WO2017140309A1

WO2017140309A1 - Method for controlling a viewing device arranged on a vehicle in an orientable manner

Info

Publication number: WO2017140309A1
Application number: PCT/DE2017/100135
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sebastian Apel
Original assignee: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2016-02-17
Filing date: 2017-02-17
Publication date: 2017-08-24
Also published as: DE102016102808A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a viewing device (2) arranged on a vehicle (5) in an orientable manner by means of the head movements of a person (4) traveling along, wherein the head movements of the person (4) are sensed by a head movement sensor (3) and are used to produce a head movement signal (K1, K2) dependent on the head movement, wherein a reference sensor (6), which produces a vehicle movement signal (F) dependent on the movement of the vehicle (5), is arranged on the vehicle (5), wherein a differential movement signal (D1, D2) is formed from the head movement signal (K) and the vehicle movement signal (F) as a control variable for the viewing device (2). The invention further relates to a corresponding control system (1) and to a vehicle (5).

Description

Method for controlling a sighting device which can be arranged in a directionally direction on a vehicle

The invention relates to a method for controlling a directionally arranged on a vehicle viewing device on the head movements of a traveling person, wherein the head movements of the person detected by a head movement sensor and used to generate a dependent of the head movement head movement signal. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding control system for a directionally attachable to a vehicle viewing device and a corresponding vehicle. Above all in the military sector, for the observation of the environment of a vehicle designed to be armored against various military threats, sighting devices arranged on the outside of the vehicle are mostly used, which permit observation of the surroundings from the protected interior of the vehicle.

In order to be able to observe a large area, the viewing devices are often arranged on the vehicle via appropriate straightening drives, so that even a 360-degree all-round observation of the entire vehicle environment can be achieved in particularly favorable installation situations. For directing the sighting device, various control systems are known. Often the viewing device is directed by hand, for example by means of a joystick, a touch screen or similar devices. However, such a manual operation severely restricts the ability of a soldier to act. For the latter must use at least one of his two hands to control the viewing device, so that he can not use these for other activities.

In order to make control more intuitive and more intuitive over such manual controls, systems have recently been used in which the viewer is controlled by the movement of a soldier's head. For this, a head movement sensor is often arranged on the head of the corresponding person, which detects the head movements and converts them into a head movement signal. These head movement signals then act on the viewing device or on the directional drive of the viewing device and ensure that it follows the head movements and so the environment can be intuitively observed.

Such a control system has proven itself, for example, for the control of viewing devices, which are arranged on non-moving objects such as bunkers. On the other hand, problems can arise come when the system described is to be used on a vehicle. For if the vehicle, for example, due to a fast cornering or even due to a bumpy off-road driving sometimes strong forces and shocks, they are also passed to the person in the vehicle and thus also to the head movement sensor. The head movement sensor therefore not only detects the actual head movement of the person, but it is also strongly influenced by the movements of the vehicle sometimes. Therefore, the head movement signal is basically based on two different movements, namely on the head movement relative to the vehicle and on the other hand on the global movement of the vehicle. Due to this superposition, in practice undesired straightening movements of the viewing device may occur.

On this basis, the invention provides the invention to provide a method for controlling a vision device that can be arranged on a vehicle, as well as a corresponding control system and a vehicle, in which undesired directional movements are avoided.

In a method of the type mentioned above, the object is gel ö stated that a reference sensor is arranged on the vehicle, which generates a dependent of the movement of the vehicle vehicle movement signal, wherein from the head movement signal and the vehicle motion signal, a differential motion signal as a control variable for the Viewing device is formed.

By forming the difference between the two signals, the influence of the vehicle movement on the head movement signal can be eliminated, so that the differential movement signal only reflects the person's intended relative movement of the head in the vehicle. The viewing device can Therefore follow the head movements of a person in the vehicle, even if act on the head movement sensor additional caused by vehicle movements influences. Unwanted straightening movements caused by the vehicle's external global motion are avoided.

An advantageous development of the method provides that the vehicle movement signal is amplified or attenuated via a signal adjuster. As a result, a reliable signal transmission can be achieved.

Furthermore, it has turned out to be positive in terms of the method when the differential motion signal acts selectively as a control variable on the viewing device. By an optional action results in a greater variability of the process. For if the differential motion signal does not act as a control variable on the viewing device, this can be controlled, for example in another way. For example, the viewing device may also be connected to a manual control so that it can be selectively controlled either via a manual control signal or by hand or via the differential motion signal per head movement. The differential motion signal and the manual control signal may also act on a control unit connected to the vision device, which then selectively switches the differential motion signal or the manual control signal to the vision device.

In an advantageous embodiment, the differential motion signal is superimposed with the manual control signal, in particular for a coarse density. For anatomical reasons, the head movement of the moving person is limited to an angular range of about 160 ° relative to their upper body. The viewing device, however, can be rotated in an angular range of 360 °, in particular a multiple of 360 °. To fully exploit the possible range of rotation of the viewing device, especially in a restriction of the freedom of movement of the upper body of the person driving, the differential motion signal and the manual control signal can be superimposed such that their superimposed signal acts as a control variable on the screen. In this way, the viewing device with the manual control signal can initially be roughly aligned, for example, in the forward or reverse direction of a vehicle, then with the differential motion signal is a fine-tuning on the head movement. The differential motion signal and the manual control signal may also act on a control unit connected to the vision device and / or an overlay unit, which then selectively switch the differential motion signal, the manual control signal or the superimposed signal to the vision device. In a control system of the type described in the introduction, the stated object is achieved by the control system having a reference sensor, which can be arranged on the vehicle, for detecting the vehicle movement and generating a vehicle movement signal dependent thereon, wherein the viewing device functions as a function of the head movement signal and the vehicle motion signal differential motion signal is controllable. This results in the advantages already explained in connection with the method.

With regard to the head movement sensor, it has turned out to be advantageous if it is arranged on the head of the person. This ensures that the movements of the head act directly on the head movement sensor and therefore the head movement signal can map the head movements well. Advantageously, the head movement sensor can not move relative to the head. The head movement sensor can be attached to a device that is detachably connected to the head, such as a holding device, a pair of spectacles, which in this context are also used as control glasses. can be drawn, or arranged on headgear or integrated into this.

Furthermore, it has proven to be advantageous if the head movement sensor for detecting the head movement is designed as an acceleration, force and / or interference sensor. By means of such sensors all possible head movements can be detected. From the detected accelerations and forces, the head movement signal can be generated. The head movements detectable with the head movement sensor may correspond to the movements executable by the display device.

For example, the head movement sensor can be designed in such a way that it can detect yawing and pitching movements and the viewing device can accordingly be directed in azimuth and elevation. To display the images captured via the viewing device, it has proven to be advantageous if the control system has a display. The display can be coupled to the viewing device, so that the images recorded by the viewing device or the object to be observed can be displayed on the display. It is also possible for a processing unit for processing the recorded images to be arranged between the display and the viewing device, which can improve, for example, the quality of the images. Furthermore, it is possible for this processing unit to expand the images for generating an augmented reality with additional information or computer-generated objects.

Furthermore, it is possible that the display is connected to a plurality of viewing devices, so that, for example, images of different viewing devices can be superimposed. This is advantageous, for example, when the different viewing devices are cameras that can detect different electromagnetic spectra. So it is possible that one viewing device as a visible light camera and another Viewing device is designed as an infrared camera and on the display both images can be displayed superimposed.

With regard to the display, it has proven to be advantageous if it is designed as an HMD. HMD stands for "head-mounted display" and refers to a display arranged on the head of a person, which is why such an arrangement requires only a small amount of space The display can be arranged directly in front of the person's eyes, for example, on a pair of glasses or integrated into one It is advantageous if each eye has its own display, so that stereo stereoscopic images can also be displayed if the viewing device is designed accordingly.

It has also proved to be advantageous if the head movement sensor is connected to the HMD. Such coupling results in a simple and compact device which can be connected to the person's head. This device can be configured, for example, as glasses, in particular as a control glasses, so that a quick and easy startup is guaranteed.

Furthermore, it has proven to be advantageous if the reference sensor is followed by a signal adjuster for selectively attenuating or amplifying the vehicle movement signal. This signal adjuster may attenuate or amplify the vehicle motion signals to provide reliable signal transmission.

For moving the viewing device independently of a vehicle or a head movement, it has proven to be advantageous if the control system has a switching unit for switching between the Differenzbewe- motion signal and a manual control signal. The switching unit may not allow the differential motion signal to pass, so that in this case no control of the viewing device is possible. In this case, the manual control signal may act on the viewer. The manual control signal can be generated by a hand-operated device. The switching unit can optionally forward the differential movement signals or the manual control signals to the viewing unit, so that the viewing unit can optionally also be operated by hand.

To move the display device, it has also proven to be advantageous if the control system has an overlay unit for superimposing the differential motion signal with a manual control signal. The superimposition unit can superimpose the differential motion signal with the manual control signal so that control of the sighting device is possible on the basis of the superimposed signal. The superimposing unit may cooperate with the switching unit such that either the differential motion signal, the manual control signal or the superimposed signal is forwarded to the viewing device, so that different control signals for the viewing device are selectable.

It is also proposed for the solution of the stated object in a vehicle of the type described above that this has a control system with at least one of the features described above. This results in the advantages already described with regard to the control system or to the method. It has also been found to be advantageous if the vehicle has a plurality of viewing devices, which are each connected to a head movement sensor, wherein the vision devices are connected to the same reference sensor to form the differential motion signals. By means of several vision devices and a plurality of head movement sensors, it is achieved that each person traveling along can be assigned a vision device and a corresponding head movement sensor. Because on all head movement sensors act the same vehicle movements, it is sufficient to arrange only a reference sensor in the vehicle. The vehicle motion signal may be offset against the respective head movement signals to form the respective differential motion signals for each vision device.

It has furthermore proven to be advantageous if the reference sensor for reducing vehicle movement signal peaks is arranged in the region and in particular on the vehicle roll axis and / or in the region and in particular on the vehicle pitch axis. Reducing vehicle motion signal peaks results in lower measurement inaccuracies and also makes subsequent signal processing easier. The vehicle roll axis may be the axis about which the vehicle is expected to make the greatest roll, for example, it may be the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The vehicle pitch axis can be that axis about which the greatest pitching movements of the vehicle are to be expected, for example the vehicle transverse axis. Advantageously, the distance between the reference sensor and the vehicle roll axis is less than 10% of the vehicle width, more preferably less than 5% of the vehicle width, and most preferably the reference sensor is on the vehicle roll axis. The distance between the reference sensor and the vehicle pitch axis is preferably less than 5% of the vehicle length, more preferably less than 3% of the vehicle length, and most preferably the reference sensor is located on the vehicle pitch axis. Furthermore, it has been found to be advantageous in a vehicle equipped with a directional weapon when the viewing device is arranged together with the weapon directionally. This allows that the weapon can be intuitively directed over the head movement of a person in the vehicle. The sighting device can be arranged on the weapon, but it is also possible that the sighting device is arranged away from the weapon, but the movements of the weapon and the sighting device are linked to one another. are pelt. In particular, the gross sight of the weapon, the use of the control device according to the invention has proven.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained below with the aid of the accompanying drawings of an embodiment. Show:

1 shows a vehicle according to the invention in a schematic view from above,

Fig. 2 is a representation of a arranged on the head of a person

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of the control system.

In the representation of FIG. 1, a military vehicle 5 is shown in a schematic view from above, wherein the roof of the vehicle 5 is partially cut out. Outside in the roof gutter of the vehicle 5 are two viewing devices 2, 12, which are designed as cameras and both in azimuth and in elevation are directable. The observation corridors B1, B2 denote the areas that each camera 2, 12 can detect without moving.

Inside the vehicle are two people 4, 14, with the person 4 controls the camera 2 and the person 14 the camera 12. Head movement sensors 3, 13 designed as acceleration sensors are arranged at the head of both persons 4, 14, which convert the corresponding head movements into an electrical head movement signal K1, K2. your. Details of the shading will be discussed in more detail with reference to FIG.

To observe the environment, the images taken by the cameras 2, 12 are displayed on displays 7, 17. As can be seen in the representation of FIG. 2, these displays 7, 17 are so-called head-mounted displays, which are arranged in the immediate after-area in front of the eyes of the corresponding person 4, 14. As can be seen in the representation of FIG. 2, the displays 7, 17, together with the head movement sensors 3, 13, are integrated in a control eyeglass which is fixedly connected to the head of the person 4, 14 via an elastic band. so that movements of the head also act on the head movement sensor 3, 13.

In the interior of the vehicle 5, a reference sensor 6 is arranged, which is also designed as an acceleration sensor and can implement the accelerations of the vehicle 5 in a vehicle motion signal F. Only this reference sensor 6 allows an intuitive control of the camera 2, 12 by the head movements of the persons 4, 14. For not only the actual movements of the head act on the head movement sensor 3, 13, but also the superimposed movements of the vehicle 5. For example, when cornering, even if the person 4, 14 does not move his head relative to the vehicle 5, an unintentional movement of the camera 2, 12 would occur due to the acceleration initiated by the vehicle movement and also acting on the head movement sensor 3, 13.

Furthermore, a rapid movement of the vehicle 5 can sometimes lead to a very strong rocking or too strong pitching and rolling movements of the vehicle 5. This rocking is lowest at the point at which the vehicle roll axis R and the vehicle pitch axis N intersect, which in the vehicle 5 shown in FIG Vehicle center corresponds, why the reference sensor 6 is also located at this point. Furthermore, the reference sensor 6 is arranged between the two persons 4, 14, so that the determined vehicle movement signals F also correspond as far as possible to the influences additionally acting on the head movement sensors 3, 13 and these are compensated with the aid of the reference sensor 6, which is explained below the illustration in Fig. 3 will be explained in more detail.

FIG. 3 shows the shading of the head movement sensors 3, 13 with the cameras 2, 12 and with the reference sensor 6. As already described, the head movement sensor 3, 13 detects both the actual movements of the head and also the movements of the vehicle 5, which is why the head movement signal K1, K2 can only reproduce the pure head movements during vehicle standstill. However, as soon as the vehicle accelerates, this is no longer possible.

For this reason, as can be seen in FIG. 3, the vehicle movement signals F determined by the reference sensor 6 are offset with the head movement signals K1, K2 in such a way that the vehicle movement signals F are subtracted from the head movement signals K1, K2. In this way, the influence of a vehicle movement on the control of the camera 2, 12 can be avoided, so that the differential motion signal D1, D2 images only the intended head movement relative to the vehicle 5. With the differential motion signal D1, D2, the camera 2, 12 can thus be intuitively controlled even during vehicle movement.

As can be seen in the representation of FIG. 3, signal adjusters 8, 18 are connected downstream of the reference sensor 6 for selectively attenuating or amplifying the vehicle movement signal F. By means of these signal detectors 8, 18, the vehicle movement signal F can be individually adapted for each viewing device 2, 12, so that a reliable signal transmission is obtained. tion and the vehicle movement can be completely eliminated from the head movement signal K1, K2. However, the signal adjusters 8, 18 have to be calibrated for this before the control system 1 is put into operation.

Furthermore, it is also possible to manually control the camera 2, 12. For this purpose, the effect of the differential motion signal D1, D2 on the camera 2, 12 can be interrupted with a switching unit 9, 19, so that the camera 2, 12 can receive neither signals from the reference sensor 6 nor from the head movement sensor 3, 13. However, it is possible in this case to operate the camera 2, 12 via an operating lever by hand. For this purpose, the camera 2, 12 can be acted upon by a manual control signal M1, M2, so that it can be moved into any position independently of the sensors 3, 13, 6.

As can also be seen in FIG. 3, the vehicle movement signal F can be used to compensate for the vehicle movement of a plurality of head movement signals K1, K2, since the corresponding persons 4, 14 are in the same vehicle 5 and head movement sensors 3, 13 are therefore also there subject to the same vehicle influences. Accordingly, it is also possible to expand the control system 1 according to the invention in a simple manner by further cameras and corresponding control devices. Reference numerals:

1 control system

2 viewing device, camera

3 head movement sensor

4 person

5 vehicle

6 reference sensor

7 display

8 control unit

9 signal adjusters

12 screen, camera

13 head movement sensor

14 person

17 display

18 control unit

19 signal adjusters

B1, B2 observation corridor D1, D2 differential motion signal

F vehicle motion signal

K1, K2 head movement signal

M1, M2 manual control signal

N vehicle pitch axis

R vehicle roll axle

Claims

claims:

Method for controlling a sighting device (2) which can be directed to a vehicle (5) via the head movements of a traveling person (4), the head movements of the person (4) being detected by a head movement sensor (3) and generating a head movement signal dependent on the head movement (K1, K2) are used,

marked by ,

a reference sensor (6) arranged on the vehicle (5) and generating a vehicle movement signal (F) dependent on the movement of the vehicle (5), a difference movement signal (D1, D2) being derived from the head movement signal (K) and the vehicle movement signal (F) is formed as a control variable for the viewing device (2).

A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle movement signal (F) via a signal adjuster (8) is amplified or attenuated.

Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the differential motion signal (D1, D2) optionally acts as a control variable on the viewing device (2).

Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the differential motion signal (D1, D2) is superimposed with a manual control signal (M1, M2), in particular for a coarse density.

Control system for a sighting device (2) that can be arranged to be directionally arranged on a vehicle (5) and is coupled to a head movement sensor (3), wherein the head movement sensor (3) is used for detecting the head movement of a person in the vehicle (4) and for generating a head movement signal dependent on the head movement (K1, K2),

marked by ,

a reference sensor (6), which can be arranged on the vehicle (5), for detecting the vehicle movement and generating a vehicle movement signal (F) dependent thereon, wherein the viewing device (2) operates as a function of a signal from the head movement signal (K1, K2) and the vehicle movement signal (F ) formed differential motion signal (D1, D2) is controllable.

Control system according to Claim 5, characterized by a display (7) for displaying the images recorded by the viewing device (2).

Control system according to claim 6, characterized in that the display (7) is designed as an HMD.

Control system according to claim 7, characterized in that the head movement sensor (3) is connected to the HMD.

Control system according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the reference sensor (6) a signal adjuster (8, 18) for selectively attenuating or amplifying the vehicle motion signal (F) is connected downstream.

Control system according to one of Claims 5 to 9, characterized by a switching unit (9, 19) coupled to the viewing device (2, 12) for switching between the differential motion signal (D1, D2) and a manual control signal (M1, M2). Control system according to one of Claims 5 to 10, characterized by an overlay unit coupled to the viewing device (2, 12) for superimposing the differential motion signal (D1, D2) on a manual control signal (M1, M2).

Vehicle with a control system (1) according to one of claims 5 to 11.

Vehicle according to Claim 12, characterized by a plurality of viewing devices (2) which are each connected to a head movement sensor (3), the vision devices (2) being connected to the same reference sensor (6) to form the differential motion signals (D1, D2).

Vehicle according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the reference sensor (6) for reducing vehicle motion signal peaks in the area and in particular on the vehicle roll axis (R) and / or in the area and in particular on the vehicle pitch axis (N) is arranged.