Object locating system

• US 3,981,010 A
• Filed: 03/22/1974
• Issued: 09/14/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RMC Research Corp.
• Original Assignee: RMC Research Corp.
• Inventors: Michelsen, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tubbesing, T.H.
• Application Number:
  US05/453,973
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 343/6 ND, 343/6 TV, 343/12 R, 178/DIG. 21
• US Class Current: 342/55
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2611 coacting with a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 5/06 using electric means for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/84 for distance determination by phase measurement

Abstract

This system observes and registers the instantaneous position of a moving, distant object. A television camera receives an image on its sensitive surface, and direction of the object is registered continuously in a data processing unit. The range of the object is measured by transmitting two spaced, high frequency radiations to the object, on which is mounted a radio frequency transmitter to be actuated by the transmitted radiations, to transmit return radiations, which are compared with the original transmissions to measure the distance of the object and register the distance in the data processing unit. The data processing unit registers the direction and distance of the object.

Claims

1. The method of registering the instantaneous position of an object at a distance from a given point comprising transmitting electromagnetic radiation from a position fixed relative to said given point to said target and inducing returned electromagnetic radiation from said target, receiving said returned radiation at a position fixed relative to said given point, and measuring the distance of said object by measuring the effect of the distance traversed on said transmitted and received radiations, and registering said distance, and determining the direction of said object in a fixed reference system at a given point by directing a television camera toward said object at a position fixed relative to said given point, registering the direction of aim of said television camera, measuring vertical and horizontal coordinates of the position of the image of said object on the sensitive surface of said television camera relative to the axis of said television camera, and determining the direction of said object from the direction of aim of said television camera and the position of the image of said object on said sensitive surface, so that the location of said object at any instant is determined by the distance measured and the direction of the object from the given point.

2. The method of registering the instantaneous position of an object at a distance, in which a light radiating source and a high frequency radio transmitting apparatus are mounted on said object, comprising receiving said light radiation at a spot on the sensitive surface of a television camera at a fixed point, registering the direction of aim of the television camera and vertical and horizontal coordinates relative to the line of aim of the spot on the screen receiving said light radiation to register the direction of said object, transmitting two spaced radio frequency radiations to said object from a fixed point, which differ by a frequency corresponding to a wavelength not exceeding the distance between said object and said fixed point, and actuating the transmitting apparatus on said object to return two radio frequency radiations which differ by the same frequency as the radiations transmitted from the fixed point to receiving apparatus at a fixed point, comparing the difference frequencies of said transmitted and received radiations to measure the distance of said object, and registering the direction and distance of said object from a given point related to said fixed points.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, in which the line of aim and position of said camera are registered in a data processing unit (DPU), and coordinates of the light image on the sensitive surface are continuously measured electronically and registered in said DPU, the distance measured by comparing said transmitted and received radiations being continuously registered in said DPU, said DPU continuously registering the instantaneous direction and distance of said object from a given point.

4. A system of locating the instantaneous position of an object at a distance from a given point comprising a television camera, distance measuring means and a computing and registering means connected to said television camera and said distance measuring means, said system including means for registering the position of said television camera, means to register the coordinates of the position of the image of said object on the sensitive surface of said television camera, said distance measuring system comprising a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic radiation to said object to induce return radiation from said object, a receiver receiving said return radiation and including means to compare said return radiation with the transmitted radiation to measure the distance of said object, means to register the positions of said transmitter and receiver relative to said given point, and means to register the distance measurements of said object, said computing and registering means continuously registering the instantanous position of said object relative to said given point.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, in which said computing and registering means includes a data processing unit (DPU) which has the constants of a firing weapon stored therein, and said DPU calculates the correct aim of said weapon directed at said object at the time of registering the position of said object.

6. A system for registering the instantaneous position of an object at a distance, comprising a light radiating source and a high frequency radio transmitting apparatus mounted on said object, said transmitting apparatus transmitting two spaced, high frequency radiations, a television camera at a fixed point receiving light from said light source on its sensitive surface, a radio transmitting apparatus for transmitting two spaced, high frequency radio radiations to said object, said object carrying a transducer to receive the high frequency radiation from a fixed point and to actuate said transmitter on said object to transmit two spaced, high frequency radiations, said spaced, high frequency radiations transmitted from said object differing in frequency from said radiations received, the two spaced frequencies transmitted from the fixed point and those transmitted from the object having the same difference in frequency which corresponds to a wavelength not exceeding the distance between the fixed point at which said transmitting apparatus is located and the object, a receiving apparatus at a fixed point to receive the high frequency radiations from said object, means to compare the radiations transmitted and received at said fixed points to measure the distance to said object, means to measure the coordinates of the position of the light image on said surface of said television camera and the direction of aim of said camera and means to register the distance and direction of said object from a fixed point, so that the position of said object may be determined from its direction and distance from a fixed point.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, in which a data processing unit (DPU) is connected to said radio transmitting and receiving apparatus and said television camera at fixed points to register the direction of aim of the camera, said system including means to measure continuously the position of said light image on said surface and register said position in said DPU, said DPU registering the instantaneous direction and distance of said object from a fixed point.

8. The method of measuring the distance of a second point from a first point comprising, transmitting from a transmitter at said first point two high frequency wave radiations differing by a low frequency which has a wavelength at least as great as the distance from the first point to the second point and return, initiating by said two radiations at said second point the return transmission of two high frequency wave radiations which differ by the same low frequency as said first two radiations, receiving by a receiver fixed relatively to said first point said return radiations, deriving the difference frequencies of the transmitted and received radiations, and measuring the phase displacement of the difference frequency of the received radiations relative to that of the transmitted radiations to determine the distance traveled from the first point to the second point and to the receiver.

9. The method of measuring the distance of a second point from a first point comprising, transmitting from a transmitter at said first point two high frequency continuous wave radiations differing by a low frequency which has a wavelength at least as great as the distance from said first point to said second point and return, initiating by said two radiations at said second point the transmission of two different high frequency continuous wave return radiations which differ by the same low frequency as said first two radiations, receiving at said first point said two different radiations, deriving the difference frequencies of the transmitted and received radiations, and measuring the phase displacement of the difference frequency of the received radiations relative to that of the transmitted radiations, and registering the distance between said points as determined by said phase displacement.

10. A system for measuring the distance between two points, comprising a transmitter at the first point for transmitting two high frequency wave radiations differing by a low frequency having a wavelength at least as long as the total distance to and from the second point, a transmitter at the second point actuated in response to reception of transmission from the first transmitter for the return transmission of two high frequency wave radiations differing by said same low frequency, a receiver for the return radiations, and means for comparing the difference frequencies of the transmitted and received radiations to measure the phase displacement of said received radiations and measure the distance traversed to and from said object.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, in which the two continuous wave high frequency radiations of the return transmission differ from the continuous wave high frequency radiations transmitted at the first point.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which said receiver for the return radiations is at said first point.

13. The method of determining the direction of an object, comprising aiming a television camera at the object so that the image of the object is positioned on the image surface of the television camera, measuring the elevation angle and the azimuth angle of the line-of-sight of the television camera and transmitting the data of these angle measurements to an electronic data processing unit, scanning said image surface in operation of the camera and electronically counting the lines of the scanning trace to the object image on the image surface to provide data of one coordinate of said object image on the image surface and transmitting the data of the count of the lines to said electronic unit, measuring the length of said lines of said trace to the object image by the number of unit pulses to provide data on the length of the line and the other coordinate of said object image on the image surface, transmitting the data of said coordinates to said data processing unit, and deriving from the data for said line-of-sight of said camera and from said coordinates of said object image on said image surface, the true direction of said object from the camera position.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, in which said object is a light source, and the electronic counting of the number of lines and of the length of lines is activated by the intensity of the object image and the effect of said image on the scanning trace.

15. A system for measuring the elevation angle and azimuth angle of the line-of-sight of a distance object from a television camera, comprising angle measuring units connected to said camera to measure the elevation angle and the azimuth angle of the line-of-sight of the television camera, an electronic circuit connected to the video scanning trace of the camera which counts the number of lines of the trace in each scan of the image surface and the length of each line by the frequency pulses from the start of the line, a peak reader circuit in said electronic circuit which controls the counting of the number of lines to an object image on said image surface having a maximum intensity relative to other images, and also the counting of pulses to give the length of lines intersecting said object image of maximum intensity, said electronic circuit registering the number of lines and the length of said lines to said object image to measure the coordinates of said object image on said surface, and a data processing unit connected to said angle measuring units and said electronic circuit to receive data from said units and circuit and derive from said data the line-of-sight of said object from said camera position.