Patent ID: 6629498
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: F42C

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling the post-launch of a projectile having a fuzed warhead, said post-launch for a successful launch being dependent upon the receipt of the presence of a battery or power source activation control signal, the receipt of both the presence and absence of a nest switch open control signal and the presence of a valid target control signal, said successful post-launch also being dependent upon the generation of four (4) commands, (1) self-dud, (2) charge firing capacitor, (3) turn on proximity switch, (4) fire capacitor and also being dependent upon the inhibiting of the self-dud command, said apparatus comprising:a microprocessor comprising: (a) a first routine responsive to the battery activated and nest switch open control signals and generating said self dud command in response to the presence of both said battery activated and nest switch control signal and generating a first output signal upon the presence of said battery activated control signal and the absence of said nest switch open control signal; (b) a second routine responsive to said first output signal and to the presence and absence of nest switch open control signal, said second routine starting a first timer having a first and second predetermined maximum times in response to said first output signal and generating said self dud command upon the occurrence of the presence of said nest switch open control signal before said first predetermined maximum time of said first timer expires and generating a second output signal upon the expiration of said predetermined maximum time of said first timer without the occurrence of the presence of said nest switch open control signal; (c) a third routine generating a third output signal in response to the second output signal and the presence of said nest switch open control signal, said third routine generating said self-dud command upon the absence of said nest switch open control signal and upon the expiration of said second predetermined maximum time of said first timer; (d) a fourth routine generating said safe-dud command upon the expiration of said second predetermined maximum time of said first timer and the presence of said nest switch open control signal, but generating a fourth output signal during said second predetermined maximum time of said first timer; (e) a fifth routine responsive to the fourth output signal and generating said charge firing cap command in response thereto and starting a self-destruct timer having a predetermined maximum time while at the same time generating a fifth output signal; (f) a sixth routine starting a second timer having a predetermined maximum time in response to said fifth output signal and upon the expiration of said predetermined maximum time of said second timer generating said turn on proximity switch command; (g) a seventh routine responsive to the presence and absence of said valid target control signal, the presence and absence of the expiration of said second predetermined maximum time of said first timer and the presence and absence of the expiration of said self-destruct timer, said seventh routines having three subroutines comprising: (i) said first subroutine generating said fire capacitor command upon the presence of said valid target control signal; (ii) said second subroutine generating said fire capacitor command upon the absence of said valid target control signal and the presence of the expiration of said self-destruct timer and generating an output signal upon the absence of said valid target control signal and the absence of said expiration of said self-destruct timer; and (iii) said third subroutine generating said fire capacitor command signal in response to the output signal of said second subroutine and the presence of the expiration of said second predetermined maximum time of said first timer.