Laser miss distance indicator

• US 3,897,151 A
• Filed: 01/29/1973
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James F. Lecroy
• Original Assignee: James F. Lecroy
• Inventors: Lecroy, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hubler, Malcolm F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buczinski, S. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/329,261
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 356/4,5,141,152 250/222,224 340/258B 343/12MD 89/41L
• US Class Current: 356/5.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning

Abstract

The laser miss distance indicator is an electro-optical device which utilizes a light emitting diode and an electro-optical scanning system to radiate a hemispherically shaped pattern of electromagnetic (light) energy about a target in which the device is installed. When a missile penetrates the radiation envelope, energy is reflected from the surface of the missile. The reflected energy is received by the miss distance indicator through the means of a detector. The detector converts the reflected light energy into an electrical signal which is amplified and processed to extract miss distance and vector information. The information is transmitted to a ground receiving station where a computer processes the data to produce missile miss distance and flight trajectory information.

Claims

1. A non-cooperative miss distance indicator for measuring and indicating missile-to-target miss distance and missile vector data comprising:

means for emitting a pulsed beam of monochromatic light;

means for scanning the beam into the space adjacent the target to form a hemisphere of light about the target;

means for receiving monochromatic light reflected from the missile and converting it into electrical signals corresponding to the distance, azimuth and elevation of the missile from the target; and

means for receiving said electrical signals and computing therefrom the miss distance and missile vector data, the computing means first computing from said electrical data a series of location points for said missile, computing from at least three such points the flight curve of said missile, and computing from the flight curve the miss distance of said missile from said target.

2. A non-cooperative miss distance indicator for measuring and indicating missile-to-target miss distance comprising:

a clock drive for generating trigger and reference pulses;

means for emitting a beam of pulsed monochromatic light synchronized with said trigger pulses;

means for scanning the beam into a hemispherically shaped envelope of radiation around the target;

means for receiving monochromatic light pulses reflected from the missile and converting them into electrical pulses corresponding to the distance, azimuth and elevation of the missile from the target;

means for comparing said electrical pulses to said reference pulses to generate distance points; and

, means for receiving a plurality of distance points and computing the miss distance therefrom.

3. The miss distance indicator of claim 2 wherein said light emitting means includes a laser diode.

4. The miss distance indicator of claim 2 wherein said scanning means comprises:

a housing, said laser diode being mounted within the housing;

a plane mirror mounted within the housing in the path of the light beam at an angle thereto;

optical means for spreading the beam of light into the shApe of a fan; and

, means for rotating said housing to produce the hemispherically shaped envelope of radiation.

5. A non-cooperative miss distance indicator for measuring and indicating missile-to-target miss distance and missile vector data comprising:

a clock drive for generating trigger and reference pulses;

means for emitting a beam of pulsed monochromatic light synchronized with said trigger pulses;

means for scanning the beam into an envelope of radiation adjacent the target;

means for generating a signal representative of the azimuth angle of said scanning means;

means for receiving monochromatic light pulses reflected from the missile and converting them into electrical pulses representative of the elevation angle of said missile;

means for comparing said electrical pulses to said reference pulses to generate distance points; and

, means for receiving a plurality of distance points, azimuth angle signals and electrical pulses, and computing the miss distance and missile vector information therefrom.

6. The miss distance indicator of claim 5 wherein said receiving means comprises a position sensing strip detector.

7. The miss distance indicator of claim 6 wherein said scanning means comprises:

a housing, said light beam emitting means being mounted within the housing;

a plane mirror mounted within the housing in the path of the light beam at an angle thereto;

optical means for spreading the beam of light in the shape of a fan; and

, means for rotating said housing to produce the hemispherically shaped envelope of radiation.

8. The miss distance indicator of claim 7 wherein said position sensing strip detector is mounted in the housing.

9. The miss distance indicator of claim 8 further comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter connected to the position sensing strip detector for converting said electrical pulses to digital signals;

brush means for taking said digital signals off said rotating housing; and

, a digital-to-analog converter connected to the brushes for converting the digital signals to analog signals.

10. A non-cooperative miss distance indicator for measuring and indicating missile-to-target miss distance and missile vector data comprising:

means for emitting a pulsed beam of monochromatic light;

means for scanning the beam into the space adjacent the target to form a volume of space which is irradiated by said pulsed beam of light;

means for receiving monochromatic light reflected from the missile and converting it into electrical signals corresponding to the distance, azimuth and elevation of the missile from the target; and

means for receiving a plurality of said electrical signals and computing therefrom the miss distance and missile vector data, the computing means first computing from said electrical data a series of location points for said missile, computing from at least three such points the flight curve of said missile, and computing from the flight curve the miss distance of said missile from said target.