Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/007—Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G11/00—Details of sighting or aiming apparatus; Accessories
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
  • F41G7/2206—Homing guidance systems using a remote control station
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
  • F41G7/2213—Homing guidance systems maintaining the axis of an orientable seeking head pointed at the target, e.g. target seeking gyro
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
  • F41G7/2253—Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
  • F41G7/00—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles
  • F41G7/20—Direction control systems for self-propelled missiles based on continuous observation of target position
  • F41G7/22—Homing guidance systems
  • F41G7/2273—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves
  • F41G7/2293—Homing guidance systems characterised by the type of waves using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for detecting a target by a missile held by a carrier platform with a seeker head, in which the target is targeted and target data is passed to a seeker system of the missile.
• Target data for detecting the target such as the direction of the target, its size, or its intensity, are passed to the missile's finder system so that it can detect the target.
• target detection is often performed prior to launch of the missile from a carrier platform.
• This pre-launch targeting also known as Lock-On Before Launch (LOBL)
• LOBL Lock-On Before Launch
• LOBL Lock-On Before Launch
• the missile For better camouflage of the carrier platform, it is advantageous to store the missile in a closed container prior to takeoff, for example a shaft in an aircraft. Irregular outer contours of the carrier platform are avoided, so that it is harder to detect by a radar. A missile stored in a closed container, however, it is the view of the target barred from launch so that the missile's seeker system can not target and capture the target prior to launch.
• Camouflage property of the carrier platform must not be waived.
• the seeker system of the missile according to the invention detects the target as such on the basis of the transferred target data while the seeker head the view is locked to the target.
• Target sighting while the viewfinder is blocking the view of the target allows the missile to remain in the closed container until launch and preserve the camouflage.
• a Lock-On Before Launch feature is retained.
• the target data must sufficiently describe the target and can be any data that meets this requirement.
• the target data may be image data or data from image processing. Particularly suitable are image data from a viewfinder system of the carrier platform and, in particular, they are an image of the target taken by the viewfinder system of the carrier platform. Alternatively or additionally, the target data may be data determined from an evaluation of an image taken by the viewfinder system of the carrier platform. Possible are data on the direction and / or movement of the target and / or image data of the target, such as an intensity, shape or extent of the target.
• the target data transmitted to the missile from the carrier platform is conveniently the same data that the missile's seeker system would produce if it were in the same location as the carrier platform's seeker system.
• the carrier platform is equipped with its own viewfinder system, which is thus arranged outside of the missile.
• the target may be targeted by the carrier platform's viewfinder system so that an operator, such as a pilot, is provided with the carrier platform's viewfinder system image to select the target.
• the viewfinder system of the carrier platform can without significant contour change of the support platform z. B. be arranged in the outer skin of the carrier platform. This arrangement also has the advantage that it can be placed a little way from a starting missile, so that it is not taken from missile engine gases sight.
• the carrier platform may be an aircraft or a missile canister, for example, on a truck.
• the carrier platform may carry one or more missiles, which are each stored in particular in a separate canister or container. The missile rests expediently in a closed in the target detection
• the viewfinder system of the carrier platform and the viewfinder system of the missile are expediently sensitive in the same frequency range.
• both seeker systems produce identical image data and conveniently identical control data for controlling their viewfinder optics, which are also conveniently identical.
• the two viewfinder systems are identical overall.
• the seeker expediently contains the finder system of the missile.
• the viewfinder system and in particular also the carrier platform can be
• Target detection system A target detection, also called lock-on, can be done by recognizing and / or marking the target on the basis of data as such, in particular before a missile start.
• the viewfinder system advantageously has a finder optics, a searcher image acquisition, and a process agent.
• the viewfinder optics expediently contains optical elements which form radiation from outside into an image in an image plane and direct it to a detector.
• the seeker image acquisition is preferably designed to generate image data from a map.
• the processing means is expediently adapted to track the detected target on the basis of image data of the searcher image acquisition during the flight of the missile. It is advantageous for automatic target tracking after one
• the target is aimed at by means of a viewfinder system of the carrier platform, so that suitable image data of the target can be transferred to the seeker system of the missile.
• the searcher system of the missile can detect the target for the first time and in particular before the missile starts as such while the view of the target is obstructed.
• the missile's seeker system independently detects the target based on the target data, eg the image data, passed to it from the carrier platform while blocking the view of the target, and in particular before the sight of the target is released for the first time ,
• the Process means in the missile can evaluate the target data and independently capture the target based on the target data.
• the target data that the missile z. B. are transferred from the carrier platform are suitably processed by the seeker system of the missile in the same way as self-determined target data.
• a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that a viewfinder system of the carrier platform takes an image of the target and gives it to the searcher system of the missile and the search system of the missile processes the image like a self-recorded image. This allows the non-existent view of the target from the missile to be completely replaced by the target data from the seeker system of the carrier platform having a view of the target.
• the target is targeted by a seeker system outside the missile
• the third seeker system, for. B. may be a radar or a visual-optical system.
• This maps the target first, and gives target data, such as target coordinates, to the carrier system's finder system, which conveniently controls its viewfinder optics based on the target data so that the viewfinder optics can be aligned with the target and the target mapped.
• the image of the target can be passed to the missile's viewfinder system so that it can process the image further, especially as if it were a self-captured image.
• the seeker After launching the missile, the seeker will get his own view of the target. At this time, it is useful if the viewfinder optics in the seeker's head of the missile is already aligned with the target. Appropriately, therefore, the viewfinder optics of the missile is already aligned with the target when the view of the
• a reliable alignment of the viewfinder optics to the target can be achieved if a viewfinder optics of the carrier platform is aligned with the target and moves with a movement of the target relative to the carrier platform and the viewfinder optics of the viewfinder system of the missile still held during the missile from the carrier platform is and the seeker head obscured the view of the target is carried along with the viewfinder optics of the carrier system.
• the entrainment is conveniently done simultaneously, so a movement the viewfinder optics of the carrier platform leads to a same movement of the viewfinder optics of the missile.
• the entrainment is advantageously carried out with the same data with which the viewfinder optics of the carrier platform is carried along with the target.
• both viewfinder optics are aligned in the same way to the target, z. B. they are after a given time, for example, 1 second after
• Target detection parallel to each other, possibly apart from a considered parallax.
• the missile's seeker system can already independently determine target data, e.g. based on the transferred image of the target, which evaluates the seeker system of the missile.
• This target data can be used to control one or more actuators of the missile, e.g. for aligning the viewfinder optics with the - still hidden - target.
• the missile's seeker head gets a view of the target so that it can track the target without the target data from the carrier platform, also called foreign target data.
• Target tracking then takes place using target data, called your own target data, that was obtained using a unique view of the target.
• the target tracking of foreign target data can change over to its own target data.
• both the foreign target data and the own target data are present in the missile for a while.
• the own target data can now be used with the foreign target data of the
• Carrier platform can be associated, for example, compared with each other, and the target can be recaptured or adopted using their own target data. Subsequently, the foreign target data can be hidden from the carrier platform, so that only the own target data are used for target tracking.
• the data decoupling from the carrier platform and as seamless as possible transfer to the missile's own target tracking process can with
• the image processing program or image evaluation program in the process means around the moment of switching around a greater tolerance behavior. This can be achieved if that
• the missile seeker system for holding the target, that is to say target tracking, during switching from the data of the carrier system to self-collected data in a more fault tolerant mode, in particular with respect to an image offset, than during the target tracking before and / or after the switching.
• the invention is also directed to a missile having a housing, a data interface disposed on the housing, and a viewfinder system with a searcher image detection and a process means that is signal connected to the data interface and the visitor image capture. According to the invention, it is provided that the process means is prepared on the basis of data from the
• Data interface to perform the same actions as based on data from the searcher image acquisition, in particular in an identical manner.
• the actions may be image processing, target acquisition, target tracking, control commands to the viewfinder optics of the viewfinder system,
• the data from the interface are expediently treated identically as data from the searcher image acquisition of the searcher system of the missile.
• the process means is also advantageously prepared to perform or control one, several or all of the method steps described above.
• Preparation may be provided by a corresponding control program or a plurality of corresponding control programs of the process means, the sequence of which-for example in conjunction with suitable input signals, such as sensor signals or even the data from the interface-effects such a control or execution of the actions.
• the process means expediently comprises electronic elements, such as a processor and a data memory, which are necessary for the execution of the control program.
• the invention is directed to a system of a carrier platform for launching a missile, any type of missile in a container of the carrier platform and a seeker system outside the missile, which is connected via the data interface signal technically with a viewfinder system within the missile, wherein the viewfinder system outside the missile has an identical viewfinder optics, such as the viewfinder system within the missile.
• a target simulation for the missile can be carried out in a simple manner on the basis of data from the external viewfinder system.
• the container is suitably closed, so that the missile is protected on all sides from the effects of the weather, rocket engine gases or malfunctions. In particular, it prevents the view of the viewfinder system of the missile to the outside.
• the external viewfinder system may be part of the carrier platform or as a separate element, e.g. B. on another vehicle, be executed.
• the signaling connection can be non-contact, z. B. inductive or by a transmitter, or by means of a detachable cable.
• Fig. 2 connected viewfinder systems of the carrier platform and the
• Fig. 3 shows the discarded from the carrier platform missiles on the way to a destination.
• the stealth aircraft shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 carries a plurality of missiles 2 in a weapon well, of which only a single missile 2 is shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.
• the stealth aircraft thus serves as a carrier platform 4 for launching or launching the missile 2, which is used to reduce radar signatures in a container 6 inside the Stealth plane is hidden.
• the weapon bay and thus the container 6 can be opened and the missile 2 falls down from the carrier platform 4 out, starts its rocket motor, not shown, and flies to a target 8.
• the carrier platform 4 is equipped with a finder system 10 and the missile 2 with a seeker system 12 in a seeker head.
• the finder systems 10, 12 are shown in more detail in FIG. Only for the sake of clarity, the container 6 was drawn in Fig. 2 outside of the stealth aircraft. However, it is located inside the carrier platform
• the viewfinder systems 10, 12 are sensitive in the infrared spectral range and are each passive viewfinder systems that do not send directed radiation to the target. They each contain a viewfinder optics 14, 16 with lenses and / or mirrors, a detector 18, 20, a viewfinder image processing, 22, 24, and a process means 26, 28 for target acquisition, target tracking and for controlling actions.
• the viewfinder systems 10, 12 are each connected to an interface 30, 32, via which the two viewfinder systems 10, 12 can be connected to each other by signal technology. The connection takes place, for example, via a cable 34 with a predetermined breaking point, at which the cable 34 breaks off when the missile 2 is dropped from the carrier platform 4.
• the viewfinder optics 14, 16 are identical, as are the detectors 18, 20.
• identical images are imaged on the detectors 18, 20 and assumed by the viewfinder image processing 22, assuming the same position and orientation in space, 24 processed, which may also be the same.
• the same image data and / or the same data from image processing are removed from the viewfinder image processing 22, 24 and supplied to the processing means 26, 28.
• the viewfinder image processing 22 supplies its data to the processing means 26, which for example, the image taken by the viewfinder system 10 to a pilot of the
• Carrier platform 4 passes or to a display means for the pilot.
• the image or image data is also transmitted via the interfaces 30 and 32 to the processing means 28 as the target data having two, for example symmetrical inputs, as shown on the left side of the processing means 28 in Fig. 2.
• the process means 28 thus the images or image data from both
• the target data is Image data, that is data that carries the information of an image.
• the target data may be other data, e.g. For example, those obtained from image processing.
• the target data is the target descriptive data.
• the missile 2 is enclosed in the container 6 so that its seeker head and its viewfinder optics 16 contained therein have no optical contact with the target 8. Nevertheless, an image is provided to the processing means 28 which the viewfinder system 12 of the missile 2 itself would produce if it had a clear view of the target 8, apart from a possible small one
• the viewfinder system 12 thus the free view of the target 8 is simulated so that the viewfinder system 12 reacts just as if it itself a clear view of the target. 8 would have.
• the process agent 28 detects the target 8.
• the target 8 was selected by the operator of the carrier platform 4, for example based on the image of the search system 10.
• the corresponding data are passed to the processing means 26, which in turn marks the target 8, for example based on image characteristics of the target 8 in the viewfinder system 10 Image of the target 8.
• the target acquisition command is passed from the processing means 26 to the processing means 28, so that the latter detects the target 8 in the identical image on the basis of the identical criteria that the processing means 26 also processed. In this way, a target detection by the missile 2 or its viewfinder system 12 takes place even before this first time has a clear view of the target 8.
• the target 8 is tracked during its movement relative to the support platform 4 by the viewfinder system 12 of the missile 2.
• the process means 28 are control commands to the viewfinder optics 16 so that they on the
• Target 8 is aligned.
• the control commands are independently obtained by the processing means 28 from the image processing of the transferred image, so that a transfer of the control data from the processing means 26 to the processing means 28 is not necessary.
• the gain of the control data occurs in particular in an analogous manner, such as the gain of the control data for the viewfinder optics 14 in the support platform 4 through the
• the two viewfinder optics 14, 16 are controlled with the same control data, and on the same solid angle range of the environment around the carrier platform 4 aligned.
• the viewfinder optics 16 of the missile 2 is thus carried along with the viewfinder optics 14 of the carrier platform 4 simultaneously.
• the missile 2 can perform all the actions it would take on its own with a clear view of the target. So he can z. B. control an actuator 40 to perform a movement.
• Process means 26, 28 In this case, then the process means 26, the target data, for. B. simulation data, to the processing means 28 give.
• the carrier platform 4 comprises a further viewfinder system 36, for example a radar system.
• This maps the target 8 and provides its image to the operator of the carrier platform 4. Further data such as distance, speed of the target 8 or other data to the destination 8 can be made available. The operator can identify and select the target 8 based on the image of the viewfinder system 36. Alternatively, an image comparison of the images of the viewfinder systems 36, 10 is possible, wherein the operator the target 8 on the basis of
• Image of the viewfinder system 10 selects.
• the image comparison can also be automated so that the target selection by the viewfinder system 10 is automatic after the operator has made the target selection from the viewfinder system 36. If the target is detected by the search system 10 or the process means 26, target acquisition data is forwarded to the search system 12 or its processing means 28, so that the search system 12 can carry out the target acquisition and target tracking independently.
• the processing means 28 can compare the images, capture the target 8 in its own image, and switch to the target tracking using its own images , If the data connection is interrupted before own images from the target 8 are available, a comparison with the last suitable image of the target can be made from the viewfinder system 10. Also useful is wireless data transmission of the foreign target data from the carrier platform 4 to the missile 2 until the missile 2 has detected the target from its own target data, as indicated in Fig. 3.
• the target tracking is performed by the processing means 28 at the time of switching in a more forgiving mode than before and after the switching so as not to lose the target in case of any image shift or changes in the target characteristics in the image.
• the processing means 28 may be operated in the same mode that is selected when the target 8 is occluded for a short time and then recaptured.
• the viewfinder systems 10, 12 are not identical. This is useful if 4 different missile 2 are fired from the support platform, which have different viewfinder systems 12.
• the process means 26 selects corresponding data forms for transfer to the corresponding seeker system of the selected missile 2, so that a visual simulation for each missile is achieved After selecting a missile 2 to be started next, the process means 26 knows the data for the searcher system 12 of the selected missile 2.
• the viewfinder system 10 is designed in this way, in particular with regard to its viewfinder optics 14 and the detector 18 and the viewfinder image processing 22 that each of the missiles 2 such target data, such as such an image or image data, can be provided, which would produce the corresponding missile 2 or its viewfinder system 12 itself, if there is a clear view of the target
• each missile is 2 with a corresponding Schni Terminal 32 provided for data coupling to the viewfinder system 10 of the carrier platform 4.
• the data are now made available to each missile, which enable the process means 28 of the missile 2, by the visual simulation on the target 8 to perform the corresponding actions that would be performed with independent free view of the target 8.
• the invention can be realized with the same advantages with a carrier platform which is mounted on a watercraft or a land vehicle, for. As a truck is installed.
• a carrier platform may be a take-off container with one or more missiles 2.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
• Optical Radar Systems And Details Thereof (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=43662094

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2010
  • 2010-01-21 DE DE102010005198A patent/DE102010005198B4/de active Active
• 2011
  • 2011-01-14 KR KR1020117026174A patent/KR101374659B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2011-01-14 EP EP11700615A patent/EP2526367A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2011-01-14 WO PCT/EP2011/000146 patent/WO2011088971A1/de active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events