MULTIPLE APERTURE IR SENSOR

Assignee

HONEYWELL INC., HONEYWELL PLAZA, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55408, A CORP. OF DE

Filed

Sep 17, 1987

Granted

Oct 23, 1990

Location

EDEN PRAIRIE MN US

Abstract

A multi-aperture, non-imaging sensing system is disclosed, for guiding a moving projectile toward a source of infrared energy. The detectors are arranged peripherally about a forward portion of the projectile, with their individual fields of view overlapping one another to selectively separate a composite field of view into a plurality of separate sectors, with a central sector including all individual fields of view. Infrared sensing elements and electrical circuitry are operatively associated with the detectors, for generating a binary one or zero, depending upon whether an infrared energy source is sensed by the associated detector. The combined results are generated as a digital word, utilized to indicate the location of the source within the composite field of view, and to generate a control signal. The control signal adjusts the projectile orientation to locate and maintain the source within the central sector of the composite field of view.

Source: Google Patents