WEAPON AIM EVALUATION SYSTEM

• US 3,798,795 A
• Filed: 07/03/1972
• Issued: 03/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul F. Michelsen
• Original Assignee: Paul F. Michelsen
• Inventors: Michelsen, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bentley, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US05/268,632
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 35/25 89/41ME,41L,41TV,41SW 178/DIG.21,DIG.35,DIG.36,DIG.38 343/6TV,12MD
• US Class Current: 434/19
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2611 coacting with a TV-monitor

Abstract

The system for evaluating the accuracy of aim of a missile firing weapon measures the line of aim of the weapon at the time of firing, measures the target flight path with an optical sensor and a radio ranging apparatus, and with a data processing unit calculates and compares a mean trajectory of a selected missile with either the actual or predicted target flight path indicating qualitatively and quantitively the error in aim.

Claims

1. In a system which comprises a weapon to be aimed to direct a missile at a target, a television camera which registers a signal on the image surface when directed toward said target, radio transmitting and receiving apparatus transmitting radiation toward and from said target, a data processing unit (DPU), and a register to exhibit the difference between the correct line of aim and the line of aim of said weapon, the method of exhibiting the accuracy of the aim of said weapon comprising

2. Measuring the angular position of the line of aim of said weapon and transmitting said data digitally to said DPU,

3. Measuring the angular position of the line of sight of said target registered on the image surface of said television camera and transmitting the TV data digitally to said DPU,

4. In a system as in claim 1, the method claimed therein which comprises exhibiting the differences between the angles of elevation and azimuth, respectively, of the correct line of aim and the line of aim of the weapon at the time of firing, so that the quantitative values indicate the inaccuracy in each angle of the line of aim of the weapon.

5. Actuating said DPU by the action of firing said weapon to derive from said TV data and said distance data a measurement of the correct line of aim of said weapon to direct a missile to said target,

6. In a system for evaluating the accuracy of the aim of a missile-firing weapon at a target, said system comprising measuring apparatus connected to said weapon to measure the angular position of the weapon at the time of firing and electronic means to produce digital values of said angular position, a television camera mounted for angular movement to follow the target with its image on the TV image surface, and means to measure the direction of the line of sight of said target including means to measure the angular position of the TV camera and further means to measure the position of the target image on the TV image surface, range measuring apparatus comprising first radio apparatus to transmit and receive two high frequency radiations to and from said target which differ by a low frequency having a wavelength at least as great as the distance to and from said target, radio apparatus at said target receiving the transmitted high frequency radiations and transmitting back two high frequency radiations differing by the same low frequency as said original radiations, first receiving apparatus receiving said return radiations, electronic circuit means comparing the low frequency difference of the received radiations with the low frequency differences of the original transmitted radiations to measure the phase difference of the received radiation and thereby the distance traveled by the original and return radiations, a data processing unit (DPU), electronic means to transmit data digitally to said DPU from the measurements of the angular position of said weapon, the measurements of the angular position of said television camera and the position of said image on said image surface, and data from said range measuring apparatus, means to activate said DPU operated by the firing mechanism of said weapon, and exhibition means controlled by said DPU to exhibit the quantitative difference between the correct line of aim and the line of aim of said weapon.

7. In a system as claimed in claim 6, in which said radio apparatus at said target transmits high frequency radiations which differ in frequency from the high frequency radiations transmitted by said first radio apparatus.

8. In a system as claimed in claim 6, in which a light source is positioned on said target, and forms an image on the image surface of said television camera.

9. In a system as claimed in claim 6, in which the measuring apparatus to measure the elevation angle of said weapon is carried by the weapon supporting structure, and the azimuth angle measuring apparatus includes a ground location point spaced from said supporting structure to provide a measurement of the azimuth angle by reference to a fixed ground position.

10. In a system according to claim 9, in which said DPU actuates said exhibition means to exhibit the differences in the values of the angles of elevation and azimuth, respectively, between the correct line of aim and the line of aim of said weapon.