초록 ▼

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

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.

대표청구항 ▼

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

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. on within which the third window is disposed. 3. A method of scanning an item having a bar code from multiple directions, comprising the steps of generating laser light; providing a polygon mirror in a path of said laser light; generating a first set of scanning beams, a second set of scanning beams, and a third set of scanning beams by reflecting said laser light off said polygon mirror; directing said first set of scanning beams through a first window oriented in a first plane to scan the item from one orthogonal direction; directing said second set of scanning beams through the first window to scan the item from a diagonal direction; and directing said third set of scanning beams through a second window oriented in a second plane generally orthogonal to said first plane to scan the item from another orthogonal direction. 4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising generating said laser light from a single laser. 5. A method according to claim 3 further comprising generating said laser light from a single laser, the single laser generating a laser beam; splitting the laser beam into first and second reading beams; directing the first and second reading beams onto the mirror polygon from different directions for generating the scanning beams. 6. A method according to claim 3 further comprising generating said laser light from first and second lasers; directing laser light from the first laser onto a first side of the polygon mirror; directing laser light from the second laser onto a second side of the polygon mirror. 7. A method according to claim 3 wherein the first window is oriented in a generally horizontal plane and the second window is oriented in a generally vertical plane. 8. A scanning system comprising: a housing having a first surface containing a first aperture and a second surface containing a second aperture, wherein one of said first surface and said second surface is arranged substantially vertically and the other of said first surface and said second surface is arranged substantially horizontally; a single laser source which produces laser light within the housing; a polygon mirror for reflecting the laser light in a plurality of directions to produce a plurality of scanning beams including a first group of scanning beams, a second group of scanning beams, and a third group of scanning beams; and a plurality of pattern mirrors for reflecting the first group of scanning beams through the first aperture to produce a first scan pattern, for reflecting the second group of scanning beams through the second aperture to produce a second scan pattern, and for reflecting the third group of scanning beams diagonally through the second aperture to produce a third scan pattern. 9. A scanning system according to claim 8 wherein the first surface comprises a substantially vertical window containing the first aperture and the second surface comprises a substantially horizontal window containing the second aperture. 10. A scanning system according to claim 9 wherein the first, second and third scan patterns project scan lines onto a bottom side and all lateral sides of an object positioned in a scan volume in front of the first and second windows. 11. A scanning system according to claim 8 further comprising a beam splitter, wherein the laser source produces a laser beam and the beam splitter splits the laser beam into a first reading beam and a second reading beam wherein the first reading beam is directed onto a first side of the polygon mirror and the second reading beam is directed onto a second side of the polygon mirror. 12. A scanning system according to claim 8 wherein the scanning system scans an object being passed through a scan volume formed in front of the first surface and the second surface, wherein the third group of scan beams scans a side of the object opposite to the first surface. 13. A scanning system according to claim 8 wherein the laser light comprises a laser b eam. 14. A scanning system according to claim 8 wherein the first scan pattern, the second scan pattern, and the third scan pattern each comprise a plurality of intersecting scan lines. 15. A method of scanning an item from multiple directions, comprising the steps of providing a housing with a lower housing section and an upper housing section joined at proximate ends thereof; scanning laser light with a polygon mirror to generate a first set of scanning beams, a second set of scanning beams, and a third set of scanning beams; directing said first set of scanning beams out from the lower housing section to scan the item from one orthogonal direction; directing said second set of scanning beams out from the upper housing section to scan the item from another orthogonal direction; directing said third set of scanning beams out from the upper housing to scan the item from a diagonal direction. 16. A method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of generating the laser light by generating a first laser beam with a first laser diode and generating a second laser beam with a second laser diode. 17. A method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of generating the laser light by generating a laser beam with a laser diode, the laser light comprising the laser beam. 18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of splitting the laser beam with a beam splitter to generate a first reading beam and a second reading beam. 19. A method according to claim 15 further comprising directing said third set of scanning beams out from the upper housing in a diagonally downward direction. 20. A method according to claim 15 wherein the lower housing section comprises a first transparent member oriented in a generally horizontal plane, and the upper housing section comprises (1) a second transparent member oriented in a generally vertical plane and (2) a third transparent member disposed above the second transparent member and oriented generally obliquely thereto. 21. A method according to claim 20 further comprising passing the first set of scanning beams through the first transparent member; passing the second set of scanning beams through the second transparent member; passing the third set of scanning beams through the third transparent member. 22. A method according to claim 15 wherein the first scan pattern comprises a plurality of intersecting scan lines, the second comprises a plurality of intersecting scan lines, and the first third scan pattern comprises a plurality of intersecting scan lines. 23. A method of scanning an item from multiple directions, comprising the steps of forming a housing having a first housing section and a second housing section connected at proximate ends forming a generally L-shaped structure; generating laser light in the housing; scanning the laser light off a polygon mirror to generate a first set of scanning beams, a second set of scanning beams, and a third set of scanning beams; directing said first set of scanning beams out the first housing section to scan the item from one orthogonal direction; directing said second set of scanning beams out the first housing section to scan the item from a diagonal direction; and directing said third set of scanning beams out the second housing section to scan the item from another orthogonal direction. 24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the lower housing section comprises a first transparent member oriented in a generally horizontal plane, and the upper housing section comprises (1) a second transparent member oriented in a generally vertical plane and (2) a third transparent member disposed above the second transparent member and oriented in a generally obliquely thereto. 25. A method according to claim 24 further comprising passing the first set of scanning beams through the first transparent member; passing the second set of scanning beams through the second transparent member;