EP0015805B1 - Dispositif de visée optique pour la désignation de cibles mobiles - Google Patents

Dispositif de visée optique pour la désignation de cibles mobiles Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0015805B1
EP0015805B1 EP19800400235 EP80400235A EP0015805B1 EP 0015805 B1 EP0015805 B1 EP 0015805B1 EP 19800400235 EP19800400235 EP 19800400235 EP 80400235 A EP80400235 A EP 80400235A EP 0015805 B1 EP0015805 B1 EP 0015805B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
inertial
sighting
sighting device
circuit
respect
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP19800400235
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0015805A1 (fr
Inventor
Jacquus Coeuillet
Gérard Dubault
Christian Pore
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Thales SA
Original Assignee
Thomson CSF SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Thomson CSF SA filed Critical Thomson CSF SA
Publication of EP0015805A1 publication Critical patent/EP0015805A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0015805B1 publication Critical patent/EP0015805B1/fr
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/02—Aiming or laying means using an independent line of sight
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/14—Indirect aiming means
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G5/00—Elevating or traversing control systems for guns
    • F41G5/14—Elevating or traversing control systems for guns for vehicle-borne guns

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a portable optical aiming device for designating moving targets.
  • designation of targets is meant the determination of the coordinates defining at least the direction of the target relative to the device.
  • Such a device is more particularly studied in relation to electromagnetic detection equipment where it replaces the currently used sighting device which is mounted on a fixed post on a turret for example.
  • a lack of freedom of movement can in certain circumstances hinder the rapid use of a turret sighting device.
  • the objective designation is made by means of an optical sighting device constituted by a sighting sight proper, mounted on a turret, and having two degrees of freedom, site and azimuth for example, the associated electronic device being mounted on another turret.
  • the positions of the two turrets are identified, preferably in identical coordinate systems, relative to the platform which supports them. The operation of such a sighting device mounted on a turret is recalled in what follows.
  • An observer directs the turret of the optical post in the direction of the objective which must be taken over by the tracking means. It sends a signal possibly via a computer performing parallaxing when the objective is well identified by the device; at this instant, the coordinates identifying the orientation of the aiming device are transmitted by any known analog means such as for example the synchromachines, or digital, such as for example the coders, to the system which directs the associated tracking means; this system, which can for example be a set of servomechanisms, copies during the designated direction.
  • a serious drawback of this type of device lies in a lack of flexibility of use, the support turret reducing to two the number of degrees of freedom, while according to the invention the number of degrees of freedom reaches six.
  • the present invention aims to make the sighting device completely free, which is obtained by making it portable.
  • the device according to the invention must however have a connection with the tracking device to which it must transmit the information it determines, generally a computer.
  • This electrical connection is made by flexible wires or by radioelectric means, it does not however constitute a hindrance in the freedom to operate the aiming device.
  • the portable optical sighting device allowing the rapid sighting of a target and comprising on the one hand grouped in an enclosure capable of being held in the hand sighting optics, an inertial means for determining the direction sighting optics with respect to a predetermined anterior direction, said inertial means being rigidly fixed to the sighting optics, electronic means coding the information coming from the inertial means, means for recalibration with respect to said predetermined direction and d on the other hand, a computer for taking this information into account, characterized in that it includes means for validating the information coding the measurements made in the inertial means and means for transmitting this validated information to a computer located outside of the enclosure, said validating means being controlled either by manual control means when the device is used at 6 degrees of freedom, or pa r recalibration means when the device is placed on a base giving it a predetermined direction.
  • FIG. 1 represents an example of a central inertia, the well-known principle of which will only be briefly recalled here.
  • a central unit comprises two gyroscopes 12, 13 which can rotate in two rings 10, 11 fixed perpendicular to each other by a point, 14.
  • This set of two gyroscopes rotates freely in a system of three rings 5, 6 and 7 being able to rotate freely inside each other by means of three axes 15, 16 and 17, such that two of them, corresponding to successive rings, are perpendicular.
  • the largest ring 5 rotates freely around an axis 17, mounted directly on the aiming optics.
  • Ring 6 rotates in ring 5 and ring 7 in ring 6.
  • Each of the axes of rotation has an angular sensor 1, 2, 3 and 4 making it possible to measure the angle of rotation of said axis relative to its support ring in a position starting date set arbitrarily.
  • One of exu, 2, that mounted on the axis 15 of the second ring 6, controls a servo circuit 9 of a motor 8, mounted on the axis 17 of the first ring so as to keep the rings 6 and 7 perpendicular to each other.
  • This necessary condition is due to the fact that, if for example the rings 6 and 7 become parallel, a degree of freedom would be lost, preventing certain kinematic evolutions of the system of the inertial unit.
  • the portable sight optic to which a inertial unit is rigidly fixed can be of any type such as, for example, a pair of binoculars or an optical sight rifle.
  • Each of the two gyroscopes of the inertial unit with gyroscopic effect is of course driven by a motor not shown here in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 2 represents a schematic diagram of the portable optical aiming device according to the invention. It includes a power supply 20 connected to a circuit 25 for validating the measurements, which can for example be a simple switch or a flip-flop of the monostable type, a recalibration circuit 19 comprising for example flip-flops, a sampling circuit 30 whose frequency is as a function of the required aiming precision, a circuit 22 for analog-digital conversion, a circuit 23 comprising flip-flops and / or "AND" gates, a circuit 24 for transmitting measurements to the motors of the gyroscopes of the inertial unit 28.
  • the recalibration circuits 19 and measurement validation 25 have an external control 18 and 27 respectively which can be, for example, switches.
  • the inertial unit 28 is connected in series, via the outputs of the sensors 1, 3 and 4, with the sampling circuit 30, the analog-digital conversion circuit 22, the circuit of the "AND" gates and / or flip-flops 23 and the circuit 24 for transmitting the measurements.
  • the circuit 23 also receives the output of the circuit 25 for validating the measurements and an output of the recalibration circuit 19, the second output of this circuit being connected to the power supplies of the motors of the gyroscopes of the inertial unit 28.
  • the electric current supply circuit 20 can be incorporated into the actual device of the present invention in order to give it complete autonomy by eliminating an electric supply link which can hinder the maneuverability of the optical sighting device. If this connection is kept, the power supply 20 may be integral with the place of use in order to lighten the optical sighting device.
  • This power supply 20 could for example consist of a small battery.
  • the analog signals which can be electrical voltages of variable amplitude with the angle of rotation of the axes relative to the rings which serve as their support, coming from the sensors 1, 3 and 4, are sampled by the circuit 30 and coded in digital by circuit 22. These signals are transmitted to the input of circuit 23 which only outputs null signals as long as circuit 25, using command 27, does not send a signal authorizing the transmission of sensor measurements. This can be done for example, by sending a unit pulse to the second input of the AND circuits, thus allowing the transfer of the measurements as long as the unit pulse exists.
  • the recalibration circuit 19 acts when the portable aiming device is placed, between two uses, on any base, the only constraints of which are to maintain the optical aiming device in a predetermined direction, and to activate the control 18 which can, for example, being a simple switch.
  • the circuit 19 then allows the transfer of the measurements in the circuit 23; simultaneously a reset of the sensors can be done. This last operation in practice is not necessary because the measurements of the central inertia 28, even false with respect to the real direction of the base, can serve as a reference for the external computer of the device.
  • the support base may for example be integral with the place of use and include a hollow part acting as a sheath whose internal shape corresponds to the external shape of the portable optical sighting device, thus allowing good steering timing, the 18 s control 'then starts as soon as the portable optical sighting device is sheathed.
  • the recalibration circuit 19 may, for example, include a set of flip-flops controlled by the signal from terminal 18 and the outputs of which are connected to circuit 23 for validation of the measurements. These flip-flops can for example under the action of a command pulse from command 18, deliver a unit binary signal which, applied to the second inputs of the "AND" gates of circuit 23, allows the passage of binary words representing the measurements of angles of the sensors through said "AND" doors and their transmission by means 24 of connection with the external computer.
  • FIG. 3 shows a simple, nonlimiting example of a sensor that can be used in the aiming device to determine the angle of rotation of the axes of the gyroscope inertial unit with respect to the rings supporting them with respect to a relative initial position of these axes and their support rings, fixed arbitrarily.
  • It includes the sensor 3 proper, consisting of a potentiometer whose the axis 16 is that of the ring 6 inside the ring 5; the sensor 3 is rigidly fixed to the ring 5.
  • the two electrical wires 31 and 33 correspond to the end of the resistance of the potentiometer, and are connected to the supply circuit 20; the third electric wire 32 corresponds to a variable intermediate socket of the resistor and is connected with one of the wires 31 or 33, to the sampling circuit 30.
  • the voltage collected between the wires 32 and 31 or 33 is sent to the circuit 30 sampling. This tension is therefore in the example chosen directly proportional to the angle of rotation of the axis 16 relative to the ring 5 of the support.
  • FIG. 4 represents a diagram of an inertial unit using 3 gyrometers.
  • This type of power plant is known by the Anglo-Saxon name of "Strap Down". It comprises three gyrometers 41, 42 and 43 provided with sensors 45, 46 and 47 measuring their accelerations by inertia mounted on a trihedron which can be orthogonal and represented here by the directions x, y and z.
  • This trihedron also comprises a calculating member 401 performing the integrals making it possible to evaluate the angles of rotation of the trihedron from the angular accelerations of the gyrometers provided by the sensors 45, 46 and 47.
  • This calculating member delivers the output signals to a terminal 44 which is connected to the input of the sampling circuit 30.
  • the assembly of the three gyros and of the calculation unit can therefore replace the inertial unit 28 with gyroscopic effect and its sensors.
  • a sighting device with six degrees of freedom has thus been described making it possible to transmit to a tracking computer external to the device according to the invention the information necessary for the rapid and automatic aiming of a system towards a targeted target.
  • the validation circuit 25 may have its output directly connected to the transmission means 24, thus allowing continuous transmission of the information coming from the inertial unit 28 and in parallel with a validation signal coming from the circuit 25.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Gyroscopes (AREA)
  • Telescopes (AREA)
EP19800400235 1979-03-02 1980-02-19 Dispositif de visée optique pour la désignation de cibles mobiles Expired EP0015805B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7905500A FR2450437A1 (fr) 1979-03-02 1979-03-02 Dispositif de visee optique pour la designation de cibles mobiles
FR7905500 1979-03-02

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0015805A1 EP0015805A1 (fr) 1980-09-17
EP0015805B1 true EP0015805B1 (fr) 1984-09-19

Family

ID=9222702

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19800400235 Expired EP0015805B1 (fr) 1979-03-02 1980-02-19 Dispositif de visée optique pour la désignation de cibles mobiles

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0015805B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE3069199D1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2450437A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2542863B1 (fr) * 1983-03-17 1987-02-27 Sfim Systeme heliporte de localisation et de determination des parametres de deplacement d'une cible, et procede pour sa mise en oeuvre

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3135862A (en) * 1953-09-29 1964-06-02 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Digital target information transmission system with parallax correction
US3515881A (en) * 1965-06-08 1970-06-02 Itek Corp Panning control circuit for electronic image motion stabilization systems
US3594556A (en) * 1969-01-08 1971-07-20 Us Navy Optical sight with electronic image stabilization
US3829659A (en) * 1971-03-01 1974-08-13 Hughes Aircraft Co System for compensating line-of-sight from stabilized platform against misdirection caused by lateral linear accelerations
US3803387A (en) * 1972-09-20 1974-04-09 Us Navy Alignment error detection system
US4087919A (en) * 1975-07-22 1978-05-09 Canadair Limited Rate integrating gyroscopic aiming method and device therefor

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2450437A1 (fr) 1980-09-26
EP0015805A1 (fr) 1980-09-17
FR2450437B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1983-07-18
DE3069199D1 (en) 1984-10-25

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