Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S3/00—Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not having a directional significance, are being received
  • G01S3/78—Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not having a directional significance, are being received using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
  • G01S3/782—Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
  • G01S3/785—Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction using adjustment of orientation of directivity characteristics of a detector or detector system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that detector or detector system
  • G01S3/786—Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction using adjustment of orientation of directivity characteristics of a detector or detector system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that detector or detector system the desired condition being maintained automatically
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
  • H04N23/69—Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
  • G01S17/66—Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a camera system for detection and
• a launching rocket emits a light signal of more than 1,000,000 watts / m 2 through its engine jet, which is detectable from a long distance, but only for a relatively short period of time, namely only during the burning time of the engine, for detection is available.
• Period of time is generally not sufficient for a tracking and thus for a destination forecast.
• Camera system which is able to, even from a long distance To monitor territory for launching missiles and to track their trajectory to be able to make a prediction of the approached destination.
• Patent claim 1 solved.
• a camera system according to the invention for detecting and tracing moving objects at a great distance has one with a
• Camera optics provided camera and a position stabilization device for the camera and the camera optics, wherein the camera is provided with a first image sensor having a first associated high-speed shutter and a second image sensor with a second associated therewith
• High-speed shutter wherein the camera optics, a device of optical elements for focusing incident radiation on a
• the means of optical elements comprises a said first image sensor associated first subassembly of optical elements having a first focal length and the second image sensor associated second subassembly of optical elements having a second focal length which is shorter than the first focal length.
• This position-stabilized camera is capable of using the over the
• Control device controlled and moved by the drive means element for example, a target tracking mirror, with the shorter
• Focal assigned image sensor to scan an observation area, for example, emitted by the engine jet of a starting rocket To detect light. If a detection of an object has taken place, an enlarged representation of the detected object can be obtained by means of the first image sensor associated with the longer focal length, whereby the identification of the object is facilitated.
• the optical beam path between the first sub-array and the second sub-array is preferably switchable, wherein the
• Switching preferably a movable, in particular pivotable, mirror is provided.
• the image sensor has a sensitivity maximum in
• Wavelength range is given by all currently known rocket fuels
• the image sensor has a, preferably uncooled, indium gallium arsenide CCD sensor chip.
• Sensor chip is particularly sensitive in the spectral range from 0.7 pm to 1.7 pm and has a maximum sensitivity that is close to the theoretically possible
• Sensitivity limit is. It is particularly advantageous if this
• the respective high-speed shutter of the camera is designed such that the associated image sensor can record a plurality of individual images in rapid succession, preferably at a frequency of 50 images per second, more preferably of 100 images per second.
• This fast frame sequence makes it possible with the camera according to the invention a large
• Scanning search volume ie a large horizontal and vertical angle of view, in rapid succession, so that the camera scans performed in this way a ensure high reliability for the detection of light-emitting moving objects.
• At least one of the subarrays of optical elements has a Barlow lens set.
• a lens set makes it possible to achieve high light transmission and thus high sensitivity with a large focal length.
• the camera has a filter arrangement comprising a plurality of spectral filters, which can each be coupled into the beam path when required, wherein the filter arrangement is preferably designed as a filter wheel.
• a filter arrangement in particular such a fast-rotating filter wheel with, for example, three band filters which cover the entire spectral range, can be coupled into the beam path
• Sequentially false color images of the light and heat energy radiating moving object such as a burning rocket tail create.
• the images contain sufficient shape, color and spectral information to make an identification of the object can.
• Target illumination device which has a radiation source, preferably a laser diode radiation source or a high-pressure xenon short arc lamp radiation source.
• Target illumination device the once detected object can be detected even if the object itself no longer emits light or heat radiation or emits only a very low radiation, as is the case for example with a rocket, in which the burning time of the engine is completed.
• This target lighting device preferably by a
• Near-infrared laser diode target illuminator or a near-infrared high-pressure xenon short-arc lamp target illuminator illuminates that once captured moving object and the camera receives the from the
• Target illumination device Preferably, the target illumination device can be coupled to the camera optics in such a way that the light emitted by the target illumination device
• Target illumination radiation in the beam path of the camera optics for bundling the emitted radiation can be coupled.
• Such a long focal length target illuminator makes it possible to produce in the target range, ie in the region of the moving object, a light spot with the multiple area of the target object that is so large that it illuminates the target object, but still
• Target illumination device generated radiation pulse sent through the camera optics to the target, while the beam path to the associated image sensor is interrupted.
• the timing of this stroboscopic target illumination is chosen so that the duration of each sent to the target illumination pulse is smaller than that required to cover the distance from the camera system to the target object and back time.
• the duration of each illumination pulse sent to the target is at least 40%, in particular greater than 60%, that for covering the distance from the camera system to the target object and time required back.
• the radiation source of the target illumination device is designed to emit pulsed light flashes, preferably in the infrared range, wherein the intensity of the near infrared light flashes is preferably at least 1 kW preferably 2 kW.
• the energy bundling together with the high pulse power of ideally about 2 kW emits enough near-infrared light to illuminate an object several hundred kilometers away so that the light reflected from the object is sufficiently strong to be detected by the sensor of the camera.
• the camera system is an automatically operating
• Image evaluation provided, to which the image data of the images taken by the camera are transmitted. By means of this image evaluation device can be identified with sufficient resolution of the received images automatically detected objects.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the optical structure
• Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a target illumination device of the camera system according to the invention.
• the camera system has a camera 1 provided with a camera 2, which is arranged on a platform 3.
• the platform 3 is with a
• Position stabilization device 30 for the camera 1 and the camera optics 2 provided, which is also shown only schematically in Fig. 1.
• the camera 1 has a first image sensor 10 with a
• the first image sensor 10 is assigned a high-frequency line stabilization and image rotation unit 14.
• the first image sensor 10 has an optical axis A ', which corresponds to the optical axis A of the camera optics 2.
• a second image sensor 12 with a second associated therewith
• Visual line stabilization and image rotation unit 15 is between the
• Camera optics 2 and the first image sensor 10 arranged at an angle to the optical axis A of the camera optics 2, wherein the angle shown in Fig. 1 of the optical axis A of the camera lens 2 and directed to the second image sensor 12 optical axis A "90 °.
• the two image sensors 10, 12 are sensitive in the near infrared range and formed, for example, by an InGaAs CCD chip with a preferably 30 m pixel size and with a frame rate of 100 Hz at most.
• the sensors 10, 12 are preferably highly sensitive in the wavelength range from 0.90 pm to 1.70 pm and have a preferred image size of 250 ⁇ 320 pixels.
• the camera optics 2 has a device 20 made of optical elements
• This optical device 20 is provided with a reflector telescope arrangement 22, a
• the second focal length f2 is shorter than the first focal length f1.
• a Fluorite Flatfield Corrector (FFC) 27 is provided in the beam path of the first subassembly 26, a Fluorite Flatfield Corrector (FFC) 27 is provided.
• the focal length is f1 of the camera optics 2 with the first sub-assembly 26, in which the captured by the camera optics 2 image is imaged on the first image sensor 10, 38.1 m.
• the focal length f2 of the camera optics 2 with the second subassembly 28, in which the image captured by the camera optics 2 is imaged on the second image sensor 12, is 2.54 m.
• This telescope The mirrors 220, 222 of the reflecting telescope 22 are preferably provided with a gold surface mirroring and are therefore particularly suitable for use as an infrared telescope mirror.
• the optical beam path of the camera optics 2 with its optical axis A is by means of a switchable, preferably pivotable, mirror 29 between the optical beam path of the first sub-assembly 26 with the first image sensor 10 directed to the optical axis A 'and the second optical
• Sub-assembly 28 can be switched with the optical axis A "directed onto the second image sensor 12. In this way, the image captured by the camera optical system 2 can be imaged either on the first image sensor 10 or on the second image sensor 12.
• This second deflection mirror 242 is attached to a movable element 244 'of a drive device 244 by means of supports 242', 242 "shown only schematically in the figure such that the second deflection mirror 242 is arranged about a first axis x and a second axis y arranged at right angles thereto the drive device 244 attached to the platform 3 is pivotable, to control the drive device 244 is a control device 246 shown only schematically in Fig. 1
• a filter assembly 21 which comprises a plurality of spectral filters 21A, 21B, 21C. If necessary, these filters can be coupled individually into the beam path, for which purpose the filter arrangement can be designed as a filter wheel.
• the filters of the filter arrangement 21 are permeable to different wavelength ranges in the total range from 0.90 ⁇ to 1, 70 ⁇ , so that each of a filter which acts as a blocking filter, a portion of the incident light can be filtered out of this wavelength range.
• a target illumination device 4 with a radiation source 40 is provided.
• the radiation source 40 is as a laser radiation source, preferably as a xenon flash illumination device
• the radiation source 40 emits light along an optical axis A '"which is transverse, preferably perpendicular to the optical axis A of the
• Camera optics 2 runs.
• a movable mirror assembly 23 is provided, which consists in the example shown of a rotating sector shutter whose closed sector elements are mirrored to the along the optical axis A'" emitted light in the direction of the optical A axis A of the camera optics 2 deflect and whose open sector elements a light transmission from the camera lens 2 to the first
• Target illumination device 4 by the camera lens 2 on a target T and light reflected from the target T light back through the camera lens 2 are directed to the first image sensor 10, as will be described below.
• FIG. 2 shows an exemplary construction of the radiation source 40 of the target illumination device 4 shown only symbolically in FIG. 1.
• This radiation source 40 is equipped with a xenon short arc lamp and has, for example, an electric power of 12 kW and a radiation power in the near
• an arc lamp 41 is arranged, which generates a short arc of about 14 mm in length and 2.8 mm thickness.
• the light emitted by this arc light is passed from the elliptical reflector 42 to a condenser 43, which is provided at its light entrance side with a sapphire crystal hollow cone 44 as a condenser inlet and a pinhole block 45 has.
• the pinhole block 45 has a light passage opening 45 'tapering from the light entrance side to the light exit side
• the exit aperture 45 ' has a polished gold surface.
• the aperture block 45 is liquid cooled
• the light entrance side larger opening of the light passage opening 45 ' is the sapphire glass hollow cone 44 inserted with its light exit end, as shown in Fig. 2 can be seen.
• an illumination field lens 46 Disposed behind the pinhole block 45 is an illumination field lens 46 which images the exit aperture 45 "of the pinhole block through the fluoride flatfield corrector 27 onto the aperture 220 'of the binocular telescope assembly 22 ( Figure 1) in the area of the dotted line 23 'by means of the mirror assembly 23 taking place
• the camera 1 is directed with activated second image sensor 12 and in the beam path A of the reflecting telescope assembly 22 pivoted deflection mirror 29 to a target area to be monitored.
• a target area to be monitored.
• Control computer of a monitoring device which is part of the camera system according to the invention, the control device 246 is controlled for the drive means 244 of the second deflection mirror 242 such that acting as a target tracking mirror second deflection mirror 242 a the target area performs line by line scanning scan. During this the
• Target scanning abscannenden motion takes the second image sensor 12 with a high frame rate of, for example, 100 Hz images from the target area and forwards them to an image evaluation device 5 of the parent
• one of the spectral filters 21 A, 21 B, 21 C is alternately inserted into the beam path of the
• Mirror telescope assembly 22 pivoted in rapid succession, so that each recorded by the second image sensor 12 recording of the target area with one of the spectral filters 21 A, 21 B, 21 C is exposed.
• Multiple successive images thus superimposed provide a near-infrared false-color image of the target and at the same time a multi-spectral analysis of the target area in the near infrared range.
• This false color image is then forwarded to the image evaluation device 5 for evaluation, so that automatic destination recognition and destination identification can be carried out there, false destinations being identified as such and discarded from the relevant data.
• the first image sensor 10 is activated, including the
• Deflection mirror 29 is pivoted out of the beam path A of the reflector telescope assembly 22 so that the light captured by the mirror telescope assembly 22 can reach the first image sensor 10.
• a target tracking procedure is activated in the higher-level control computer, which ensures that the deflection mirror 242 acting as a target-tracking mirror is controlled so that it tracks the moving target T such that the target T is always imaged on the first image sensor 10.
• the image sensor 10 also picks up the target T at a fast frame rate of, for example, 100 Hz and forwards the acquired image signals to the image evaluation device 5. There is then an object identification of the target T based on the recorded image data.
• Target illumination device 4 of the camera system according to the invention and the mirror assembly 23 is activated, so that the sector shutter wheel is set in rotation.
• Target illumination device 4 emitted high-energy radiation at a mirrored sector element of the mirror assembly 23 is deflected and introduced into the beam path of the reflector telescope assembly 22 and on the
• Target tracking mirror assembly 24 is directed to the target T. This
• the image sensor 10 can thus take pictures of the target T with the aid of the radiation emitted stroboscopically by the target illuminating device 4 by means of the rotating sector mirror arrangement 23, even if the target T no longer emits its own radiation.
• the camera system according to the invention is thus able to detect and identify a starting rocket with a burning engine at a distance of up to 1,200 km and the rocket even after the combustion of the
• the attitude control device The attitude control device

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Studio Devices (AREA)

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• 2011
  • 2011-02-04 DE DE102011010337A patent/DE102011010337A1/de not_active Ceased
• 2012
  • 2012-02-02 WO PCT/DE2012/000085 patent/WO2012103874A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2012-02-02 EP EP12712894.0A patent/EP2671092A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-02-02 US US13/983,422 patent/US20130329055A1/en not_active Abandoned

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