Target tracking system
First Claim
1. A target tracking system comprising two identical stationary and mutually distant sub-systems (5, 6), each of said sub-systems including a laser source (7) and two orthogonally pivotable mirrors (10, 11) such that a laser beam (37) can be directed by each sub-system towards a target (4), each of said sub-systems further including a laser light-sensitive detector 18 receiving said laser beam after its reflection the target, said target being a cat'"'"'s eye type reflecting target, the pivot position of the mirrors (10,11) being adjustable under the control of signals derived from the respective detector (18), such that the respective beam tends to approach the center of the target (4) and to be reflected in itself, the system further comprising means (16, 17) for detecting the present position of the mirrors, and calculator means evaluating the present 3D coordinates of the target on the basis of the mirrors pivot positions, and wherein each of said mirrors (10, 11,) in said sub-systems (5, 6) is pivotably driven by a brushless DC motor and the mirrors are further coupled to a digital angle encoder (16, 17).
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a target tracking system comprising two identical stationary and mutually distant sub-systems (5, 6), each sub-system including a laser source (7, 8) and two perpendicularly pivotable mirrors (10, 11), such that a laser beam can be directed by each sub-system towards the moving target (4). Each sub-system further includes a lateral effect photodetector (18) receiving the light beam after its reflection on the target, which is a reflecting target (4) of the cat'"'"'s eye type. The pivot positions of the mirrors (10, 11) are adjustable in accordance with control signals derived from the detector (18) such that the respective beam tends to approach the center of the target (4) and that it is reflected in itself. Each mirror is pivoted by a brushless DC motor (12, 13). The common pivot shaft of the motor and of the mirror is further coupled to a digital angle encoder (16, 17) which delivers signals to calculator means (27, 29) for evaluating the present 3D coordinates of the target.
31 Citations
7 Claims
- 1. A target tracking system comprising two identical stationary and mutually distant sub-systems (5, 6), each of said sub-systems including a laser source (7) and two orthogonally pivotable mirrors (10, 11) such that a laser beam (37) can be directed by each sub-system towards a target (4), each of said sub-systems further including a laser light-sensitive detector 18 receiving said laser beam after its reflection the target, said target being a cat'"'"'s eye type reflecting target, the pivot position of the mirrors (10,11) being adjustable under the control of signals derived from the respective detector (18), such that the respective beam tends to approach the center of the target (4) and to be reflected in itself, the system further comprising means (16, 17) for detecting the present position of the mirrors, and calculator means evaluating the present 3D coordinates of the target on the basis of the mirrors pivot positions, and wherein each of said mirrors (10, 11,) in said sub-systems (5, 6) is pivotably driven by a brushless DC motor and the mirrors are further coupled to a digital angle encoder (16, 17).
Specification