JPH05187795A - Infrared ray image generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate an infrared ray image in a real time, to perform a service for a long time and to incorporate general-purpose usability of a system. CONSTITUTION:A laser light is generated by a laser oscillator 1, and sent to a wide angle scanner mechanism 3 through an acousto-optical element 2. A target image of a real time is formed by a picture computer 4, and its image data is output to a signal converter 5. The converter 5 generates an ON/OFF signal of an ultrasonic wave based on the data from the computer 4, and controls the ON and OFF of the element 2. The mechanism 3 reflects a laser light sent from the oscillator 1 through the element 2 by a mirror 6, and sends forward it forward of a missile 7 of a trial element. The mechanism 3 mechanically scans the mirror 6 horizontally and vertically, synchronizes with the ON/ OFF operation of the element 2, and controls a simulating target generating position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an infrared image generator used for evaluation of infrared guided flying objects and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are roughly two types of target generators used for evaluation of guided vehicles such as a point target system and an image target system. Recently, the latter image target system is often used. Is becoming. The point target method has a blackbody furnace, and the image target method has (1) Heat P
leat (or blackbody furnace) + shutter (gimbal) system,
(2) Array method, (3) LCLV (Liquid Cristal L)
There is a right valve) method.

[0003]

However, the above conventional image targeting method has the following problems. In (1) “Heat Pleat + shutter system”, performance is governed by the responsiveness of the shutter, so real-time simulation is not possible. In the “array method” of (2), since small Heat Pleats are arranged in a plane, the on / off switching time becomes extremely long due to the effect of residual heat of the Heat Pleats.

Since the "LCLV system" of (3) uses an image processor, it can generate image data in real time, but it is structurally unsuitable for long-term use because heat easily accumulates. It is also impossible to simulate a wide field of view.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an infrared image generator capable of generating a real-time infrared image, capable of being operated for a long time, and having versatility of the system. With the goal.

[0006]

An infrared image generating apparatus according to the present invention comprises a laser oscillator for generating a laser beam, an acousto-optical element on which the laser beam from the laser oscillator is incident, and a real-time target image. And an image computer for outputting an on / off signal of an ultrasonic wave to the acousto-optic element based on image data output from the image computer, and a signal transmitted from the laser oscillator through the acousto-optic element. It is characterized by comprising a scanner mechanism for irradiating the specimen with incoming laser light at an arbitrary angle.

[0007]

The image computer creates a real-time target image and outputs the image data serially. The signal converter outputs an ultrasonic on / off signal in accordance with image data sent from the image computer. That is, the signal converter outputs an ON signal in the data portion indicating the target point of the image data and an OFF signal in the data portion other than the target point in synchronization with the scanner mechanism.
The acousto-optic element operates by the on / off signal of the ultrasonic wave output from this signal converter, and turns on / off the laser light sent from the laser oscillator to the scanner mechanism.

In the scanner mechanism, the mirror is mechanically scanned horizontally and vertically in synchronization with the on / off signal output from the signal converter, and the laser beam sent through the acousto-optic element is supplied. Irradiate in front of the sample.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an infrared image generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a laser oscillator used as an infrared light source, which generates a laser beam,
Acoustic Optical Modulator (AOM)
It is sent to the wide-angle scanner mechanism 3 via 2. Details of the acousto-optic element 2 will be described later. An image computer 4 creates a real-time target image and outputs the image data to the signal converter 5. The signal converter 5 generates an on / off signal of ultrasonic waves based on the image data from the image computer 4, and the acoustooptic device 2
On / off control.

The scanner mechanism 3 reflects the laser light sent from the laser oscillator 1 through the acousto-optic device 2 by the mirror 6 and sends it out to the front of the flying body 7 which is the sample. In this case, the scanner mechanism 3 mechanically scans the mirror 6 in the horizontal (Az: azimuth) direction and the vertical (EL: elevation) direction, and turns on / off the acousto-optical element 2, that is, the signal converter. The simulated target generation position is controlled in synchronism with the ON / OFF signal output from 5.

The flying body 7 is provided with an optical system (lens) 8 at its tip, and the laser beam sent from the scanner mechanism 3 is received by the optical system 8 and is focused on the detector 9. Then, the target position signal detected by the detector 9 is output to a flight control unit (not shown).

The acousto-optic element 2 has an ultrasonic medium 11 provided in a cooling section 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and the cooling section 12 uses the liquid refrigerant supplied from a cooling device 13 to disperse the ultrasonic medium 11. Cooling. An ultrasonic signal of several tens of MHz or more is input as a control signal to the ultrasonic medium 11 from the signal converter 5 of FIG. 1 which is an external signal source.

When an ultrasonic signal is applied to the acousto-optic element 2 constructed as described above, a wave having a refractive index corresponding to the wavelength and amplitude of the ultrasonic wave is generated in the ultrasonic medium 11, and this wave is three-dimensional. It acts as a diffraction grating and diffracts the incident laser light (diffraction angle θ). At this time, since a loss due to diffraction occurs, the loss is used to adjust the laser output. Therefore,
By outputting an ultrasonic wave signal from the signal converter 5 according to the image data, the acousto-optic element 2 can be turned on / off. Further, in the ultrasonic medium 11, heat is generated due to the loss due to the diffraction of the laser light, and this heat is cooled by the cooling device 13.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. The image computer 4 creates a real-time target image (black portion indicates the target position) as shown in FIG. 3, and outputs the image data serially. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the image data of column D is being output. When the image data is sent from the image computer 4, the signal converter 5 outputs an ultrasonic signal according to the image data. That is, the signal converter 5 outputs an ON signal in the data portion indicating the target point of the image data and an OFF signal in the data portion other than the target point in synchronization with the scanner mechanism 3. The acousto-optic element 2 operates by the on / off signal of the ultrasonic wave output from the signal converter 5, and turns on / off the laser light sent from the laser oscillator 1 to the scanner mechanism 3.

The scanner mechanism 3 scans in synchronization with the on / off signal output from the signal converter 5, and scans the laser light transmitted through the acousto-optic element 2 with a mirror 6.
And is projected toward the flying body 7. The flying object 7 forms an image of the laser light sent through the scanner mechanism 3 on the surface of the detector 9 through the optical system 8. In this case, the angle of view of the image data detected by the detector 9 can be changed by changing the scan angle by the scanner mechanism 3 as shown in FIG. That is, the scanner mechanism 3 can change the target position where an image is formed on the detector 9 to points a and b depending on the scan angle of the mirror 6. Then, the flight control unit operates according to the target position data detected by the detector 9 to control the flying body 7 so as to move toward the target direction.

[0017]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the laser oscillator is used as the infrared light source, it is possible to easily change the wavelength band of the laser light by exchanging the oscillator and to simulate a plurality of wavelengths. Therefore, the versatility of the system can be provided. Further, since a real-time target image is created by using the image computer and the infrared image is generated by the acousto-optic device and the scanner mechanism based on the image data, the real-time infrared image can be generated. Further, since equipment that does not generate thermal noise due to heat buildup, that is, a laser oscillator, an acousto-optic device, and a scanner mechanism is used, it is possible to operate for a long time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an infrared image generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing details of the acoustooptic device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation of generating an on / off signal to an acoustooptic device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a scanning operation of a scanner mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Laser oscillator, 2 ... Acousto-optic element, 3 ... Scanner mechanism, 4 ... Image computer, 5 ... Signal converter, 6 ... Mirror, 7 ... Flying body, 8 ... Optical system, 9 ... Detector, 11 ...
Ultrasonic medium, 12 ... Cooling unit, 13 ... Cooling device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser oscillator that generates a laser beam, an acousto-optic device on which the laser beam from the laser oscillator is incident, an image computer that creates a real-time target image, and image data output from the image computer. A signal converter for outputting an on / off signal of ultrasonic waves to the acousto-optic element based on the above, and a laser beam sent from the laser oscillator via the acousto-optic element in front of the sample at an arbitrary angle. An infrared image generating apparatus comprising a scanner mechanism for irradiating.