JPS586482A - Optical boresight device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled device which is capable of an assured measurement of distance regardless of a big tracking error, by providing a means that deflects the laser beam of a laser distance measuring device in accordance with the error between a target coordinate output and the servo system reference value. CONSTITUTION:A means is provided to deflect the laser beam of a laser distance measuring device in accordance with the error between the target coordinate output contained in the output of an image tracking device and the servo system reference value. Then only the transmission/reception optical axis or the transmission optical axis of the laser distance measuring device is deflected by an angle of deflection which is shown by the target position coordinate output value of the image tracking device. Thus a laser beam of a comparatively narrow angle can always be irradiated to a target for the measurement of distance. For instance, a laser distance measuring device 7 consists of a laser oscillator 8, a beam deflector 9, a receiving optical system 10, a photodetector 11 and a video amplifier 12. The deflector 9 functions to set the radiating direction of a laser beam L2 in accordance with an intra-screen target coordinate output of the image tracking device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in an optical aiming device that automatically tracks a moving target, detects its direction and distance, and aims at the target.

As an optical aiming device, a TV camera or an infrared imaging device I is usually used as an imaging device, and a laser distance measuring device is used as a distance measuring device.

First, related parts of a conventional seeding device will be explained with reference to FIG.

In Figure 1, (1) a TV camera, c2) a TV camera. Detect targets included in the output mirror signal.

An image tracking device for tracking, (33 is a servo amplifier that amplifies the output signal from the image tracking device, (4) is a servo mount that orients the loaded product in the turning direction and the vertical direction by driving the servo amplifier, (6) ) is a TV monitor, and (6) is a laser range finder that measures the distance to the target.

With the above installation rlKklth, when a TV camera [1] captures, for example, a flying aircraft ('f'), the operator
Align the gate mark (G) with the aircraft (T) that appears on the screen of the V monitor (5) and give a lock-on instruction to the image tracking device (21). p) recognizes as a target something that has contrast with the surrounding background brightness level in p) and cuts it out from within the video signal;
The center of gravity is calculated and the center of the gate marker (-0) is always aligned at that position. Therefore, when the target moves within the TV monitor +51 screen, it will be tracked and the gate mark (
G) also moves. On the other hand, image tracking device (21if TV
The in-screen coordinates of the center position of the gate mark (G) with respect to the optical axis of the camera (1), that is, the center of the screen of the TV monitor (5), are divided into vertical and horizontal directions and applied to the servo amplifier (3).

Therefore, if the gate mark (j) that is tracking the target moves away from the center of the screen, the coordinate output will not be large.

The servo mount often moves quickly in the rotational direction.As a result, the servo mount (J+'s rotation and elevation axes move as the target moves, making it possible to always capture the target near the center of the screen. Become.

The transmitting and receiving optical axis is aligned with the optical axis of the TV camera (1), so if the above automatic tracking is performed, the laser distance measuring device (s+ it) will be reflected in the center of the screen of the TV monitor (5). When the emitted laser pulse light hits the target cr), the distance to the target can be measured from the time it takes for the reflected light to return.

By capturing the target at the center of the screen using the optical aiming device 1tj image tracking loop as described above.

The direction of the target can be determined from the rotation angle of each movable axis of the servo mount (4), and the distance of the target can be obtained using a laser ranging device.

By the way, in order to track the target by moving this type of equipped servo mount (axis 41), K is basically the deviation amount of the target coordinate position in the screen which is the output of the 9-stroke tracking device (2). Therefore, when moving the servo stand +41 quickly,
Since the output of the first servo amplifier (3) is large, the amount of deviation of the coordinate output, which is its input, must also be large. That is, as the target moves faster, the coordinate output deviation amount of the image tracking device (2) increases, which means that the target shifts from the center of one plane. The situation is shown on the TV monitor (5) screen in FIG. Therefore, in this case, if the above deviation exceeds the laser beam angle of the laser distance measuring device (6), the laser beam will miss the target and distance measurement will not be possible. It is also possible to widen the angle in advance, but since the laser light intensity per unit area on the keyhole is inversely proportional to the square of the beam angle θ (P oo, ”), the distance limit that can be measured by θ′ is It will be significantly shorter.Also, the output power of the laser needs to be multiplied by 02 in order to maintain the same distance performance.]
This has the drawback of increasing the size of the device.

Naoto's seed device uses a more advanced calculator to calculate the current target direction and distance.

There is a method that greatly improves tracking accuracy by driving the servo mount by slightly predicting the future target position #i, but even with this method, there are cases where the motion of the target is not constant (for example, acceleration or deceleration).

When making a turn, etc., K may deviate from the predicted value, resulting in a large tracking error.

This invention solves the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and makes it possible to measure the distance to eye m even in the above-mentioned state. By swinging only the transmitting/receiving optical axis or the transmitting optical axis of the device (6), a relatively narrow angle laser beam is always applied to the target and distance measurement can be performed.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 3 shows only relevant parts of an embodiment of the present invention, including a TV camera 01, an image tracking device Fl (21, and a servo amplifier (31) that are not shown in the figure. , servo mount (41, TV monitor (6)
) is the same as the conventional one.

Figure 3 shows a part of the internal configuration of laser distance measuring device #C71, including (81 laser oscillator, (91TF beam deflector, 611-r receiving optical system, OL) is a light receiver, and 02 video amplifier. A new beam deflector (9) has been added to the conventional laser distance measuring system GE (e+).

In FIG. 3, a laser beam r from a laser oscillator (81) is emitted as a laser beam L2 toward a target via a beam deflector (9). At this time, the beam deflector (9) The output direction of the laser beam L2 is adjusted according to the output of the target coordinates on the screen.

Even if the angular velocity of the target increases and the tracking error increases,
Since the laser beam L2 can be constantly emitted toward the target,
In particular, distance measurement is possible without widening the beam angle. Since it is relatively easy to widen the reception field of view by the receiving optical system 1 and the receiver aυ to about O, S, the range of the laser beam L2 f swing is within that range, so it is possible to adjust the field of view to match the laser beam AL2. There is no need to swing the receiving optical axis either.

The received signal converted into an electric signal by the photoreceiver αυ is amplified by the video amplifier aZ and fed to a counting circuit (not shown).There are various methods as specific means for the beam deflector (9). FIG. 4 shows an example of this.

In Figure 4, α3 is a wedge glass, Q4ti control circuit, αS memo IJ, and Qe D/A converter.

CI'll tj 7 yb,'alHj mo 1. Q9
It is a d body V yometer.

In FIG. 4, two wedge glasses are shown viewed from the side, and their respective laser beam passing surfaces are not parallel but wedge-shaped. Therefore, due to the refraction of the laser beam L1hfJ, when it passes through one wedge glass a, the laser beam comes out with its direction bent. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the two wedge glasses α3 can be combined.

The direction of the laser beam L2 can be freely controlled. This is to control the rotation angle of the 04-0g Amanoke wedge glass a3 to a predetermined value. In Fig. 4, one wedge glass α3 is not shown, but it is the same as the other wedge glass. are controlled separately. When the control circuit α- is given the coordinate position lt of the tracking target from the image tracking device, it reads a pre-programmed value from the address of the memory a9 corresponding to that value. The output is converted into an analog value by the flD/h converter ae and applied to an amplifier. The motor of the amplifier (2) is rotated, and the rotation angle of the wedge glass a3 is detected by the potentiometer oI and fed back to the amplifier (2).

Therefore, when the output value of the D/A converter αe and the value of the potentiometer (to) match, the motor is stopped and the wrinkled wedge glass α3 is set to a predetermined rotation angle. Furthermore, it is set similarly to the other wedge glass U4, and the direction of the laser beam L2 can be controlled so that it always hits the target according to the input coordinate output.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the optical aiming device captures and tracks a target, measures the distance to the target with a laser range finder, and aims at the target. It is possible to provide a device that can reliably measure distances even in situations where tracking errors are large without requiring means such as enlarging the distance.

In the embodiment, a wedge glass was used to deflect the laser beam.

Of course, a movable lock, an ultrasonic deflection element, etc. may be used for beam deflection.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

@1, Figure is a configuration diagram of the employee's optical aiming device, Figure 2 is a diagram explaining its function, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the main part of this invention,
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the details of the part shown in FIG. 3, (II is a TV camera, (21 is an image tracking device 1)
t, (s+ is the servo amplifier, (4) is the servo stand, (5
) is a TV monitor, (61 laser distance measuring device, (7 part of laser side distance measuring device, (81ij laser oscillator, (91
ij beam deflector, 01ij receiving optical system. (Il+ is the optical receiver, oFi video amplifier, (+3 is the wedge glass, Q41 is the control circuit, [+5
is memory. +161 it D/A con/< -1, (nu
77], al tj mofi *a [Yes] is a potentiometer. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Agent Makoto Kuzuno - @Figure 1 3rd prisoner

Claims (1)

[Claims] Included in the output of a laser ranging device that measures the distance to the target object, an imaging device that images the target object, an image tracking device that detects the coordinates of the target included in the imaging output video signal, and a single-stroke tracking device. In an optical aiming device, the optical aiming device includes the laser ranging device and a servo system that controls the direction of the field of view of the imaging device so that the target coordinate output included in the output of the image tracking device and the target coordinate output included in the output of the image tracking device are set to a reference value. An optical aiming device further comprising means for deflecting a laser beam of the laser distance measuring device according to an amount of error from the servo system reference value.