System and method for communicating between countermeasure dispensers and expendables

Abstract

A countermeasure dispenser system has a dispenser with a fire pin and a smart expendable housed in the dispenser awaiting to be fired upon a fire command. The smart expendable has features that need power and communication signals from the dispenser. The communication signals and power sent from the dispenser to the smart expendable are sent through an interface that is different than the fire pin in the dispenser. The interface may be a dedicated wired interface or the interface may be a wireless interface. If wireless, the wireless interface may use near field communications, RF signaling, or near field magnetic induction.

1 . A countermeasure dispensing system (CMDS) comprising:
 a sequencer unit;   a first dispenser operably connected to the sequencer unit, and the first dispenser having a fire pin adapted to transmit fire signals therethrough; and   a first expendable that is fired in response to receiving a fire signal from the fire pin; and   a power and communication interface that is different than the fire pin and connects the first expendable to the dispenser, wherein the sequencer communicates with the first expendable via the power and communication interface.   
     
     
         2 . The CMDS of  claim 1 , wherein the expendable is a smart expendable. 
     
     
         3 . The CMDS of  claim 1 , wherein the power and communication interface includes a wired connection. 
     
     
         4 . The CMDS of  claim 3 , wherein the wired connection provides power to the first expendable. 
     
     
         5 . The CMDS of  claim 4 , wherein the power and communication interface includes a first wire interface and a second wire interface, wherein the first expendable communicates with the sequencer via the first wire interface, and wherein the expendable is powered via the second wire interface. 
     
     
         6 . The CMDS of  claim 5 , wherein the first wire interface and the second wire interface is a pair of wires. 
     
     
         7 . The CMDS of  claim 5 , wherein the first wire interface and the second wire interface is a transformer connected to the power and communication interface. 
     
     
         8 . The CMDS of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a second expendable connected to the dispenser via the power and communication interface, wherein the first expendable and the second expendable are connected to the power and communication interface.   
     
     
         9 . The CMDS of  claim 8 , wherein the first expendable and the second expendable are different types of expendables. 
     
     
         10 . The CMDS of  claim 1 , wherein the power and communication interface is a wireless connection. 
     
     
         11 . The CMDS of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless connection provides power to the first expendable for firing the first expendable. 
     
     
         12 . The CMDS of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless connection is one of a point-to-point microwave and millimeter wave transceiver connection, a near field communication connection, or a near field magnetic induction connection. 
     
     
         13 . The CMDS of  claim 10 , wherein the first expendable communicates with the sequencer via the wireless connection after the expendable is fired. 
     
     
         14 . The CMDS of  claim 10 , wherein the first expendable is a nonpyrotechnic expendable. 
     
     
         15 . The CMDS of  claim 10 , wherein the first expendable harvests energy via the wireless connection. 
     
     
         16 . The CMDS of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a second expendable connected to the dispenser via the power and communication interface.   
     
     
         17 . The CMDS of  claim 16 , wherein the first expendable and the second expendable are different types of expendables. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 generating a communication signal in sequencer unit in a countermeasure dispenser system (CMDS);   determining that an expendable having a center pin is housed within a dispenser of the CMDS, wherein the dispenser includes a fire pin contacting the center pin on the expendable;   transferring power from the sequencer unit to the expendable via a power and communication interface that is different than the fire pin;   transferring the communication signal from the sequencer unit to the expendable via a power and communication interface that is different than the fire pin; and   launching the expendable from the dispenser.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 transferring power from the sequencer unit to the expendable having a persistent current that exceeds a maximum no fire current rating for the expendable.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 wirelessly transferring power and the communication signal from the sequencer unit to the expendable via the power and communication interface that is different than the fire pin.