FR2788845A1 - Shooting supervisor for machine gun, rocket launcher or anti-tank includes first and second modules to measure and visualize line of sight of projectile - Google Patents

Abstract

Shooting supervisor includes first module (10) and second module (11,12). First module has measurement captors (1,2,3) of distance between gunner and target, of target speed and secondary parameters, data support (4) receiving projectile data, calculator (5) receiving measurement results and performing rise and bearing calculations, means (6) to calculate rotation angles ( alpha 1and alpha 2). The second module has a mechanical interface (8) for fixing shooting supervisor on weapon and, for weapons needing limited ocular displacement zone, includes diverter (11), such as diasporameter, and materialization system of line of sight (12), such as laser pointer. For weapons needing large ocular displacement zone, second module has viewfinder with mobile sight axis.

Description

The present invention relates to shooting assistance devices and it aims

  more particularly a firing line intended to equip weapons with non-guided projectiles, whether they are burst fire weapons, in particular machine guns, shot-by-shot weapons, in particular rocket launchers and launchers projectiles, anti-tank or anti-armor, and high-impulse launchers. Weapons can be shoulder

  or not, at low or high recoil, the targeted targets can be fixed or mobile.

  We know that weapons capable of firing unguided projectiles require, to improve their probability of reaching targets, to increase their field of use or to take into account moving targets, means making it possible to ensure a target designation towards a future goal, in order to compensate mainly for the arrow of ballistic projectiles and the displacement of targets. It can also be interesting, depending on the type of ammunition and the desired accuracy, to take into account other dispersion factors such as, for example, wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure

  atmospheric, the bow of the weapon, etc ...

  Known devices (FR-A-2 140 699, 2 075 391 and 2 496 251) use, to solve the problem thus posed, a laser rangefinder to measure the distance from the target and calculate its radial speed, angular speed sensors to calculate the transverse speed of the target and possibly other sensors, in particular to measure the wind speed and direction, the ambient temperature,

the side of the weapon ...

  The information thus collected is entered into a calculator which, for the projectile fired to reach its target, must define, taking into account the characteristics of said projectile, an angle of increase and establish a correction in bearing. The corrected aiming point is indicated to the shooter in his viewfinder by

optical or optomechanical means.

  These known devices have the drawback of being linked to a type of weapon

or to a particular projectile.

  The present invention proposes to provide a firing control device which can be easily mounted on weapons of different types, in particular burst fire weapons, shot fire, shoulder, non-shoulder, strong or low recoil, including machine guns, rocket launchers and anti-armor or anti-armor projectile launchers, and high-impulse launchers, targets can be fixed or mobile. Thus, the present invention proposes to solve the problem of producing a fire control device having the best possible versatility. From a common basic module, you can: - adapt an optical device specific to each need to display the corrected aiming point, - install, depending on the variant, an additional optical device intended for

  ] 0 provide a magnification of the optical image or allow night shooting.

  - add a specific attachment interface to the selected weapons; Consequently, the subject of the present invention is a fire control device characterized in that it comprises: - A first module, or basic module, grouping together: - sensors, for measuring the distance separating the shooter from the target , for measuring the angular speed of the target, and for additional measures to take into account secondary parameters, - an information medium receiving the characteristic data of the projectile, - a computer receiving the results of the measurements from said sensors as well as the data relating to the projectile transmitted by said information medium, this computer providing the rise and deposit calculations and, - a calculation means translating the calculated rise and deposit angles, in the form of angles of rotation usable by the device display of the corrected aiming point. - A second module constituting the corrected aiming point display device for which two variants, A and B, will be distinguished. Variant A applies to weapons requiring for aiming only a zone of

  limited eye movement, including shoulder weapons.

  Variant B applies to weapons requiring an area of

  significant eye deflection, for example machine guns.

  - A mechanical interface allowing the attachment of the firing control device to the weapon, and, as an option - A third module, additional optical device intended to extend the operational capacities of the weapon to particular conditions in particular shooting

by night.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge

  of the description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are

  refer to nonlimiting exemplary embodiments.

  In the drawings: FIGS. 1a and 1b are block diagrams of the invention for its variants A and B, that is to say equipped with a module constituting the display device îo of the corrected aiming point of variant A or B. FIG. 2 is also a schematic representation, in side view illustrating the architecture of a firing line according to the present invention, mounted on a weapon requiring for aiming only a zone of limited eye movement,

  for example a shoulder rocket launcher.

  FIG. 3 is also a schematic representation similar to FIG. 2 in side view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention in which the weapon on which the firing line is mounted is a weapon requiring for aiming a

  significant eye deflection area, here a machine gun.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram relating to the method of calculating the angles of rotation to be given to the deflector for variant A. FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the device for displaying the aiming point for variant A. FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the viewfinder with a movable aiming axis for variant B, FIG. 7 is a diagram intended to illustrate an example of the principle of aiming which can be implemented in variant B. With reference to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, sees that the firing line, object of the present invention essentially comprises: a basic module designated as a whole by the reference 10, a second module designated as a whole by the reference 11 + 12 or the reference 11 '+ 12' according to the variant and a mechanical interface designated by the reference 8 ensuring the connection of the aforementioned modules to the weapon. The first module 10 comprises: a sensor 1 for measuring the distance between the shooter and the target. It is an ocular safety rangefinder having characteristics, in particular of range, making it possible to cover all the operational needs of the weapons likely to receive the device object of the present invention; a sensor 2 for measuring the angular speed of the target around a vertical axis passing through the shooter, this sensor being able to be produced in the form of a gyrometer for example. An equivalent means can be, if necessary, added to ensure the measurement of the angular speed of the target in a vertical plane, this in order to take into account targets animated by a high vertical speed; - optionally, sensors 3 for additional measurements to take into account secondary parameters such as wind speed and direction which can be measured using for example an anemometer, the side of the weapon which can be measured for example using an inclinometer. These additional sensors can be installed, for a specific application, after analysis

  the performance gain over cost ratio.

  - An information carrier 4 containing the data relating to the ballistic characteristics of the ammunition fired by the weapon on which is mounted the fire control system object of the invention. This support can be produced, for example, so as to ensure the greatest possible versatility, by a storage memory placed on an external plug-in card as required,

  each type of ammunition having its own card.

  a computer 5 to which are transmitted on the one hand, the results of the measurements coming from the sensors 1 to 3 and on the other hand, the ballistic characteristics of the

ammunition from the holder 4.

  According to the present invention, with regard to the computer 5, there are two essential functions: estimating the speed and the angular acceleration of the target and predicting the future goal at impact compared to driving firing, that is to say the prediction of the direction of the pointing of the weapon. The speed and angular acceleration are estimated, according to the present invention, by the installation of a Kalman filter, receiving as input the distance measurements from the target, the angular speed measurements from the target and possibly additional parameter measurements. We know that Kalman filtering is a classic method of contemporary automatic filtering, the implementation of which has become possible thanks to the development of the capacities of digital computers. Its principle is to compare the measurements at the input of the filter with the current estimate of the kinematic characteristics of the target, calculated by taking into account a mathematical model of its movement. The difference observed corresponds either to a measurement noise, or to an actual movement of the target which does not correspond perfectly to the modeling hypotheses adopted. The filter algorithms make it possible to determine the share of useful information contained in this residue, taking into account the variations due to measurement errors and

  estimation errors related to the model.

  The filter settings will be determined from knowledge of the target-shooter distance. For the system chosen, it seems wise to assume the absolute angular accelerations and the relative radial speed of the target with respect to the shooter as constant. These choices make the performance of the

  fire control compatible with agile targets (having acceleration).

  According to the invention, the prediction of the aiming direction of the weapon will use the results of the previous algorithms, first of all to determine the time of flight of the projectiles, then to determine the aiming corrections to be made, taking into account the ballistic nature of the shots, towards the expected position of the target at impact. This first module 10 further comprises, designated by the reference 6, a means of calculating the angles of rotation to be given to the deflector or the viewfinder with a movable line of sight. Its function is to calculate the angles of rotation X, and c2 to be given to the deflector 11 or to the viewfinder with a moving line of sight 11 '+ 12', that is to say, as will be seen below, either to the prisms of the diasporameters in the case of variant A or to the eccentrics on which is mounted the point materializing the line of sight in the case of variant B. This calculation means 6 therefore calculates said angles of orientation from the characteristics , either of said diasporameters or

  said eccentrics, stored in modules 11 or 11 '.

  In the case of prisms of diasporameters, the characteristics taken into account are the deflection angles of the prisms In the case of eccentrics, the characteristic taken into account is the equivalent deflection angle, ie e / f (e being the value of l 'eccentricity and f the focal length of the lens). In both cases, we calculate (a, and a (2 so that the vector sum of the deviations is equal to the deviation of the line of sight M (see figure

4 and Figure 7).

  If the linear approximation proves to be insufficient (case of large deflection angles), the algorithm is complicated by integrating: - for prism diasporameter systems, the effect of the distortion of the

prism as a function of a1 and a2.

  - for eccentric systems, the distortion of the objective (law of sight angle / position of the reticle), the vector addition remaining valid in the plane of the reticle, The second module designated by the reference 11 + 12 or 11 '+ 12 ′ is specific to the weapon to which the fire control device object of the invention is applied. This module is therefore produced according to two variants, the first (variant A) applies to a weapon requiring for aiming only a zone of limited eye movement, in particular shoulder weapons, and the second (variant B) applies to a weapon requiring for the aim an important zone of ocular deflection, in particular the machine guns:

1) Variant A (Figure 5).

  It includes a sighting system with a low entrance pupil most often associated with a high magnification (for example G = 3). A system of two visible achromatic double prisms, 14a and 14b driven in rotation by motors 15a and 15b respectively, is placed in front of the line of sight materialization device designated as a whole by the reference 12 (reticle scope, pointer laser, clear viewfinder, etc.) in the case of FIG. 5, this assembly 12 is a fixed reticle scope 16. Each prism deviates the line of sight from a and, within the framework of the linear approximation, the deviations are added and we have: Rise = a (sin ai + sin a2) - Deposit = a (cos a1 + cos a2)

2) Variant B (Figure 6).

  It includes a sighting system with a large zone of ocular deflection and a magnification of the landscape equal to 1 and operates by moving the aiming point. The entrance pupil imposed by the ocular deflection zone is too

  large so that prisms of acceptable size can be positioned there.

  We can therefore consider several solutions, the one described below not constituting

than an example of realization.

  This embodiment is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6. An aiming point 17, (for example a reticle, a laser diode, optical fiber, etc.) forming the aiming axis generator, is carried by a double system. eccentric shown diagrammatically by reference 18 having the same eccentricity e (see also the

figure 7).

  Since the two eccentrics have the same eccentricity e, the position of the movable reticle in its plane is given by: x = e (cos a (1 + Cos a2) Deposit = x / fy = e (sin a, + sin a2 ) Rise = y / f

  The line of sight is superimposed on the landscape image using a mixer.

  The sighting axis generator and the mixer are referenced at 12 '(Fig. Lb).

  lo The device according to the invention further comprises a mechanical interface 8

  allowing its attachment to the selected weapon.

  The third optional module 13 is a complementary optical device.

  Indeed, it can be interesting in particular cases, in particular the shooting at night, the

  firing on distant targets ... to have a suitable optical user interface.

  For example in the case of the machine gun where the sight requires a large area of ocular movement, variant B only provides a magnification of 1 the diameter of the optics limiting this magnification. It can nevertheless be interesting, to place the first ball precisely, to have a magnification. The complementary optical device will then be a telescope

retractable magnification.

  FIG. 2 schematically represents the architecture of a weapon requiring for aiming only a zone of limited ocular movement, for example an anti-tank rocket launcher, provided with a firing line object of the invention. In this figure, the weapon has been designated by the reference 9. The fire control device with which it is equipped comprises the basic module 10 as defined above as well as the second module comprising, the diverter 11, of the type corresponding to variant A also described above and the line of sight materialization system designated by the reference 12. The mechanical interface 8 ensures the connection of the

  fire control device (modules 10, 11 + 12) with the weapon 9.

  The embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 refers to the implementation of the fire control device according to the invention on a weapon requiring for the aim a large area of ocular deflection, for example a machine gun. In this figure, we find the same elements as those of Figure 2, assigned the same references, but in this case the module assembly 11 '+ 12' corresponds to variant B described above. Similarly: - the set 11 ', composed of a servo-mechanism and a double eccentric, corresponds to the diverter 11, - the set 12' corresponds to the sight line materialization system

  12; 11 'and 12' forming a viewfinder with a movable line of sight.

  Aiming with the device according to the invention as described above is carried out as follows: 1) acquisition and calculation phase: the shooter positions his aiming axis on the target and follows it: this action allows to the sensors 1, 2, 3 to carry out the necessary measurements of the distance from the target and of its radial and angular velocities and possibly of the additional parameters. The data collected from the results of the measurements made by the sensors is processed by the computer 5 which also receives the data relating to the characteristics of the projectile provided by the information medium 4, and which calculates the angular corrections (rise and bearing) to give to the weapon so that the projectile reaches the target. For the shooter, this correction is materialized by the relative displacement of

  the image of the target relative to the line of sight.

  2) weapon repointing phase: the shooter replaces the new aiming point

on the target and fires.

  The period of validity of the corrected aiming point is materialized, for example

by lighting a diode.

  Reading the above description shows that the design of the

  fire control device according to the invention in three modules and an interface ensures the function of versatility allowing to obtain sufficiently universal characteristics to be able to integrate with different weapons, in particular weapons

  anti-tank and anti-armor and machine guns.

  Still for the sake of versatility, the diverter 11, in variant A, is designed so as to be able to receive, as required, devices for materializing the line of sight 12, of origin and of different characteristics intended to provide magnification optical image or night shooting capabilities. With the same concern for versatility, variant B can be equipped with additional optical device 13 making it possible to adapt to conditions

particular environment.

  According to the invention, the characteristics of the prisms of the deflector 11 or the characteristics of the eccentrics are housed in the display devices of the corrected aiming point to be transmitted to the calculation means 6 for the purpose

  ensure perfect interchangeability of the different modules.

  Among the other advantages provided by the present invention, the following may be mentioned in particular: a significant increase in the useful combat range, for a given probability of attack; - an increase in the probability of reaching the useful combat range; better consideration of moving targets, i.e. targets at constant speed, and,

  - the possibility of processing agile targets (accelerating targets).

  Furthermore, the firing line, object of the present invention can be produced at a low cost price, which makes it possible to significantly increase the performance of weapons with ballistic projectiles, without new constraints for the shooters. It remains to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and / or mentioned above but that it

includes all variants.

Claims (6)

  1 - Shooting control device intended to equip both weapons requiring for aiming only a limited zone of ocular deflection, as weapons requiring for aiming a zone of significant ocular deflection, characterized in that it comprises: - a first module or basic module (10) grouping together: - sensors (1, 2, 3) for measuring the distance separating the shooter from the target, for measuring the angular speed of the target, and for additional grip measurements taking into account secondary parameters; - an information medium (4) receiving the characteristic data of the projectile, - a computer (5) receiving the results of the measurements coming from said sensors (1, 2, 3) as well as the data relating to the projectile transmitted by said medium information (4), this calculator (5) ensuring the rise and bearing calculations and, - a means of calculation (6) of the angles of rotation (ai1 and Cl2) used to control the correction of the aim; - a second module (11 + 12 or 11 '+ 12'), device for displaying the corrected aiming point, consisting of: - for weapons requiring for aiming only a limited zone of ocular deflection, by a deflector ( 11), such as a diasporameter, and any line of sight materialization system (12), such as in particular a telescope with   reticle, laser pointer, clear viewfinder ...   - for weapons requiring for the aim an eye deflection zone   important, by a viewfinder with movable line of sight itself composed of a sub-   assembly (11 ') composed of a servo-mechanism and a double eccentric and a sub-assembly (12') composed of a sighting axis generator and a mixer and, - a mechanical interface (8) allowing the fixing of the firing control device to the weapon, 2 - Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the computer (5) is designed so as to fulfill two distinct functions: the estimation of the speed and of the angular acceleration of the target and the prediction of the future goal at impact by   in relation to fire control, that is to say, the gun pointing prediction.   3 - Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the estimation of the speed and the angular acceleration of the target is carried out using a Kalman filter receiving as input the distance measurements of the target, the angular velocity measurements and possibly measurements of additional parameters and that the prediction of the aiming direction of the weapon uses the results of said estimation to determine the flight time of the projectiles and the aiming corrections to be made. 4 - Device according to claim 3 characterized in that the settings of the Kalman filter are determined from the measurement of the target-shooter distance, the   absolute angular accelerations being considered constant.   - Device according to any one of the preceding claims   characterized in that the means for calculating (6) the angles (x and a2 uses either the characteristics of the prisms of the deflector (11), or the characteristics of the eccentrics, these characteristics being stored in the display devices of the corrected aiming point to be transmitted to the calculation means (6), for the purpose   ensure perfect interchangeability of the different modules.   6 - Device according to any one of the preceding claims   characterized in that the deflector (11) provided in the second module (11 + 12), in the case of weapons requiring for aiming only a zone of limited ocular deflection comprises a system of two double prisms (14a, 14b) , driven in rotation by motors (15a, 15b), this system being placed in front of the   materialization of line of sight (12) with fixed reticle (16).   7 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in   that the viewfinder with movable line of sight (11 '+ 12') in the case of weapons requiring for the sight a significant zone of ocular movement is produced in the form of a sight in which the point of sight (17) is mounted on a double eccentric system (18) having the same eccentricity, the line of sight being superimposed on the landscape using a blender.   8 - Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that it further comprises a third module (13), an additional optical device intended to extend the operational capacities of the weapons requiring for the aiming a large area of ocular deflection, to   special conditions including night shooting.   9 - Device according to claim 8 characterized in that the complementary optical device (13) is a magnifying scope, said scope may be retractable to leave the shooter the choice between a large eye movement with a magnification of 1 or more eye movement weak but   with a magnification greater than 1.