Aiming and pointing system for ground based weapons equipment

• US 5,481,957 A
• Filed: 07/06/1992
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Inventors: Strashinsky, Alex R. Jr., Beneventano, Thomas, Paley, Isadore R., Galuschak, George
• Primary Examiner(s): BENTLEY, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US07/909,325
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 33/236, 89/41.09, 89/41.19, 235/407, 342/359, 364/423
• US Class Current: 89/41.19
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/04 for dispersing fire from a battery ; for controlling spread of shots; for coordinating fire from spaced weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/38 with north-seeking action by other than magnetic means, e.g. gyrocompasses using earth's rotation

Abstract

Azimuth and elevation information relating to ground based weapons equipment is inputted to a north finding system. The system determines angular azimuth and elevation errors and transmits signals to a display arrangement for indicating the direction to rotate the system so as to eliminate the errors. As the system is aimed, a gyro included in the north finding system measures angular rotation about its input axis and accelerometers measure the change in tilt. The computer projects the rotations to the horizontal plane and determines the change in azimuth. This is a continuous procedure until all errors are eliminated.

Claims

1. An aiming and pointing system for ground based weapons equipment, comprising:

north finding means mounted to a rotating part of ground based weapons equipment so as to rotate therewith when said equipment is pointed and including an inertial platform for supporting inertial instrumentation including a single gyroscope having one input axis for sensing earth'"'"'s rate during north finding and the weapons equipment slew rate after north finding, with said north finding means being effective for continuously sensing the azimuth and elevation angles of the pointed equipment and for providing corresponding signals, and further including control means;

display and indicating means connected in an output mode to the control means and operator-operated in the output mode for applying signals corresponding to the azimuth and elevation angles of a target and signals corresponding to the slew rate of the equipment to the control means;

said control means being responsive to the equipment azimuth and elevation signals and the target azimuth and elevation signals for controlling the inertial platform to align the one gyro input axis with the weapons equipment, and providing output signals; and

the display and indicating means connected in an input mode to the control means and responsive to the output signals provided thereby for displaying at least equipment azimuth, elevation and cant angles in real time, target azimuth and elevation signals in real time, and the differences between said equipment and target angles in real time, and for indicating the direction in which the equipment must be slewed to point at the target and when the equipment is properly aimed.

3. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the gyroscope is of the type without a spinning mass so as to be insensitive to mass unbalance error effects.

2. An aiming and pointing system for ground based weapons equipment, comprising:

means mounted to a rotating part of ground based weapons equipment so as to rotate therewith when said equipment is pointed;

the equipment mounted means including means having one input axis for finding north and for sensing earth'"'"'s rate during north finding and for sensing the equipment slew rate after north finding, with said equipment mounted means being effective for continuously sensing the azimuth and elevation angles of the pointed equipment and for providing corresponding signals;

control means associated with the equipment mounted means;

display and indicating means connected in an output mode to the control means and operator-operated in the output mode for applying signals corresponding to the azimuth and elevation angles of a target and applying signals corresponding to the slew rate of the equipment to the control means;

said control means being responsive to the equipment azimuth and elevation signals and target azimuth and elevation signals for controlling the equipment mounted means to align the one input axis of the sensing means with the equipment, and providing output signals; and

the display and indicating means connected in an input mode to the control means and responsive to the output signals provided thereby for displaying at least equipment azimuth, elevation and cant angles in real time, target azimuth and elevation signals in real time and the differences between said equipment and target signals in real time, and for indicating the direction in which the equipment must be slewed to point at the target and when the equipment is properly aimed.

4. A system as described by claim 2, wherein:

the means for sensing earth'"'"'s rate and the equipment slew rate includes a gyroscope of the type without a spinning mass so as to be insensitive to mass unbalance error effects.

5. An improved north finding means of the type wherein an inertial platform supports instrumentation including a single gyroscope of the type without a spinning mass so as to be insensitive to mass unbalance effects, said gyroscope having one input axis, and control means, the improvement comprising:

an aiming and pointing system for ground based weapons equipment;

the north finding means mounted to a rotating part of the ground based weapons equipment so as to rotate therewith when said equipment is pointed, the gyroscope being effective for sensing earth'"'"'s rate during north finding and equipment slew rate after north finding;

said north finding means being effective for continuously sensing the azimuth and elevation angles of the pointed equipment and for providing corresponding signals;

display and indicating means connected in an output mode to the control means and operator-operated in the output mode for applying signals corresponding to the azimuth and elevation angles of a target and applying signals corresponding to the slew rate of the equipment to said control means with the control means being responsive to all of said signals for controlling the inertial platform to align the one gyro input axis with the weapons equipment, and providing output signals; and

the display and indicating means connected in an input mode to the control means and responsive to the output signals provided thereby for displaying at least equipment azimuth elevation and cant angles in real time, target and elevation signals in real time and the differences between said equipment and target signals in real time, and for indicating the direction in which the equipment must be slewed to point at the target and when the equipment is properly aimed.

6. A method for aiming and pointing ground based weapons equipment, comprising:

mounting a north finding system including an inertial platform to a rotating part of ground based weapons equipment so that the north finding system rotates therewith;

inputting northings and eastings and azimuth and elevation angles of a target to the north finding system;

supporting a single gyroscope having one input axis on the inertial platform;

aligning the one input axis of the gyroscope with the weapons equipment;

sensing the output of the inertial platform;

using the sensed inertial platform output to determine weapon pointing angles and weapon-to-target angles;

using the determined angles for displaying at least equipment azimuth, elevation and cant angle information in real time, target azimuth and elevation angle information in real time, and the difference between the equipment and target angle information in real time, and for indicating information as to the direction the equipment must be slewed to point at the target and when the equipment is properly aligned; and

combining the displayed and indicated information with the sensed gyroscope output for re-determining weapon pointing angles and weapon-to-target angles.

7. A method as described by claim 6, wherein supporting a gyroscope on the inertial platform includes:

supporting a gyroscope of the type without a spinning mass so as to be insensitive to mass unbalance effects.

8. A method as described by claim 6, wherein aligning the one input axis of the gyroscope with the weapons equipment includes:

rotating the inertial platform to align the one input axis of the gyroscope with the weapons equipment; and

locking the rotated inertial platform in place.