Method and an apparatus for determining a deviation between an actual direction of a launched projectile and a predetermined direction

• US 8,912,945 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trackman A/S
• Original Assignee: Trackman A/S
• Inventors: Tuxen, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US13/303,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 235/400, 235/404, 235408-417, 89/11.1, 89/370.1, 89/410.1, 89/410.2, 89/410.7, 342/59, 342/118, 342134-147, 342/165, 342/173, 342/27, 342/28, 342 52- 58, 342/60, 342/61, 342/66, 342/67, 342175-184, 342/195, 342/126, 342/125, 342104-115, 473/131, 473150-152, 473/155, 473/156, 473198-200, 473/415, 473/422, 473/451, 473/453, 473/465, 473/468, 367/118, 367/127, 356/138, 356/139.04, 356/139.05, 356/152.1, 434/247, 434/252, 348/61, 348/135, 102/200, 102/206, 102/215
• US Class Current: 342/55
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/72 for two-dimensional tracking, e.g. combination of angle and range tracking, track-while-scan radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52 of systems according to group G01S15/00

Abstract

In a method of determining a deviation of a path of a projectile from a predetermined path, the method uses an image of a target area in which the desired path or direction is pointed out. Subsequently, the real direction or real path is determined and the deviation is determined.

Claims

1. A method of presenting measurement data of a launched projectile, the method comprising:

providing an image representing a target area,

receiving an indication of a position in the image, the indicated position corresponding to a corresponding position in the target area,

receiving, using a radar, radiation transmitted by or reflected by the projectile while it is in flight and

determining, from the received radiation, measurement data of the projectile in a coordinate system of the radar,

transferring the measurement data from the coordinate system of the radar into a coordinate system with origin at a launch position of the projectile and with a horizontal reference line going through the corresponding position in the target area, and presenting the transferred measurement data to a user.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement data is a trajectory of the projectile.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the transferring step comprises transferring the measurement data on the basis of a predetermined physical orientation and position between a camera adapted to provide the image and the radar.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining a distance from a camera adapted to provide the image to the corresponding position, and wherein the transferring step comprises performing the transferring on the basis of also the distance obtained.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the launch position is determined by measurement.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the launch position is estimated.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the launch position is estimated by assuming that the launch is performed at a predetermined position.

8. A method of determining a distance between a predetermined direction of a launched projectile and a landing point of the projectile, the method comprising:

providing an image representing a target area,

receiving an indication of a position in the image, the indicated position corresponding to a position in the target area,

receiving, using a radar, radiation transmitted by or reflected by the projectile while it is in flight,

determining, from the received radiation, a landing point of the projectile,

determining, from a launch position of the projectile and the corresponding position, the predetermined direction, and

determining the distance between the landing point of the projectile and the predetermined direction.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the launch position is determined by measurement.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of determining the distance comprises determining the distance in a predetermined plane.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the launch position is estimated.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the launch position is estimated by assuming that the launch is performed at a predetermined position.

13. An apparatus for presenting measurement data of a launched projectile, the apparatus comprising:

a camera for providing an image representing a target area,

an input member for receiving an indication of a position in the image, the receiving means being adapted to correlate the indicated position to a corresponding position in the target area,

a radar for receiving radiation transmitted by or reflected by the projectile while it is in flight,

a computer for determining, from the received radiation, measurement data of the projectile in a coordinate system of the radar, and for transferring the measurement data from the coordinate system of the radar into a coordinate system with origin at a launch position of the projectile and with a horizontal reference line going through the corresponding position in the target area, and

a display for presenting the transferred measurement data to a user.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the measurement data is a trajectory of the projectile.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computer is adapted to perform the transferring also on the basis of a predetermined physical orientation and position between the imaging means and the radar.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computer is further adapted to obtain a distance from the camera to the corresponding position, and wherein the computer is adapted to perform the transferring also on the basis of the distance obtained.

17. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computer is adapted to determine the launch position by measurement.

18. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computer is adapted to estimate the launch position.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the computer is adapted to estimate the launch position by assuming that the launch is performed at a predetermined position.

20. An apparatus for determining a distance between a predetermined direction of a launched projectile and a landing point of the projectile, the apparatus comprising:

a camera for providing an image representing a target area,

an input member for receiving an indication of a position in the image, the receiving means being adapted to correlate the indicated position to a corresponding position in the target area,

a Radar for receiving radiation transmitted by or reflected by the projectile while it is in flight, and

a computer for

determining, from the received radiation, measurement data of the projectile in a coordinate system of the radar,

determining, from a launch position of the projectile and the corresponding position, the predetermined direction, and

determining the distance between the predetermined direction of the launched projectile and the landing point of the projectile.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the computer is adapted to determine the launch position by measurement.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the computer is adapted to determine the distance in a predetermined plane.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the computer is adapted to estimate the launch position.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the computer is adapted to estimate the launch position by assuming that the launch is performed at a predetermined position.