JPH0130080B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for guiding a flying object using, for example, an infrared homing device.

As is well known, a normal flying object using an infrared homing device detects (locks on to) a target using a homing head and then launches. Also,
In recent years, fire control systems (FCS) have been used to calculate the target's future position, and the homing head's seeker angle at this future position is set in advance before firing. In this case, the flight path is determined by the inertial navigation device until the homing head locks on, and after the homing head locks on, the homing device provides guidance. This method requires both an infrared homing device and an inertial navigation device to be installed inside the projectile. In particular, inertial navigation systems are expensive and heavy, which poses various problems in the design of flying objects, and in particular, the above method is not advisable for long-distance guidance due to the weight of the flying object.

This invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and uses an infrared homing device to follow a predetermined infrared emitting celestial object and correct the flight path, and also to set the direction of the celestial object at a pre-calculated point in time when it is possible to lock onto the target. By directing the homing head toward a calculated target direction, it is possible to accurately guide a flying object over a long distance using only an infrared homing device, and the flying object can be made smaller and lighter. The aim is to provide a guidance method for the following.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The basic principle will be explained with reference to FIG. In the figure a, S is an infrared emitting celestial body, such as the sun.
Now, suppose that a projectile is launched from point A, and let this time be _tA . At this time, if a flying object is launched at an angle α to the sun S, and this flight path is M, then at point B at time t _B , the angle between the flying object and the sun is β
Therefore, at point C at time t _C , the angle becomes γ.

On the other hand, the angles α, β, and γ between the flying object and the sun S at the times _tA , _tB , and _tC are calculated in advance,
In addition, if there is a homing head that follows the sun, the flight path M is uniquely determined by the pre-calculated angles α, β, and γ and the solar direction obtained by the homing head, and the flying object is guided. Is possible. That is, for example, if the sun direction detected by the homing head at point B is β ₁ , the projectile will fly along the path M by controlling the difference β ₁ - β from the calculated angle β to zero. Become.

By the way, when the infrared homing device for a flying object reaches a pre-calculated target detection distance, the homing head is directed from the direction of the sun toward the target and is locked on to the target. That is, as shown in FIG. 1a, for example, when a flying object reaches point C,
As shown in Figure b, the homing head is oriented at an angle φ in the target T direction calculated with the sun direction as a reference, and is placed in a lock-on state. Then, homing guidance is performed thereafter.

Figure 2 shows a configuration based on the above principle.
Only the flying object mounting section is shown. In the figure, 21 is
This is a flight path calculation unit composed of RAM (random access memory) and the like. This calculation unit 21 calculates, for example, the angle I ₁ with respect to the sun on the flight path calculated in advance, the firing direction I ₂ , the future position I ₃ of the target calculated by the fire control device, the time until target lock-on, etc. Information regarding the route is provided. Further, 22 is an infrared homing device provided in a gimbal device (not shown). This homing head 22 ₁ is provided with an attenuator, such as an optical filter _{22 2} , which prevents the receiving system from being damaged even when sunlight is received. This filter 22 ₂ is set, for example, by the solar direction signal I ₁ at the time of launch,
When target lock-on is possible, it is removed by a switching signal from the arithmetic unit 21. The output signal of the homing head 22 ₁ , ie the actual sun direction, is supplied to a comparator circuit 23 .
The comparison circuit 23 is supplied with the solar direction from the arithmetic unit 21 at predetermined time intervals, and the difference between the two is determined. This difference signal is supplied to the aircraft controller 24, and the controller 24 controls the flying direction of the aircraft so that the difference signal becomes zero.

For a flying object launched with the above configuration, the angle signal of the sun on the flight path is read out from the RAM of the flight path calculation unit 21 at predetermined intervals, for example. This signal is sent to the homing head 22 ₁
The signal is supplied to the comparator circuit 23 together with the actual direction of the sun detected by the sensor, and a difference signal between the two signals is obtained, and the aircraft control unit 24 is controlled by this difference signal as described above. Further, the flight path calculation section 2
In No. 1, the target detection time is counted from the time of firing, and when this time coincides with a preset time, the aforementioned switching signal is output, and the filter 22 ₂ of the homing head 22 ₁ is removed. At the same time, the homing head 22 ₁
is directed toward the target direction calculated by the flight path calculating section 21 with the sun direction as a reference. When the homing head ₂₂₁ detects the target and enters the lock-on state, the homing head 221 thereafter follows the target by homing guidance.

According to the above configuration, the infrared homing head 22
₁ , the homing head 22 flies along a flight path calculated in advance by the flight path calculation unit 21, and after a predetermined time elapses, the homing head 22 ₁
By directing the robot toward the calculated target direction, the target is locked on and homing guidance is performed from then on. Therefore, it is possible to guide a flying object over long distances using only an infrared homing device, and there is no need to install an expensive and heavy inertial navigation device as in the past, which increases the degree of freedom in designing the flying object. It is possible to reduce the size and weight of flying objects.

In addition, the flight path is corrected by comparing the actually detected sun direction with the pre-calculated sun direction, and when directing the homing head ₂₂₁ from the sun direction to the target direction, the sun direction is used as a reference. Aimed at calculated goals. Therefore, compared to conventional inertial navigation, it is possible to perform accurate guidance without accumulating errors.

In the above embodiment, the sun is used as the infrared-emitting celestial body, but the invention is not limited to this, and the moon or other celestial bodies can also be used. At this time, the filter 22 ₂ provided on the homing head 22 ₁ may be removed as appropriate.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a flying object guidance method is provided that allows accurate long-distance guidance of a flying object using only an infrared homing device, and also allows the flying object to be made smaller and lighter. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the flying object guidance system according to the present invention, and FIGS. 1a and 1b are diagrams showing the basic principle, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram based on this basic principle. 21...Flight path calculation unit, 22...Infrared homing device, 23...Comparison circuit, 24... Aircraft control unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A flying object that has a homing head that follows the direction of arrival of infrared rays and is equipped with an infrared homing device that detects the direction of a predetermined infrared emitting celestial object, and a flying object that is on a pre-calculated flight path of the flying object. means for correcting the flight path of the flying object so that the difference between the celestial object direction in the actual flight path of the flying object obtained from the infrared homing device and the actual celestial object direction in the actual flight path of the flying object becomes 0; A method for guiding a flying object, comprising means for directing the homing head to a target direction calculated in advance with reference to an actual celestial object direction at this time, at a possible time.