EP0605290B1 - Optronic shooting aid device for hand weapon and its application to progress in a hostile environment - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to the field of shooting assistance carried out by individual weapon and relates to an optronic aid device for this type of shooting and the application of this device to progression in a hostile environment.

The effectiveness of current individual weapons with kinetic projectiles is generally low, due to the very low proportion of shooters capable of achieving aiming and maintaining aiming precise enough to be effective. The part left to the individual gunner is very important and cannot compensate for a very low all-weather capacity of the aiming system. In addition, the probability of hitting the target suddenly drops from the shooting range to live fire or combat. This fall is explained by the stress experienced by the shooter, the parameters and the conditions of sight (moving targets, masked, etc.) or the parasitic movement due to the pressure on the trigger at the time of the shooting.

Firing assistance systems are known. For example, patent EP 099204 describes a large field system for detection and a small field system for identification, or else two objectives in series with different and variable magnifications, to give two images allowing an aid in the pursuit of moving targets. Other devices, such as that disclosed by patent EP 100719, have been devised with a large field imaging system offset from the line of sight of the weapon which supports the small field imaging system; the two images are then the subject of a correlation, and an aiming mark is produced in the wide field image so as to indicate the line of sight of the weapon when the correlation is obtained. Document US-A-4,786,966 also uses the combination of two images. All these systems provide a pointing aid by improving the aim, but do not solve the problem of the quality of the shot linked to the conditions in which the shot is taken.

The invention proposes to solve this problem by considering the shooter and his weapon as a whole, forming a complete system. Thus, according to the invention, the probability of a hit on goal is significantly increased by combining, during preparation for shooting, an identification aid with a conditional shooting trigger taking into account the parameters and the aiming conditions: identification aid allows the shooter to authorize the shooting on a target recognized as potentially threatening, and the conditional triggering of the shot makes it possible to hit the target with a high success rate whatever the stress, the training or the training of the bearer of the weapon.

More specifically, the subject of the invention relates to an optronic device for assisting in the firing of an individual weapon for an infantryman, equipped with a helmet display comprising a wide field sensor delivering an imaging signal to a visualization monitor and '' a small axis field sensor coincident with the aiming axis of the weapon characterized in that it comprises a target tracker integrated into the weapon, control means and transmission means for controlling the passage of large field / small field to the visualization monitor, triggering of target acquisition to tracker and shooting authorization to comparison means when the acquired target is centered on the axis of the small field, and in that means of mechanical and electrical connection between helmet and weapon achieve optronic harmonization between large field and small field imagery.

The invention perfectly integrates the different missions that an infantryman must accomplish to progress safely in a hostile environment.

• la progression (notamment de nuit) nécessite une veille grand champ dans une bande spectrale a priori large;
• l'identification de menaces potentielles implique des grossissements importants dans une direction déterminée;
• éviter le tir fratricide demande une interrogation puis une réception de la réponse;
• atteindre sa cible avec un fort taux de réussite exige une conjoncture favorable entre les différents paramètres dépendant du tireur et des conditions de tir.

These different functions, taken in isolation, are notably different, even if the reaction times are not taken into account:

• progression (especially at night) requires wide field monitoring in an a priori wide spectral band;
• the identification of potential threats implies significant magnifications in a given direction;
• avoiding fratricidal fire requires an interrogation then a reception of the response;
• Hitting your target with a high success rate requires a favorable conjuncture between the different parameters depending on the shooter and the shooting conditions.

• d'abord des moyens intégrés au casque pour une visualisation grand champ, combinés à un système d'identification Ami-Ennemi, pour l'environnement lors de la progression et vérifier si une menace potentielle est un ami ;
• puis des moyens de commande de l'arme connectée au casque, successivement actionnés pour passer en mode de visualisation petit champ afin d'effectuer une reconnaissance de cible, pour acquérir la cible si la menace est réelle, et enfin autoriser le tir qui ne se déclenche que lorsque la cible acquise est au centre de l'axe du petit champ.

The invention makes it possible to simplify these procedures and the number of pieces of equipment for executing them by fulfilling these different missions by appropriate use of the means of the invention:

• first means integrated into the helmet for wide field viewing, combined with an Ami-Enemy identification system, to the environment during the progression and check if a potential threat is a friend;
• then control means of the weapon connected to the helmet, successively actuated to switch to small field viewing mode in order to perform target recognition, to acquire the target if the threat is real, and finally authorize the shooting which does not triggers only when the acquired target is in the center of the axis of the small field.

The invention thus applies to progression in a hostile environment, for example for infiltration, under optimal security conditions.

Advantageously, the means for controlling large field / small field passage, target acquisition and conditional firing triggering are integrated into the weapon and correspond, preferably, to staged positions of the stroke of the trigger tail of the 'armed. The control orders can be transmitted by a transmission bus respectively to the video switch, to the tracker and to the comparison means. The comparison means, comprising for example a variometer, a comparator and a memory, can be grouped within a calculation unit. Advantageously, this unit integrates fire correction data.

Furthermore, the mechanical connection means can be constituted by a simple adjustment, made for example by an interlocking between two complementary parts. The electrical connection means can be obtained by retractable contactors.

• la figure 1, un schéma électrique fonctionnel des moyens de l'invention ;
• la figure 2, un exemple d'implantation des moyens mis en oeuvre par l'invention ;
• les figures 3a et 3b, une visualisation grand champ pour la détection de cibles potentielles et pour le centrage d'une cible non identifiée comme "ami" ;
• la figure 4, une visualisation petit champ pour la reconnaissance et l'accrochage de cible;

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description which follows, accompanied by the appended figures which represent, respectively:

• Figure 1, a functional electrical diagram of the means of the invention;
• Figure 2, an example of implementation of the means used by the invention;
• FIGS. 3a and 3b, a wide field display for the detection of potential targets and for the centering of a target not identified as "friend";
• FIG. 4, a small field display for target recognition and attachment;

An infantryman who progresses in a hostile environment is equipped with means for identifying potential threats, recognizing real threats and dealing with these threats. It is equipped with a helmet and an individual weapon on which these different means are distributed. The helmet, for example, can be equipped with a wide field display conventionally comprising a sensor sensitive to visible and / or infrared radiation, coupled to a miniaturized display monitor, for example a liquid crystal screen.

• d'une part, un capteur grand champ 1 qui délivre un signal vidéo SV1 à un moniteur de visualisation 3 via un commutateur vidéo 2;
• d'autre part, un capteur petit champ 4 qui délivre un signal vidéo SV2 au moniteur de visualisation 3 via le commutateur 2 et qui est équipé d'un traqueur (système de poursuite automatique de cible) 5; des moyens de commande 6 actionnent le commutateur vidéo 2, pour un passage grand champ/petit champ dans le visuel du casque, le traqueur 5 pour une acquisition de cible, et des moyens de comparaison tel qu'un écartomètre 9 couplé au comparateur 7, pour une autorisation de tir.

According to the invention, these means are combined with other means integrated on the weapon. FIG. 1 represents a functional electrical diagram of the different means used in an exemplary embodiment of the invention. They understand:

• on the one hand, a wide field sensor 1 which delivers a video signal SV1 to a display monitor 3 via a video switch 2;
• on the other hand, a small field sensor 4 which delivers a video signal SV2 to the display monitor 3 via the switch 2 and which is equipped with a tracker (automatic target tracking system) 5; control means 6 actuate the video switch 2, for a large field / small field passage in the helmet display, the tracker 5 for target acquisition, and comparison means such as a distance meter 9 coupled to comparator 7, for shooting authorization.

The control commands are transmitted respectively to the video switch 2, to the tracker 5 and to the comparator 7 by a transmission bus 8. The video switch 2 delivers either the wide field imaging signal or the small field imaging signal to the viewing 3.

The tracker is a target tracking system well known to those skilled in the art. It is preferably of the hot spot or barycentric type, since it is well suited to detecting mobile threats. Once a target "hooked" by the tracker 5, its coordinates in the small field are evaluated in the distance meter 9, then stored in a memory 10. The coordinates of the various non-threatening targets and accumulated in this memory are used in order to avoid subsequent snagging on this type of target.

The comparator associates the coordinates of the target provided by the distance meter and those of a reference, for example those (0,0) of the center of the field which materializes the axis of the weapon. When the firing authorization order is transmitted to the comparator 7, the latter is made active and sends a firing trigger signal to the firing means 11 of the weapon only when the coordinates of the target are substantially equal to those of the reference, but only in this case. Such a trigger is therefore a conditional firing trigger.

The comparator, the distance meter and the memory can be grouped within a calculation and management unit 12. This unit receives the information coming from the transmission bus 8 and from the tracker 5 and, using programming conventional, delivers control signals adapted to the tracker 5 and to the firing means 11. Thus, when the coordinates of a target are already stored, the calculation unit commands the reset of the tracker.

It is then advantageous to take advantage of the implementation of the conditional triggering firing means, to take account of corrections to be made due to the defects of the weapon (for example misalignment) or the firing conditions (for example, increase in shoot). This electronic compensation is initialized by a prior calculation of the coordinates of the reference to be taken into account. Such predetermination is carried out by the management unit with the aid of programming adapted from the data supplied by the infantryman.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of installation of the various means implemented by the invention, as they appear in operational use. An infantryman F is equipped with a helmet C provided with a visual composed of the wide field sensor 1 coupled to a box B containing the circuit for processing the imaging signal delivered by the wide field sensor 1. The box also includes the monitor display forming an image from the video signal supplied by the processing circuit. Such a display assembly and its incorporation into a helmet are well known to those skilled in the art.

The infantryman's weapon A is equipped with an optical system 20 with a small field sensor which also delivers an imaging signal to the processing circuit via a switch, as described above. System axis optic 20 is aligned by construction, as perfectly as possible, with the firing axis of the weapon in order to avoid as far as possible systematic firing errors.

The transition from large field visualization to small field visualization is triggered in the preferred embodiment of the invention by a suitable positioning of the trigger trigger tail 21. The trigger has different stepped and stable positions obtained successively by increasing substantially the pressure exerted. The positioning of the trigger in these different positions is made reversible by construction so that one can pass from one position to another.

A mechanical adjustment makes it possible to harmonize the axes of sight large field and small field. Such harmonization simply aims to avoid a long (if not impossible) search in the small field for objects previously detected in the large field. This harmonization therefore does not require a high degree of precision, and sufficient adjustment is obtained by fitting the rear of the small field optical system 20 into a contour of the front part 22 of the housing B of the helmet display.

Electrical connections are also to be provided between the nested mechanical parts. Retractable contactors can be used to transmit the bus commands and the signal from the small field sensor to the video switch located in the helmet display housing.

The wide field sensor 1 allows the detection of several potential threats. FIG. 3a represents the image I1 formed by the wide field sensor on the display monitor. This image allows the infantryman to locate and assess, especially at night with a large field sensor sensitive to infrared radiation or associated with a light intensifier. Visual identification of potential targets, such as targets surrounded by circles C1, C2, C3 is then facilitated. On the image I1 also appears in dotted line the outline C ′ of the image obtained in small field before magnification.

Before going into small field mode for a more detailed recognition of potential threats, an Friend-Enemy identification (or IFF, abbreviated from "Identification of a Friend from a Foe" in English) allows you to select the target (s) not friends (enemies or other targets) and thus avoid fratricidal fire. The IFF function is well known; it is conventionally implemented, in the embodiment shown, from laser source transmitters / receivers or laser diodes arranged on the helmet (identified by the references E1, in FIG. 2). The infantryman can transmit when the called party is brought to the center of the detection field, as illustrated by the target C2 in FIG. 3b. After interrogation, according to a sequence of laser pulses coded in number and in duration, the caller knows according to the answer if the called party is a friend or "something else". If the called party is a friend, the search continues by bringing another potential target to the central area. If the called party is not a friend, they may not be hostile and the process continues with a target recognition phase in the small field.

The passage in small field, triggered at the trigger of the weapon, is achieved by means such as those described above. The passage in small field is done like a zoom since the axes large field and small field are harmonized. Thus, in FIG. 4, it clearly appears that in the small field the image I2 corresponds substantially to the central area C ′ of the large field image I1 shown in FIG. 3b, improved in resolution due to the magnification. The passage in the small field makes it possible to recognize one of the targets as potentially threatening, for example C2, then to use the tracker to "hang" the target thus recognized.

In Figure 4, appears the rectangular trace R of the tracker triggered by a new pressure on the trigger. Automatic tracking systems are well known in fire control systems (described for example in patent FR 2 393 322 or FR 2 406 831) and used in combination with radar, lidar or sonar systems. When the tracker is of the barycentric type, it therefore hangs on the barycenter of a particular contrast area different from its immediate environment.

The tracker can very well catch on a false target or on a target already recognized as not threatening. In this case, the management unit described above or the shooter resets it until it is hooked onto the threatening target C2. The reset is obtained by returning to the anterior position of the trigger corresponding to the passage small field.

The acquisition of the target in small field, allows to hang this target whatever the possible movements of the line of sight. By pressing the trigger harder, the infantryman reaches a new stable position corresponding to a conditional firing authorization (which can of course be preceded by a final IFF interrogation). This conditional authorization consists in triggering the firing only when the center of the track R of the tracker is in the line of sight of the weapon, materialized by a cross X in the center of the small field image I2 in FIG. 4. Such a coincidence allows a precise shot and is carried out during a pointing even approximate of the shooter; indeed, the tracker's trace will necessarily pass, and in a relatively short period of time, through the center of the field when the shooter seeks to point, due to the stress of the shooter, erratic movements of the line of sight or the deputy related to the movement of the finger on the trigger.

The different trigger positions corresponding to the different commands are therefore, in the embodiment, four in number, neutral large field position, small field position, target acquisition position and shooting authorization position. However, other positions can be envisaged, such as for example an ultimate security position after that of the authorization to fire. Other control means may also be suitable (sensitive keys, different orientations of a switch, etc.).

For usually nighttime progression, the large field and small field sensors are advantageously of the thermal camera type.

It is also possible to provide alternative implementation means either for triggering the described shooting assistance means, or other known means for shooting assistance, or unassisted shooting triggering means allowing, for example , the use of the weapon at the shooting range.

Claims (8)

1. Optronic device for aiding the firing of a personal weapon (A) for an infantry man (F), equipped with a helmet display (C) including a wide-field sensor (1) delivering an imaging signal to a visualization monitor (3) and with a narrow-field sensor (4) whose axis coincides with the sighting axis of the weapon (A), characterized in that it includes a target tracker (5) integrated with the weapon (A), control means (6) and means (8) for transmitting commands for wide-field/narrow-field changing to a video switch (2), for triggering target acquisition to the tracker (5) and for firing authorization to comparison means (7, 9) which trigger the shot when the acquired target is centred on the axis of the narrow fields, and in that the means for mechanical and electrical connection between the helmet and the weapon produce optronic harmonization between the wide-field and narrow-field imaging.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the control means (6) are carried on the weapon (A) and consist of staged positions, stabilized in the travel of the trigger (21) and reached successively by increasing the pressure exerted, and in that the commands for wide-field/narrow-field changing, for acquisition and for firing authorization are transmitted by a transmission bus (8) which respectively controls the video switch (2), the tracker (5) and the comparison means (7).
3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the target acquisition tracker (5) is coupled to the comparator (7) via a difference measurer (9), the comparator and the difference measurer forming the said comparison means, and in that the comparator (7) triggers the firing means (11) when the firing authorization command is given to the comparator (7) by the bus (8), when the coordinates of the target locked onto by the tracker are evaluated by the difference measurer (9) as being substantially equal to those for the predetermined reference.
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the comparator (7), the difference measurer (9) and a memory (10) are combined in a calculation and management unit (12), and in that the firing correction data are transmitted to the said unit in order to calculate the coordinates of the reference, and in that the memory (10) stores the coordinates of the unthreatening targets in order to reinitialize the tracker (5) when it locks onto them.
5. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the tracker is of the hot-point or centre of gravity type, and in that the wide-field and narrow-field sensors are associated with thermal cameras.
6. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that a mechanical connection between the helmet (C) and the weapon (A) is produced by fitting the rear part of the narrow-field optical system into an adapted contour (22) of a front part of the helmet display (C), which presses against the rear part, and in that an electrical connection is produced between the rear part of the narrow-field optical system and the front part of the helmet display (C) by contact elements for transmitting the commands from the bus (8) and the signal delivered by the narrow-field sensor (4).
7. Application of the device according to one of the preceding claims to the advance of the infantry man in a hostile environment, characterized in that the wide-field display of the helmet is combined with a friend/foe identification system (E1) for monitoring the environment and checking whether a potential threat is a friend, in that the control means (6) of the weapon are successively actuated in order to change to narrow-field visualization mode in order to carry out target recognition, for acquiring the target if the threat is real, and for authorizing firing only when the acquired target lies at the centre of the axis of the narrow field.
8. Application according to Claim 6, characterized in that the friend/foe identification is reiterated after acquisition of the target.

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