Patent ID: 8495945

Claim:
A weapon system, comprising: a weapon rail; a launch vehicle platform rail; a first inductive power coupler physically associated with said launch vehicle platform rail; a second inductive power coupler physically associated with said weapon rail, wherein said first inductive power coupler and said second inductive power coupler are adapted, configured, and disposed to induce a voltage at said second inductive power coupler when said weapon rail is loaded onto said launch vehicle platform rail; a light emitter physically associated with said weapon rail; a photosensor physically associated with said launch vehicle platform rail, wherein said light emitter and said photosensor are adapted, configured, and disposed to exhibit optical coupling when said weapon rail is loaded onto said launch vehicle platform rail and power is provided to said light emitter; a first electromagnetic wave transmitter physically associated with said launch vehicle platform rail; a first electronic receiver physically associated with said weapon rail, said first electronic receiver being adapted to transduce electromagnetic waves transmitted by said first electromagnetic wave transmitter; a second electromagnetic wave transmitter physically associated with said weapon rail; and a second electronic receiver physically associated with said launch vehicle platform rail, said second electronic receiver being adapted to transduce electromagnetic waves transmitted by said second electromagnetic wave transmitter.