초록 ▼

A dispenser system provides a means to automatically deploy systems using a controlled dispense approach capable of providing desired operational flexibility. Components such as unattended ground sensors (UGS) are deployed according to a method which includes incorporating the components into an elo

A dispenser system provides a means to automatically deploy systems using a controlled dispense approach capable of providing desired operational flexibility. Components such as unattended ground sensors (UGS) are deployed according to a method which includes incorporating the components into an elongated ejection system to form a payload assembly, the ejection system including axially-displaced ejector bays each for holding respective components. Each ejector bay retains the respective components until a respective ejection event upon which the ejector bay ejects the components in a radial direction. The payload assembly includes a stabilizer such as a drogue parachute that substantially prevents the payload assembly from rotating about its elongated axis. A timing sequence for the ejection events is programmed into the ejection system to achieve a desired coverage pattern of the components after deployment. The timing sequence can be chosen to result in a coverage pattern along a continuum from maximum component density to maximum total area coverage. The payload assembly is subsequently released from an aerial vehicle above the area with activation of the timing sequence, such that the ejection events occur during flight of the payload assembly at respective times after its release.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An elongated ejection system for use in deploying a plurality of unattended ground components in an area, the ejection system comprising: a plurality of axially-displaced ejector bays for respective sets of the components, each ejector bay being configured to retain the respe

What is claimed is: 1. An elongated ejection system for use in deploying a plurality of unattended ground components in an area, the ejection system comprising: a plurality of axially-displaced ejector bays for respective sets of the components, each ejector bay being configured to retain the respective components until a respective ejection event, and being further configured and operative upon occurrence of the ejection event to eject the respective components in a generally radial direction; a stabilizer operative upon deployment to substantially prevent the elongated ejection system from rotating about its elongated axis and promote required ground penetration and ground coupling of the components; and control circuitry operative to generate the respective ejection events for the ejector bays according to a predetermined sequence after release of the ejection system over the area to achieve a desired coverage pattern of the components; wherein the stabilizer includes a drogue parachute deployed upon release of a payload assembly including the elongated ejection system; wherein the components include tip portions for penetrating ground in the area and include bottom-heavy weight distribution and drag-brake stabilizers to attain a desired upright, tip-downward orientation before striking the ground after ejection from the ejector bays and the components are oriented in the ejector bays with the tip portions facing away from the drogue parachute; wherein each component includes a ground sensor which is constructed and arranged to (i) install in the ground in a substantially upright position and, after installing in the ground in the substantially upright position, (ii) electronically communicate with a tactical network device; wherein the control circuitry, when generating the respective ejection events, is constructed and arranged to receive downloaded information and to utilize the downloaded information to generate ejection control signals to effect the ejection events according to the predetermined sequence; wherein, in response to the ejection control signals, the ejection events include (i) a first ground sensor ejection event which involves radially ejecting a first group of ground sensor from a first axially-displaced ejector bay of the plurality of axially-displaced ejector bays at a first time to form a first ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground, and (ii) a second ground sensor ejection event which involves radially ejecting a second group of ground sensor from a second axially-displaced ejector bay of the plurality of axially-displaced ejector bays at a second time to form a second ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground; and wherein the downloaded information effects a selection of an amount of time relative to a down-range speed of the elongated ejection system effective to achieve the desired coverage pattern, the selected amount of time falling in a range from a first short time during which the elongated ejection system travels down-range by less than a cross-range extent of the desired coverage pattern to a second long time during which the elongated ejection system travels down-range by a multiple of the cross-range extent of the desired coverage pattern. 2. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1, wherein each of the ejector bays includes an inflatable bag operative to be inflated so as to urge the components radially outward as part of the respective ejection event. 3. An elongated ejection system according to claim 2, wherein the components of each ejector bay are retained by a respective retention band prior to the respective ejection event, and wherein pressure generated by inflation of each inflatable bag is sufficient to break the respective retention band. 4. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1, wherein each of the ejector bays is configured to hold three of the components arranged symmetrically about the axis of the elongated ejection system. 5. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1, wherein the cross-range extent of the desired coverage pattern is substantially 120 meters, the down-range speed of the elongated ejection system is substantially 25 meters per second, the first short time is substantially 1-2 seconds, and the second long time is substantially 8 seconds. 6. An assembly for use in deploying a plurality of unattended ground components in an area, comprising: the elongated ejection system of claim 1 incorporating the unattended ground components in the ejector bays to form a payload assembly; and a guided dispenser containing the payload assembly, the guided dispenser being configured and operative to (i) be released from an aerial vehicle at a dispenser release point, (ii) travel from the dispenser release point to a payload release point, and (iii) release the payload assembly at the payload release point. 7. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1, wherein each ground sensor, when installing in the ground in the substantially upright position, is constructed and arranged to: impact the ground, perform an initialization operation in response to impacting the ground, and perform a field mapping operation after completion of the initialization operation. 8. An elongated ejection system according to claim 7, wherein each component, when electronically communicating with the tactical network device, is constructed and arranged to transmit field mapping data to the tactical network device in a remotely-powered, wireless manner. 9. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of unattended ground components includes a first set of components, and a second set of components; wherein the second axially-displaced ejector bay which is adjacent the first axially-displaced ejector bay; and wherein the elongated ejection system further comprises: a first retention band which is constructed and arranged to (i) hold the first set of components within the first axially-displaced ejector bay prior to the first ejection event, and (ii) break to release the first set of components from the first axially-displaced ejector bay during the first ejection event, and a second retention band which is constructed and arranged to (i) hold the second set of components within the second axially-displaced ejector bay during the first ejection event and prior to the second ejection event, and (ii) break to release the second set of components from the second axially-displaced ejector bay during the second ejection event, the second ejection event occurring after the first ejection event. 10. An elongated ejection system according to claim 9, wherein each component of the second set of components includes a tip-like extension which axially extends from the second axially-displaced ejector bay into the first axially-displaced ejector bay while the first set of components reside in the first axially-displaced ejector bay, the tip-like extension of that component body being constructed and arranged to couple the ground sensor of that component to the ground (i) after installation of the ground sensor and (ii) when the ground sensor electronically communicates with the tactical network device. 11. An elongated ejection system according to claim 10, wherein each component of the second set of components further includes multiple drag-brake stabilizers which are in retracted positions prior to the second ejection event and extended positions after the second ejection event, the multiple drag-brake stabilizers residing at an end of that component which is opposite the tip-like extension of that component. 12. An elongated ejection system according to claim 9 wherein the drogue parachute, after deployment, is constructed and arranged to orient and stabilize the payload assembly during the first ejection event and during the second ejection event occurring after the first ejection event. 13. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1 wherein the first ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground is different than the second ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground. 14. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1 wherein the first ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground is non-overlapping with the second ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground. 15. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1 wherein the first ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground is overlapping with the second ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground. 16. An elongated ejection system according to claim 1 wherein the ejection events further include a third ground sensor ejection event which involves radially ejecting a third group of ground sensors from a third ejector bay of the plurality of axially-displaced ejector bays to form a third ground sensor coverage pattern on the ground, the third ground sensor coverage pattern being different than the first and second ground sensor coverage patterns.