsystem disposed within the nose cone, the optical subsystem comprising a plurality of mirrors configured to reflect the filtered light, wherein the plurality of mirrors is configured to direct the filtered light into the plurality of cameras; and a control unit operable to adjust a real-time trajectory of the hypersonic missile system based on at least one image formed by the plurality of cameras created from the filtered light from the plurality of windows.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12372330

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12372330