Patents by Inventor Nigel Stansfield

Nigel Stansfield has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10072908
    Abstract: In a method of guiding a missile in flight to a target (FIG. 1), the location of the missile and the range to the target are measured at a plurality of moments during the flight of the missile (step 10). The location of the target is calculated from the measured ranges and the measured missile locations (step 20). A required velocity vector angle is calculated from the calculated location of the target and a guidance law (step 30). A lateral acceleration required to provide the missile with a velocity oriented to the target at the required velocity vector angle is calculated for the missile (step 40). The missile is caused to accelerate with the calculated lateral acceleration, so that the missile to follows a trajectory according to the guidance law (step 50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: MBDA UK LIMITED
    Inventor: Nigel Stansfield
  • Publication number: 20160003579
    Abstract: In a method of guiding a missile in flight to a target (FIG. 1), the location of the missile and the range to the target are measured at a plurality of moments during the flight of the missile (step 10). The location of the target is calculated from the measured ranges and the measured missile locations (step 20). A required velocity vector angle is calculated from the calculated location of the target and a guidance law (step 30). A lateral acceleration required to provide the missile with a velocity oriented to the target at the required velocity vector angle is calculated for the missile (step 40). The missile is caused to accelerate with the calculated lateral acceleration, so that the missile to follows a trajectory according to the guidance law (step 50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: MBDA UK LIMITED
    Inventor: Nigel STANSFIELD
  • Patent number: 7053815
    Abstract: A radar tracking system for an anti-aircraft, missile, including angle tracking, doppler tracking and range tracking feedback loops operating on sum and difference channels. Fast fourier transform digital filters are used to provide a frequency spectrum of the sum and difference I.F. channels and detection and confirmation algorithms are employed for selecting the F.F.T. target ‘bin’. Adjacent F.F.T. bins are used to simulate a bin centered on the target frequency, shifts of the latter with target/missile acceleration causing frequency errors which are detected by a discriminator and used to control the target I.F. Confirmation of target acquisition is achieved by successive summations of the target bin power the totals being accumulated and compared with upper and lower thresholds. Confirmation and rejection results from total levels outside the thresholds while further accumulation and comparison follow the intermediate condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Alenia Marconi Systems Limited
    Inventors: David William Joynson, Nigel Stansfield, Peter James MacBean