The invention includes a method and apparatus for planning a mission profile in real time on board a platform or a vehicle dispensed from a platform. In general, the mission planning technique includes ascertaining a plurality of target information, including a target location, a target velocity, and a target location error. This is followed by an autonomous determination of a pattern from the ascertained target information. In one particular implementation, the autonomous determination includes projecting along a target axis a direction opposite a target heading defined by the target velocity a distance of at least twice the target location error to establish an intersection of the target axis with the target location error; projecting left and right relative to the target axis from the intersection a distance at least as great as one-half the target location error to determine a pair of possible start points; selecting the possible start point closest to the platform; determining a dispense point; laying out a trace from the selected start point; and translating the trace along a heading defined by the target velocity a distance determined by the elapsed time of travel for the platform to the dispense point and for a vehicle from the dispense point to the start point. In other aspects, the invention includes a computing device programmed to perform this autonomous determination or a program storage device encoded with instructions for performing such a determination.

A detection device detects an obstacle within a target region by setting the target region, setting a scan trajectory, and setting a pattern of an irradiation position of a laser beam within the target region based on a signal related to a moving state of the detection device or a moving object on which the detection device is mounted.

The present invention, in its various aspects and embodiments, includes a method for planning a mission profile in real time. The method comprises ascertaining a plurality of target information (including a target location, a target velocity, and a target location error) and autonomously determining a pattern from the ascertained target information. In one particular embodiment, the autonomous determination includes projecting along a target axis a distance of the target location error to establish two intersections of the target axis with the target location error; projecting perpendicularly left and right from the intersections to determine a pair of possible start point pairs; selecting the possible start point pair including a closest single start point; selecting the farthest start point of the selected start point pair; identifying an adjusted start point; mirroring the adjusted start point to obtain an adjusted start point pair; and laying out the front-end and back-end traces from the adjusted start point pair.

The invention an optical system and a method for automatically controlling the gain of a receiver in an optical system. The optical system includes an optical receiver, a pulse capture unit, and an automatic gain control. The pulse capture unit includes a capture unit capable of capturing an optical signal received by the optical receiver; and, a process unit capable of processing the captured optical signal. The automatic gain control is capable of controlling the gain of the optical receiver responsive to the content of the processed optical signal. The method includes comparing the intensity of at least one returned pulse, and typically a plurality of returned pulses, to a predetermined value; and controlling the gain of an optical detector responsive to the comparison. In addition, the maximum gain is controlled by a noise limit in some implementations.

A guidance seeker system for a projectile includes a plurality of photoconductive sensing elements symmetrically disposed about a central axis of the projectile. When a target is illuminated with a light source, a lens transmits light reflected from the target to one or more of the photoconductive sensing elements. Dependent on which photoconductive sensing element is irradiated, a variance between the line of flight of the projectile and the target is determined. A voltage impulse resulting from irradiation of the photoconductive sensing element triggers actuation of a course corrector, such as a diverter, to nudge the line of flight of the projectile to increase the likelihood of the projectile reaching the desired target. This guidance seeking system is particularly effective when the target is designated with a pulsed laser.