JP2005181059A - Target position evaluating method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a target position evaluating method with few restrictions to actions and operations of an aircraft, and a target position evaluating device, at the time of position evaluation of a terrestrial object target from the sky by the aircraft and the like. <P>SOLUTION: After obtaining, on the aircraft, the azimuth and magnetic dip of the object target from a two-dimensional infrared image of FLIR mounted on such an aircraft as a helicopter, a geography sectional view turned in the direction of the azimuth of the object target from the aircraft position is edited by using an altitude map. And the position evaluating line is drawn towards the magnetic dip direction of the object target from the aircraft position on this geography sectional view. Then, the point which intersects the surface of the earth is the ground located position of the object target. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a target position locating method and a target position locating apparatus for locating a position based on the direction of a ground target acquired from an aircraft by an aircraft such as a helicopter.

  As a device that passively detects the position of the target target, various radiated waves such as sound waves, radio waves, and light waves transmitted from the target target are received by a plurality of sensors provided at different positions, and the reception direction of these radiated waves is indicated. An apparatus that detects the position of a target target by obtaining the intersection of azimuth lines is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In the position detection device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of sensors receive radio waves from a target, calculate azimuth line data as the reception azimuth for each, and then determine the likelihood of each azimuth line data. The target position is detected by obtaining the intersection between them while making the determination.

  That is, in the conventional passive target location method, a plurality of pieces of azimuth information are acquired from different positions with respect to the target target. For this reason, a plurality of sensors are required, and it is necessary to arrange these sensors at physically different positions and operate them simultaneously. In addition, when there is one sensor, it is necessary to move this sensor to different known positions and acquire azimuth information at each position.

Furthermore, these multiple orientation information are collected in one place, for example, in the upper organization, and then the target location processing is performed, and then distributed to each necessary department including the site where each sensor is located. Therefore, it takes time until the target target position determination result is returned.
JP-A-10-307178 (6th page, FIG. 1)

  In a reconnaissance activity from the sky by an aircraft such as a helicopter, when searching for a ground target and specifying its position, it is desirable that the activity be as difficult as possible to be detected by the other party.

  However, in order to identify the target target position and the like by the above-described method, a plurality of aircraft equipped with sensors had to be active at the same time in order to acquire azimuth information from at least two points. Or, in the case of using a single aircraft, it was necessary to expand the range of action and acquire azimuth information sequentially from different points. Furthermore, in any case, it takes time for communication with the wingman or upper engine and the location processing until the aircraft obtains the target location result, and the behavior of the aircraft during that time is limited. It was. For this reason, the possibility of being discovered from the other party also increased, and there were great restrictions on operational behavior or aircraft operation.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and a target position locating method and a target position with less restrictions on the behavior and operation of the aircraft when locating the target target on the ground from the sky by an aircraft or the like. An object is to provide an orientation device.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the target position locating method of the present invention includes the target target position on the ground discovered on the plane, the target target direction data and the elevation map from the position of the target aircraft where the target target was found. A target position locating method for locating by using azimuth angle data and dip angle data from the position of the own apparatus relative to the target target, and based on the elevation map, the position of the own apparatus is placed on the elevation map. Edit the topographic cross section for the direction of the azimuth data from the projected point, and on this topographic cross section, draw a straight line from the position of the aircraft to the direction of the declination data, and this straight line first intersects the ground surface Is defined as the target target orientation position.

  Further, the target position locating device of the present invention is a target for locating the position of the target target on the ground found on the aircraft using the direction data of the target target and the altitude map from the position of the target aircraft that found the target target. A position locating device, a navigation means for acquiring the position of the own apparatus, an altitude map storage means for storing the altitude map, and a target for acquiring azimuth data and dip angle data from the position of the own apparatus with respect to the target target Direction acquisition means, terrain cross-section editing means for editing a terrain cross-section map with respect to the direction of the azimuth angle data from the point where the position of the aircraft is projected on the altitude map based on the elevation map, and on the terrain cross-section map And a target position calculating means for calculating a position of a point where a straight line drawn from the position of the aircraft in the direction of the dip angle data first intersects the ground surface.

  According to the present invention, when the position of a target target on the ground is determined from the sky by an aircraft or the like, the position is determined in one's own aircraft from one direction information without acquiring a plurality of pieces of direction information of the target target. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a target position locating method and a target position locating apparatus with less restrictions on the behavior and operation of the aircraft.

  The best mode for carrying out the target position locating method and the target position locating apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a target position locating apparatus according to the present invention. The target position locating apparatus includes a navigation calculation unit 1, an infrared image capturing unit 2, a target position locating unit 3, an altitude map storage unit 4, and a display unit 5.

  The navigation calculation unit 1 calculates its own position, that is, its latitude / longitude and flight altitude based on the navigation data from the navigation sensor, and sends it to the target position determination unit 3. The infrared image capturing unit 2 acquires azimuth angle data (AZ) and dip angle data (EL) of the target target from its own position based on the two-dimensional infrared image obtained by capturing the target target, and the target position locating unit 3 To send. In the present embodiment, the infrared image capturing unit 2 is, for example, a FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) having a search / monitoring capability in front of an aircraft even at night.

  The target position locating unit 3 converts the position of the aircraft from the navigation calculation unit 1, the azimuth angle data (AZ) and the dip angle data (EL) from the infrared image capturing unit 2, and the altitude data from the altitude map storage unit 4 described later. Based on the location of the target target, the orientation result is sent to the display unit 5.

  The altitude map storage unit 4 stores map data including altitude data of the target area in advance as the altitude map 11. In this embodiment, the altitude data is stored as a numerical value of the altitude value for each cell partitioned by a predetermined distance mesh. When a cell number is designated by the target position locating unit 3, the altitude value of the corresponding cell is returned and map data of the target area is provided to the display unit 5. The display unit 5 superimposes and displays the orientation result from the target orientation unit 3 on this map data.

  Next, the operation of the target position locating apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 1, the flowchart of FIG. 2, and the explanatory view of FIG.

  First, when the mounted aircraft starts to fly, navigation data from the navigation sensor is continuously input to the navigation calculation unit 1. The navigation calculation unit 1 calculates the latitude / longitude of the own aircraft and the flight altitude from these navigation data, and continuously sends them to the target position locating unit 3 as the own aircraft position (ST1).

  In parallel with this, the search for the target target is continued (ST2). When the target target is found (YES in ST2), the azimuth angle data and the dip angle data of the target target viewed from its own position are acquired based on the two-dimensional infrared image captured by the FLIR of the infrared image capturing unit 2. To the target position locator 3. The target position locator 3 receives these data (ST3). In addition, the position of the aircraft (latitude / longitude and flight altitude of the aircraft) at this time is also taken in and related to the azimuth angle data and the dip angle data of the target target in the target position locator 3 (ST4).

  Next, the target position locating unit 3 creates a topographic cross-sectional view with respect to the azimuth direction of the target target from its own position. This operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the elevation map 11 stored in the elevation map storage unit 4 is added to the normal map data of the target area, and this area is a predetermined distance mesh such as 50 meters square. Each divided cell has a digital elevation value. An azimuth line 13 is drawn in the direction of the azimuth angle data (AZ) of the target target from the point 12 on which the position of the aircraft is projected on the elevation map (ST5). At this time, the cell numbers of the cells through which the azimuth line 13 passes are sequentially extracted in the order of the distance from the projection point 12 of the own device position (ST6).

  Subsequently, the target position locating unit 3 designates these cell numbers to the elevation map storage unit 4 to obtain the elevation values of a series of cells along the azimuth line 13 from the elevation map storage unit 4 (ST7). ). Then, the elevation values are developed in the direction of the azimuth line, and the elevation points for each cell are sequentially connected to draw a line representing the ground surface, and the topographical sectional view as illustrated in FIG. 3B is edited ( ST8).

  Thereafter, the position of the target target is determined using the topographic cross-sectional view edited in the previous step. This operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  First, the own vehicle position 14 including the flight altitude is plotted on the above-described topographic cross-sectional view, and the orientation line 15 is drawn in a straight line from the own aircraft position 14 in the direction of the target target's dip angle data (EL) (ST9). Next, the latitude and longitude of the point where the orientation line 15 intersects the ground surface is calculated, and the orientation position of the target target is obtained (ST10). Then, this orientation position is sent from the target position orientation unit 3 to the display unit 5, and is superimposed on the map data from the elevation map storage unit 4 in the display unit 5 (ST11).

  In this way, the position determination of the target target is continued until the operation end is instructed (ST12).

  As described above, in this embodiment, when locating the target target on the ground from the sky by an aircraft or the like, it is not necessary to acquire the target target azimuth information at a plurality of points, and the information can be obtained from one point. Since the position is determined based on the azimuth information of the target target and the altitude map, the target position can be determined by the activities of a single aircraft without simultaneously operating a plurality of aircraft. Moreover, since it is not necessary to acquire the azimuth | direction information from several points also in that case, it can act without expanding an action range. As a result, activities that are difficult to be discovered by the other party are possible, and restrictions on the operation of the aircraft can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the orientation position of the target target is calculated in the aircraft and the result is obtained. As a result, the time required to obtain the orientation result can be greatly shortened, information can be distributed to the wingmen in a short time, and a rapid operational action can be performed.

The block diagram which shows one Example of the target position locating device which concerns on this invention. The flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the target position locating apparatus which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing for demonstrating the detail of operation | movement of the target position locating apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation calculation part 2 Infrared image pick-up part 3 Target position locating part 4 Elevation map memory | storage part 5 Display part 11 Elevation map 12 Projection point 13 of own position Direction line 14 Own position 15 Orientation line

Claims (6)

A target position locating method for locating the position of a target object on the ground found on board using the direction data of the target target and the altitude map from the position of the target machine that found the target target,
Obtain azimuth angle data and dip angle data from the position of the aircraft with respect to the target target,
Based on the elevation map, edit the topographic cross-section for the direction of the azimuth data from the point where the position of the aircraft is projected on the elevation map,
A target position locating method characterized in that, on the topographic cross-sectional view, a point first intersecting with the ground surface in the direction of the dip angle data from the position of the own aircraft is set as a target target locating position.   2. The target position locating method according to claim 1, wherein the azimuth angle data and the dip angle data are acquired based on a two-dimensional infrared image obtained by imaging the target target on the aircraft.   3. The target position locating method according to claim 1, wherein the elevation map includes elevation data in which an elevation value is digitized for each cell divided by a predetermined distance mesh. 4. A target position locating device for locating the position of a target object on the ground found on board using the direction data and altitude map of the target target from the position of the target machine that found the target target,
Navigation means for obtaining the position of the aircraft;
Elevation map storage means for storing the elevation map;
Target direction acquisition means for acquiring azimuth angle data and dip angle data from the position of the aircraft with respect to the target target;
Based on the altitude map, a terrain cross-section map editing means for editing a terrain cross-section map for the direction of the azimuth angle data from a point where the position of the aircraft is projected on the altitude map;
A target position locating device comprising: target position calculating means for calculating a position of a point that first intersects the ground surface in the direction of the dip angle data from the position of the aircraft on the topographic cross-sectional view.   The target position locator according to claim 4, wherein the target direction acquisition means acquires the azimuth angle data and the dip angle data based on a two-dimensional infrared image obtained by imaging the target target on the aircraft. apparatus.   The target position locating apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the elevation map includes elevation data in which an elevation value is digitized for each cell divided by a predetermined distance mesh.

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