Laser-sight and computer for anti-aircraft gun fire control system

Claim 2

In an anti-aircraft gun control system for a gun: a. means to measure the vector velocity of a target in a first mutually orthogonal coordinate system which moves so as to always have one of its axes lying along the line of sight from a fixed origin point to a target; b. means to generate a first set of signals representative of three measured components of said vector velocity in said first coordinate system and means to transform said first set of signals to a second set of signals expressing said vector velocity in a second inertial coordinate system which remains fixed in position and has one of its three mutually orthogonal axes lying along the gravitational vector at said fixed origin point; c. computer means operative to derive from said first and second sets of signals continuously updated solutions of three simultaneous equations in real time to provide a third set of signals defining in said second coordinate system the azimuth and elevation angle at which said gun must be pointed in order that a preselected shell fired from said gun will strike said target if said target continues to move with a constant velocity vector equal to said measured velocity; and d. means responsive to said third set of signals to automatically position said gun at the angle indicated thereby.

Claim 3

In combination with a gun a gun fire control system of the type having means for sighting and ranging by a gunner to determine the direction and range of a moving target: a. means to continuously generate in real time a first set of signals representative of the instantaneous range and line of sight angular coordinates of said target, and a second set of signals representative of the rates of change with time of said first set of signals; b. means to servo position the gun to be controlled and means associated with said positioning means to generate feedback signals comprising a third set of signals representative of at least one angular coordinate of the aiming direction of said gun and a fourth set of signals representative of the rates of change in time of said third set of signals; c. computer means utilizing said first, second, third and fourth sets of signals as inputs to generate implicit solutions of three simultaneous equations to determine outputs corresponding to the range to intercept, the azimuth lead angle, and the gun elevation angle necessary for fire from said gun to strike said target and thereby providing output signals which are connected to control said gun servo positioning means; and d. said computer means and servo positioning means being such that one of the feedback signals derived from said gun represents the range to intercept the error in which is nulled when said gun is correctly pointed.

Claim 4

In combination with a gun a gun fire control system of the type having means for sighting and ranging by a gunner to determine the direction and range of a moving target: a. means to continuously generate in real time a first set of signals representative of the instantaneous range and line of sight angular coordinates of said target, and a second set of signals representative of the rates of change with time of said first set of signals; b. means to servo position the gun to be controlled and means associated with said positioning means to generate feedback signals comprising a third set of signals representative of at least one angular coordinate of the aiming direction of said gun and a fourth set of signals representative of the rates of change in time of said third set of signals; c. computer means utilizing said first, second, third and fourth sets of signals as inputs to generate implicit solutions of three simultaneous equations to determine outputs corresponding to the range to intercept, the azimuth lead angle, and the gun elevation angle necessary for fire from said gun to strike said target and thereby providing output signals which are connected to control said gun servo positioning means; and d. said computer means and servo positioning means being such that one of the feedback signals derived from said gun represents the range to intercept the error in which is nulled when said gun is correctly pointed.

Claim 5

a laser range finder including a transmitter, receiver and digital computing circuitry for providing a regularly updated indication of range R and range rate R of said target,

Claim 6

a laser range finder including a transmitter, receiver and digital computing circuitry for providing a regularly updated indication of range R and range rate R of said target,

Claim 7

computing said sight tracking aid command signals, and

Claim 8

computing said sight tracking aid command signals, and

Claim 9

Apparatus for directing the fire of a shell from a gun at a moving target comprising: a. means for generating a first set of voltages representative of the parameters of a predicted projectile trajectory for a shell from said gun, said parameters being expressed as simple functions of the linear range from the gun to a predicted shall-target intercept point; b. means for generating a second set of voltages which are representative respectively of the measured linear range from said gun to said target and of three components of the measured vector velocity of said target expressed in a moving coordinate system having one of its three mutually orthogonal axes always directed along the line of sight from the gun to the target; c. means for generating a third set of voltages which are representative of the pointing direction angles of said gun expressed in a fixed coordinate system having one of its three orthogonal axes directed along the gravitational vector at the location of said gun; d. means utilizing said first, second and third sets of voltages in a mechanization of a real time continuous solution of a set of three simultaneous lead angle equations which equate the vector future target position which will result if the target maintains a vector velocity equal to said measured vector velocity with the future shell ballistic position as predicted from said computed projectile trajectory, said lead angle equations having as their measured independent variables said range from gun to target and the angular velocities about the deflection and elevation axes of said moving coordinate system and providing an implicit solution for dependent variables which are said linear range to target intercept, the azimuth lead angle of said gun with respect to said target, and the elevation angle of said gun in said fixed coordinate system which are required for said shell to intercept said target at said intercept point; e. means for pointing said gun in accordance with said azimuth lead angle and said elevation angle values generated by said solution of said lead angle equation; f. means for deriving the voltage representative of the correct value of saId linear range to intercept from one output of a device responsive to the angle on said gun elevation axis, said derived voltage having a correct value when a voltage representative of said required gun elevation angle which is also generated by said device is nulled to zero; and g. means to supply said linear range to intercept voltage as a feedback voltage to said lead angle equation mechanization.

Claim 10

Apparatus for directing the fire of a shell from a gun at a moving target comprising: a. means for generating a first set of voltages representative of the parameters of a predicted projectile trajectory for a shell from said gun, said parameters being expressed as simple functions of the linear range from the gun to a predicted shall-target intercept point; b. means for generating a second set of voltages which are representative respectively of the measured linear range from said gun to said target and of three components of the measured vector velocity of said target expressed in a moving coordinate system having one of its three mutually orthogonal axes always directed along the line of sight from the gun to the target; c. means for generating a third set of voltages which are representative of the pointing direction angles of said gun expressed in a fixed coordinate system having one of its three orthogonal axes directed along the gravitational vector at the location of said gun; d. means utilizing said first, second and third sets of voltages in a mechanization of a real time continuous solution of a set of three simultaneous lead angle equations which equate the vector future target position which will result if the target maintains a vector velocity equal to said measured vector velocity with the future shell ballistic position as predicted from said computed projectile trajectory, said lead angle equations having as their measured independent variables said range from gun to target and the angular velocities about the deflection and elevation axes of said moving coordinate system and providing an implicit solution for dependent variables which are said linear range to target intercept, the azimuth lead angle of said gun with respect to said target, and the elevation angle of said gun in said fixed coordinate system which are required for said shell to intercept said target at said intercept point; e. means for pointing said gun in accordance with said azimuth lead angle and said elevation angle values generated by said solution of said lead angle equation; f. means for deriving the voltage representative of the correct value of saId linear range to intercept from one output of a device responsive to the angle on said gun elevation axis, said derived voltage having a correct value when a voltage representative of said required gun elevation angle which is also generated by said device is nulled to zero; and g. means to supply said linear range to intercept voltage as a feedback voltage to said lead angle equation mechanization.

Claim 11

deriving said gun orientation control signals from said implicit solution.

Claim 12

deriving said gun orientation control signals from said implicit solution.

Claim 13

means for outputing signals indicative of the angular orientation and rate of change of orientation of said line of sight, and

Claim 14

means for outputing signals indicative of the angular orientation and rate of change of orientation of said line of sight, and

Claim 15

A weapon fire control system of the type having means to define a line of sight from an origin point common to a plurality of sets of coordinates to a target, means to measure the range to said target along said line of sight, and computer means for generating weapon orientation control signals duly compensated for target lead angle and weapon trajectory, said system being further characterized by and including: a. weapon instrumentation comprising means for controlling the orientation of said weapon in response to control signals generated by said computer and means for providing to said computer a first set of signals indicative of the instantaneous orientation and rate of change of orientation of said weapon in a first of said sets of coordinates; b. means for providing to said computer a second set of input signals indicative of the angular orientation and rate of change of orientation of said line of sight in a second of said sets of coordinates, said line of sight comprising one moving axis of said second set of coordinates; c. means for providing to said computer a third set of regularly updated input signals indicative in said second set of coordinates of range and rate of change of range from said weapon to said target along said line of sight; d. circuit means for performing coordinate transformations on said sets of signals between said first and second and between said second and first sets of coordinates; and, e. circuit means in said computer responsive to said first, second and third sets of signals for generating in real time an implicit solution of said lead angle and ballistic trajectory equations, the implementation of said equations containing as terms thereof at least said first set of signals defining the orientation of said weapon.

Claim 16

A weapon fire control system of the type having means to define a line of sight from an origin point common to a plurality of sets of coordinates to a target, means to measure the range to said target along said line of sight, and computer means for generating weapon orientation control signals duly compensated for target lead angle and weapon trajectory, said system being further characterized by and including: a. weapon instrumentation comprising means for controlling the orientation of said weapon in response to control signals generated by said computer and means for providing to said computer a first set of signals indicative of the instantaneous orientation and rate of change of orientation of said weapon in a first of said sets of coordinates; b. means for providing to said computer a second set of input signals indicative of the angular orientation and rate of change of orientation of said line of sight in a second of said sets of coordinates, said line of sight comprising one moving axis of said second set of coordinates; c. means for providing to said computer a third set of regularly updated input signals indicative in said second set of coordinates of range and rate of change of range from said weapon to said target along said line of sight; d. circuit means for performing coordinate transformations on said sets of signals between said first and second and between said second and first sets of coordinates; and, e. circuit means in said computer responsive to said first, second and third sets of signals for generating in real time an implicit solution of said lead angle and ballistic trajectory equations, the implementation of said equations containing as terms thereof at least said first set of signals defining the orientation of said weapon.

Claim 17

means responsive to command signals including automatic tracking aid command signals for maintaining the orientation of said line of sight with respect to said target; b. a computer responsive to said target range and range rate indications, to said line of sight orientation and rate of change thereof signals, and further responsive to signals indicative of gun orientation and rate of change thereof, and to known ballistic characteristics, for:

Claim 18

means responsive to command signals including automatic tracking aid command signals for maintaining the orientation of said line of sight with respect to said target; b. a computer responsive to said target range and range rate indications, to said line of sight orientation and rate of change thereof signals, and further responsive to signals indicative of gun orientation and rate of change thereof, and to known ballistic characteristics, for:

Claim 19

A system as in claim 4 which further includes: f. target tracking circuit means supplying a set of positioning signals to said line of sight defining means.

Claim 20

A system as in claim 5 further including: g. means to measure the velocity of said target in said second set of coordinates, means to transform said velocity components to said first set of coordinates, means to sample and hold said velocity components expressed in said first set of coordinates and to provide said velocity components as inputs to said tracking circuitry.

Claim 21

A gun fire control system for generating gun orientation control signals duly compensated for target lead angle and ballistic trajectory comprising: a. sight and range finder means which includes

Claim 22

A gun fire control system for generating gun orientation control signals duly compensated for target lead angle and ballistic trajectory comprising: a. sight and range finder means which includes

Claim 23

The gun fire control system of claim 7 wherein said sight and range finder are integrated and utilize an optical subsystem common both to a telescope for defining said line of sight and to said laser range finder, said optical subsystem comprising a gimbaled mirror mechanically coupled to said means for outputting signals indicative of the angular orientation and rate of change of orientation of said line of sight.

Claim 24

The gun fire control system of claim 7 wherein said laser range finder additionally provides an error quadrant signal and said computer is further responsive to said error quadrant signal in computing said sight tracking aid command signals.

Claim 25

The gun fire control system of claim 7 further comprising a hand control for the manual generation of initial target acquisition signals.

Claim 26

The gun fire control system of claim 7 wherein said laser range finder digital-computing circuitry outputs a smoothed range rate indication based upon filtered data from said receiver, and provides an extrapolated range output whenever an expected return fail to be output by said receiver.