US 12,281,878 B2
Coordination of pulse repetition frequency (PRF) codes in laser-guided applications
Dmitry V. Knyazev, Tucson, AZ (US); James P. Henderson, Sahuarita, AZ (US); and Jeremy J. Radtke, Oro Valley, AZ (US)
Assigned to Raytheon Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/404,747.
Prior Publication US 2023/0056587 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. F41G 7/00 (2006.01); F41G 7/22 (2006.01)
CPC F41G 7/007 (2013.01) [F41G 7/2246 (2013.01); F41G 7/2293 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
loading an operator code into a memory of a laser-guided projectile, wherein the laser-guided projectile is configured to be guided by a laser pulsed according to a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) code, and wherein the operator code contains authentication information of an authorized operator of the laser-guided projectile;
removably coupling a projectile interface of a dongle associated with the authorized operator of the laser-guided projectile to a dongle interface of the laser-guided projectile, wherein the dongle includes a dongle code identifying the PRF code of a guidance laser to be recognized and followed by the laser-guided projectile;
authorizing the operator code by associating the dongle with the authorized operator of the laser-guided projectile; and
in response to the laser-guided projectile authorizing the operator code, loading the dongle code from the dongle onto the laser-guided projectile to switch the laser-guided projectile to a ready to fire state.