EP4435372A1 - Ausrichtungsvorrichtung zum anbringen an mörtel - Google Patents

Ausrichtungsvorrichtung zum anbringen an mörtel Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4435372A1
EP4435372A1 EP24162560.7A EP24162560A EP4435372A1 EP 4435372 A1 EP4435372 A1 EP 4435372A1 EP 24162560 A EP24162560 A EP 24162560A EP 4435372 A1 EP4435372 A1 EP 4435372A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
camera
cam
mortar
azimuth
gyrometer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP24162560.7A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Loys COURTOIS
Julien Bouleti
Vincent Fraissigne
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Thales SA
Original Assignee
Thales SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Thales SA filed Critical Thales SA
Publication of EP4435372A1 publication Critical patent/EP4435372A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/02—Aiming or laying means using an independent line of sight
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G1/00—Sighting devices
    • F41G1/46—Sighting devices for particular applications
    • F41G1/50—Sighting devices for particular applications for trench mortars or for other mortars
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/14—Indirect aiming means
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/14—Indirect aiming means
    • F41G3/16—Sighting devices adapted for indirect laying of fire
    • F41G3/165—Sighting devices adapted for indirect laying of fire using a TV-monitor
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/14—Indirect aiming means
    • F41G3/20—Indirect aiming means specially adapted for mountain artillery

Definitions

  • the invention relates to an orientation device intended to be mounted on a mortar, a light artillery weapon.
  • the invention aims to enable automatic measurement of the angles of the weapon barrel and to provide the operator, or soldier responsible for supplying an artillery piece, with the manipulations to be applied to achieve the target angles.
  • This orientation operation is called pointing the mortar tube.
  • Aiming a mortar-type weapon involves giving it the correct azimuth and elevation angles.
  • the azimuth angle is the angle between the horizontal projection of the gun barrel and geographic North
  • the elevation angle is the angle between the barrel axis and the horizontal plane in the vertical plane passing through the barrel axis.
  • a team specializing in topography plants a stake about a hundred meters in front of the mortar and records the azimuth of the line passing through the goniometer and the stake. Aiming this stake in the goniometer eyepiece thus makes it possible to determine the azimuth of the mortar tube via a graduated horizontal plate. angularly.
  • the measurement of the tube elevation is carried out from a spirit level fixed on a graduated vertical plate of the goniometer.
  • the adjustment of the angles of the mortar tube is therefore carried out manually from the graduated plates of the goniometer, the goniometer having to be kept flat on the mortar frame for correct adjustment of the angles.
  • a mortar orientation device comprising a goniometer, combining the use of an optical sight to detect a stake to know the azimuth of the tube, with that of a spirit level to know the elevation of the tube relative to the horizontal.
  • the validity of the measurements requires that the graduated plates are respectively horizontal for the azimuth measurement and vertical for the elevation measurement.
  • This system requires prior to firing the intervention of a team specialized in topography for the precise measurement of the azimuth of the line connecting the goniometer to the stake.
  • this system is robust and does not require a power source to operate, with the exception of a small light source in the eyepiece to distinguish the sight from the eyepiece. The use of this system nevertheless requires prior training, and the measurement is not available electronically.
  • One thousandth corresponds to 2 ⁇ 6400 rad ⁇ 0.982 mrad .
  • This device offers a precision that remains limited in azimuth: 3 thousandths despite complex magnetic calibration algorithms. Its cost does not seem compatible with mortars either.
  • Vingpos orientation device from Vinhog AS (Rheinmetall), which combines a dual GPS antenna for the initial search for north, with inertial sensors for measuring common angular displacements, as well as a telescope to align the second GPS antenna with the mortar tube.
  • This dual GPS antenna technology requires the availability of the GNSS system but allows to reach 2 thousandths for the initial azimuth. This system is subject to the drift of the inertial sensors.
  • this device provides an interesting azimuth precision of 2 thousandths announced.
  • inertial sensors gyrometers subject to their temporal drift, and for which the figures are not communicated.
  • An aim of the present invention is to provide in real time a direct measurement of the angles of the tube of a mortar, as well as the instructions to apply (i.e. cranks to turn) to reach the angles planned for the future shot.
  • 1g corresponds to 9.806 65 ms -2 .
  • the accelerometer and the gyrometer are integrated into an inertial unit without a magnetometer.
  • the calculation module is configured to output respective deviations between the values of the azimuth, elevation and roll angles delivered by the electronic control unit, and the firing setpoint values of the azimuth, elevation and roll angles, to enable firing correction maneuvers.
  • the device further comprises an antenna for receiving GNSS signals.
  • the device comprises at least one stake intended to be a reference element in the images transmitted by the camera.
  • the device comprises at least three stakes each provided with a light source, intended to be reference elements in the images transmitted by the camera.
  • a mortar equipped with an orientation device as previously described, and a visual communication interface.
  • the calculation module is included in the electronic control unit.
  • the calculation module is external to the electronic control unit.
  • a method for managing the operation of a mortar equipped with an orientation device comprising a prior step of angular calibration in the factory of the camera, the accelerometer and the gyrometer.
  • the orientation device comprises an inertial unit IMU_AG, comprising a 3-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyrometer, and devoid of a magnetometer, but as a variant, the device can comprise only such an accelerometer and such a gyrometer, without them being in an inertial unit, and transmit their measurement data to the calculation module MC.
  • IMU_AG inertial unit
  • the device can comprise only such an accelerometer and such a gyrometer, without them being in an inertial unit, and transmit their measurement data to the calculation module MC.
  • This data fusion ensures measurement redundancy and guarantees system reliability, which is a very important characteristic for a weapon system.
  • the orientation device 1 may further comprise an antenna ANT for receiving GNSS signals, and its support S_ANT.
  • This orientation device 1 can be fixed in place of the current goniometer on existing mortars as illustrated in the [ Fig.3 ].
  • the procedure for obtaining common mortar angles is illustrated in [ Fig.4 ].
  • a first E1 step includes planting at least one P stake between 30 and 100 meters in front of the mortar in the camera's field of vision or FOV for "Field Of View” in English.
  • a second step E2 includes the installation of the orientation device 1 on the mortar in place of the current goniometer.
  • the orientation of the orientation device 1 relative to the mortar tube M is known (factory harmonization).
  • a third step E3 includes the orientation of the line connecting the CAM camera to each stake P relative to the geographic North (The method for obtaining the azimuth of the camera/stake line can be easily obtained by GNSS surveys with one or two antennas, the second antenna then being on the stake. In the absence of a GNSS antenna on the orientation device 1, the measurement can be made with an external GNSS, by temporarily placing an external antenna above the stake and above the orientation device. For a night measurement, at least three stakes P equipped with a light source are required. The azimuth of these two additional camera/stake lines will not necessarily be known, but may allow obtaining better precision in terms of knowledge of the North, by averaging over the at least three azimuths obtained.
  • a fourth step E4 includes starting or switching on the orientation device 1, and providing information via a visual communication interface of the azimuth of the camera line(s) CAM/stake P.
  • a fifth step E5 the orientation device 1 equipped with its wide-angle camera automatically detects the stake(s) in its field of vision, and measures the azimuth.
  • the inertial unit IMU_AG directly provides the data necessary for determining the elevation.
  • the detection of the stake(s) P allows the orientation device 1 to know the geographic North, the inertial unit IMU_AG provides the knowledge of the vertical.
  • the image processing and the accelerometer processing are done in the control unit UCE or in the calculation module MC, which can be embedded on board the orientation device 1 or remoted on a computer external to the orientation device 1 (PDA type for example), with a data link (wired or aerial) between the two.
  • a sixth step E6 includes a measurement of the current angles. From the initialization step E5, the orientation device continuously provides the three angles of the mortar M (azimuth, elevation and roll) without any action on the part of the gunners. This measurement is carried out using image processing that matches characteristic elements of the environment of the mortar M (stakes P, points of interest, etc.) from one image to another.
  • the image processing used can be of the SIFT type for "Scale Invariant Feature Transform" in English.
  • the changes in orientation detected between each image and calculated by the system are confirmed by the IMU_AG inertial unit by data fusion. This data fusion aspect is very important to guarantee the reliability of the measurements obtained, especially since this is a measuring instrument used to carry out a shot.
  • the angles are provided before and after firing (the orientation device 1 must survive the shocks or strong accelerations of the shots). It should be noted that the orientation device 1 is not sensitive to the drift of its sensors because the major principle of the measurement is the difference between two images of the environment of the mortar M: the orientation device 1 can even be turned off during a shot, the post-shot image taken compared to the pre-shot image gives information on the angular differences between these two images.
  • a seventh step E7 includes providing instructions. Knowledge of the current angles of the mortar M at any time makes it possible to provide the gunners with clear indications for reaching the target angles of the next shot of the mortar M.
  • the target angles are given by the Fire Control (Computer external to the orientation device), the instructions for reaching these angles can be displayed on the screen of the calculator external to the orientation device 1, or on the visual communication interface, as illustrated in the [ Fig.5 ].
  • the present invention makes it possible to meet the need for measuring the common angles of a mortar (azimuth, elevation and roll) in its environment, by providing ease of use for the operators.
  • the orientation device of the present application allows automatic and precise measurement of the angles without specific action by the operators, which is not the case with the use of a goniometer.
  • the present invention is at least as accurate as the goniometer method, an accuracy of less than 3 thousandths has been simulated.
  • the orientation device is installed in place of the current goniometer and remains compatible with the old pointing procedure.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Details Of Cameras Including Film Mechanisms (AREA)
  • Studio Devices (AREA)
  • Accessories Of Cameras (AREA)
  • Gyroscopes (AREA)
EP24162560.7A 2023-03-22 2024-03-11 Ausrichtungsvorrichtung zum anbringen an mörtel Withdrawn EP4435372A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR2302653A FR3146987B1 (fr) 2023-03-22 2023-03-22 Dispositif d'orientation destiné à être monté sur un mortier

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4435372A1 true EP4435372A1 (de) 2024-09-25

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ID=87748226

Family Applications (1)

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EP24162560.7A Withdrawn EP4435372A1 (de) 2023-03-22 2024-03-11 Ausrichtungsvorrichtung zum anbringen an mörtel

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP4435372A1 (de)
FR (1) FR3146987B1 (de)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8371059B1 (en) * 2010-06-30 2013-02-12 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Aiming post light
US9052159B2 (en) 2012-10-29 2015-06-09 Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, Llc System for determining the spatial orientation of a movable apparatus
US9151572B1 (en) * 2011-07-03 2015-10-06 Jeffrey M. Sieracki Aiming and alignment system for a shell firing weapon and method therefor
US9593913B1 (en) * 2015-05-14 2017-03-14 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Digital positioning system and associated method for optically and automatically stabilizing and realigning a portable weapon through and after a firing shock
US10444030B1 (en) 2014-05-12 2019-10-15 Inertial Labs, Inc. Automatic calibration of magnetic sensors based on optical image tracking

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8371059B1 (en) * 2010-06-30 2013-02-12 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Aiming post light
US9151572B1 (en) * 2011-07-03 2015-10-06 Jeffrey M. Sieracki Aiming and alignment system for a shell firing weapon and method therefor
US9052159B2 (en) 2012-10-29 2015-06-09 Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, Llc System for determining the spatial orientation of a movable apparatus
US10444030B1 (en) 2014-05-12 2019-10-15 Inertial Labs, Inc. Automatic calibration of magnetic sensors based on optical image tracking
US9593913B1 (en) * 2015-05-14 2017-03-14 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Digital positioning system and associated method for optically and automatically stabilizing and realigning a portable weapon through and after a firing shock

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
LEE JIN SEUNG ET AL: "North-Finding System Using Multi-Position Method With a Two-Axis Rotary Table for a Mortar", IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL, IEEE, USA, vol. 16, no. 16, 1 August 2016 (2016-08-01), pages 6161 - 6166, XP011617407, ISSN: 1530-437X, [retrieved on 20160718], DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2016.2582504 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR3146987B1 (fr) 2025-04-04
FR3146987A1 (fr) 2024-09-27

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