KR102230672B1 - boresight moudle for electropict apparatus of aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a boresight module for aircraft electro-optical equipment, which comprises: a Cassegrain optical system having a sub-mirror of a front side and a main mirror of a rear side when being viewed on an optical axis; a target assembly installed at a rear side of the main mirror, and installed with a target in which a pattern is displayed in the center; a Peltier element installed to have the target assembly to be in contact with one side of the center of high- and low-temperature sides at the rear side of the target assembly, and installed to have a cavity in the center to expose the target; a diffusion plate installed in contact with the Peltier element at the rear side of the Peltier element, having a polished surface at the center to transmit light, and processed with a peripheral part at least partially overlapping the cavity to scatter light; a light source module installed at the rear side of the diffusion plate, having a light source installed at a position facing the peripheral part of the diffusion plate, and having a through-hole to allow a laser light to pass therethrough at the center; a beam splitter installed at the rear side of the light source module, and installed to have a reflective surface to face the through-hole in the front side; a laser transmitting unit installed in a direction in which light passing through the through-hole is reflected from the reflective surface, and is oriented; and a laser receiving unit installed at the rear side of the beam splitter, which is a direction in which the light passing through the through-hole is transmitted through the reflective surface and travels straight. Accordingly, electro-optical equipment for an aircraft target can be small and lightweight.

Description

Aiming module for electropict apparatus of aircraft {boresight moudle for electropict apparatus of aircraft}

The present invention relates to an aiming module for an electronic optical device of an aircraft, and more specifically, an optical signal or an electromagnetic wave is transmitted and reflected by an electronic optical device such as a laser, an infrared camera, or a daytime camera in the aircraft. It relates to an aiming module for maintaining a correct orientation to an object when receiving the signal.

Electro-optical equipment for aircraft targets is a key aiming device for precision guided armament that detects ground targets in aircraft, aims precisely, and fires lasers so that laser guided bombs can accurately hit the target. The air combat system of an aircraft is generally composed of a mission control system, a sensor/communication system, a survival system, and an armament system, and the existing air combat system provides functions to perform air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea missions. The pilot judges the tactical situation and detects targets from external sources such as control rooms, control centers, reconnaissance aircraft, controllers, satellites, and sensors/communication systems mounted on the aircraft. capture. You must perform missions on threats or targets while tracking. Target electro-optical equipment is an essential device for aircraft to perform these tasks.

Electro-optical equipment for aircraft targets is an equipment composed of a camera composed of a sensor that responds to visible wavelengths, a laser equipment that transmits and receives a near-infrared laser, and a thermal camera composed of a sensor that responds to infrared wavelengths. It is composed of optical components.

For the function of transmitting a laser, which is a key function of an electro-optical device for a target, and collecting light scattered from a target, an optical system with excellent transmission performance is required. Particularly, in the case of components used in aircraft equipment, miniaturization and weight reduction are very important items.

Accordingly, recently developed electronic optical equipment for aircraft targets adopts a common optical system in the trend of miniaturization and weight reduction. The advantage of the common optical system is that it is possible to reduce the size and weight of a device in which multiple sensors are respectively arranged, and has excellent optical performance. In addition, the separation of the sensor and optical system enables efficient arrangement.

In this common optical system, optical devices such as a laser transmitting device, a laser receiving device, a daytime camera, a thermal camera, and a laser spot tracker (LST) must be aligned in the same line of sight. However, during the operation of the common optical system, due to various causes such as climate change, the eyes of each optical device may not be aligned and may have different views. Therefore, there is a need for a means to align the line of sight of the common optical system in the same direction.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of an electro-optical device for an aircraft target that requires line-of-sight alignment.

Here, a daytime camera, a thermal camera (infrared camera), a laser spot tracker, a laser receiver, and a laser transmitter are provided, and a boresight moudle 474 is incorporated as a means for aligning their gaze.

2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the aiming module in more detail.

Conceptually first before describing the aiming module, boresighting is an idiom in the field that refers to the process of aligning the line of sight (LOS) of a given system. Conventional designs such as the Low Altitude Night Terrain-following Infrared Navigation (LANTIRN) system use aiming processing to minimize fixed alignment errors between the FLIR LOS and the laser LOS. The aiming process generally involves optical and/or mechanical rearrangement of, for example, the FLIR LOS and the laser LOS. In addition, the aiming process can be manual or automatic. This aiming process is generally well known in the art, so further description will be omitted.

A boresighting module (BM) 474 included in the housing 476 of FIG. 2 includes an aperture window 1005 through which IR and laser energy pass. The BM 474 also includes a Casegrain optical system comprising a primary mirror and a set of secondary mirrors 1006 and 1007, respectively. In addition, the BM 474 includes a reticle 1010, a laser filter 1025 that prevents laser energy from passing through any opening in the reticle 1010, an IR/visible light source 1015, and a laser detector 1020. , And a laser source 1030.

In the module capable of automatic gaze alignment, gaze alignment was performed only when a module having a complex structure as shown in FIG. 2 was added. More specifically, looking at a method of aligning each functional device using this aiming module, when aligning the daytime camera and the thermal camera, the light of the infrared (IR) light source or the visible light source 1015 is transmitted to the diffuser 1016, the beam splitter ( 1017), optical lens (1018), beam splitter (1019), reticle (1010), case grain optical system (1006) (1007), the reticle (1010) is formed on the daytime camera and thermal imaging camera after passing through the aperture window (1005). Alignment takes place.

When aligning the LST and the laser receiver, the laser light source 1030 passes through the optical lens 1031 and passes through the beam splitter 1017, the optical lens 1018, the beam splitter 1019, the reticle 1010, and the case grain optical system 1006. (1007), the laser light source is incident on the LST and the laser receiver through the aperture window 1005, and alignment is achieved.

When aligning the laser transmitter, the laser light from the laser transmitter of the target electro-optical device is transmitted through the aperture window 1005, the case grain optical system 1007 and 1006, the reticle 1010, the beam splitter 1019, and the optical lens 1024. ), the alignment is made by entering the laser detector 1020.

However, this aiming module contains many optical elements to align these optical devices. They are structurally very complex, and aligning them correctly can be very complex and cumbersome.

Therefore, it would be desirable if the aiming module could be configured in a simpler structure.

Korean Patent Registration 10-2182524 Korean Patent Registration 10-2095928 Korean Patent Registration 10-0480400

An object of the present invention is to reduce the size and weight of the aiming module for aligning the sight of the electronic optical equipment for the aircraft target by forming a simple structure compared to the conventional aiming module.

The aiming module of the electro-optical equipment for an aircraft target of the present invention to achieve the above object is a case crane optical system having a front side mirror and a rear main mirror when viewed from the optical axis, and is installed at the rear of the main mirror and a pattern is displayed in the center. A target assembly with a target installed, a Peltier element installed at the rear of the target assembly such that one side of the target assembly and the high-temperature side and the low-temperature side is in contact, and has a cavity in the center to expose the target, and a Peltier element in the rear of the Peltier element. It is installed so as to be in contact with, and has a polishing surface in the center to allow light to pass through, and the peripheral part where the cavity and at least part of it overlaps the diffuser plate treated to scatter light, and is installed at the rear of the diffuser plate, and the light source is placed in a position facing the periphery of the diffuser plate. The light source module is installed and the central part has a through hole to allow the laser light to pass through, a beam splitter that is installed at the rear of the light source module and has a reflective surface facing the through hole in front, and the light that has passed through the through hole is reflected from the reflecting surface to be directed. It characterized in that it comprises a laser transmitting unit installed in the direction, and a laser receiving unit installed at the rear of the beam splitter in a direction in which light passing through the through hole is transmitted from the reflective surface and goes straight.

In the present invention, the light source may be made of a directional LED light source, and the laser transmitter may be made of a laser diode.

In the present invention, a pattern that can be a reference line is displayed on the target, and the Peltier element is made in a plate shape in contact with the target installation part in the front and at least a part of the diffusion plate in the rear, and the front and the rear are made of different material layers. When a front portion constitutes a heat generating portion or a heat absorbing portion and a rear portion constitutes a heat absorbing portion or a heat generating portion to pass current to the Peltier element, infrared light may be emitted through a target to be installed to recognize a pattern.

According to the present invention, by forming the aiming module for aligning the gaze of the electro-optical device for an aircraft target in a simple structure compared to the conventional aiming module, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the entire electro-optical equipment for an aircraft target including the aiming module.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional electro-optical equipment for an aircraft target requiring line-of-sight alignment;
2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the aiming module of FIG. 1 in more detail;
3 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing the configuration of an aiming module according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a separate target of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a separate Peltier element of Figure 3;
6 is a plan view showing a separate diffusion plate of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a conceptual explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a phase of performing daytime camera alignment using the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a conceptual explanatory diagram schematically illustrating an arrangement of an infrared camera (thermal camera) using the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 is a conceptual explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a phase of performing alignment of a laser receiver using the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 10 is a conceptual explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a phase of aligning a laser transmitter using the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through specific examples with reference to the drawings.

3 to 6, the aiming module of this embodiment is a case-crane optical system of the main mirror 20 and the sub-mirror 10, a target assembly 31, a Peltier element 40, a diffusion plate 50, and an LED module. 60, a light beam splitter 70, a laser diode 80, and a laser photodetector 90 is provided.

The kesegrain optical system is installed so that the convex surface 11 of the secondary mirror 10 faces in front of the concave surface 21 of the main mirror 20 on the same optical axis, and the main diameter hollow ( 23) is formed. The parallel light that has passed from the rear of the main mirror to the main mirror hollow 23 is reflected on the convex surface 11 of the negative mirror and is directed to the entire concave surface 21 of the main mirror, and the light reflected from the entire concave surface of the main mirror goes forward again. As you progress toward it, you have the character of parallel light.

A target assembly 31, a Peltier element 40, a diffusion plate 50, and an LED module 60 equipped with an LED light source are sequentially installed in the rear opposite the concave surface 21 of the main mirror. The LED light source 61 is disposed on the LED module 60 so as to face the diffusion plate 50.

At this time, the target assembly 31 as shown in FIG. 4 is generally formed in a circular shape and is installed in the center of the circular shape so that the daytime camera and the thermal imager can check the resolution and the line of sight (LOS). Includes. To this end, the target is made of a material through which light can pass, and a grid-like or a cross (+) pattern that can serve as a reference can be displayed on the surface. In addition, a small target through hole 35 is installed in the center of the target.

As shown in FIG. 5, the Peltier element 40 is removed so that the central portion of the disk sufficiently exposes the target 33, so that the hollow 45 is installed. The Peltier element is made to be in contact with the target installation part 31 in the front and at least a part of the diffusion plate 50 in the rear, and different material layers at the front and the rear are overlapped. If the front material layer 41 forms a heat generating part, the rear material layer 43 forms a heat absorbing part, and if the front material layer forms a heat absorbing part, the rear material layer forms a heat generating part.

Therefore, when passing current through the Peltier element, the Peltier element heats one side of the target 33 and the diffusion plate 50, and cools the other side, so that the infrared light emitted from the heating unit passes through the target or from the target. Is released. In this case, the pattern of the target 33 may also be included in the infrared light so that it may be recognized by a sensor that receives the emitted light through the cross-grain optical system.

Referring to FIG. 6, the center 51 of the diffusion plate 50 is polished smoothly so that the laser light can pass without being scattered, and the remaining part, the periphery 53, is subjected to grinding treatment to remove this area. It is made to scatter the light passing through it.

Here, the LED module 60 acts as a kind of visible light source along with the periphery of a kind of diffusion plate, and a small substrate through hole (not shown) through which laser light can pass is installed at the center of the substrate, and the substrate is around the small substrate through hole. The LED light source 61 is installed on the top, and these LED light sources are disposed on the substrate of the LED module 60 so as to face the periphery of the diffusion plate at a close distance.

The periphery 53 of the diffuser plate is formed so that a significant portion is exposed through the hollow 45 of the Peltier element 40, and thus is emitted from the LED light source 61 of the LED module 60 and passes through the diffuser plate 50. While most of the scattered light passes through the hollow 45 and the target 33 of the Peltier element, and the main diameter hollow 23 of the main diameter, it is possible to send light to the corresponding sensor outside the aiming module by the case grain optical system. .

As shown, the center of the sub-diameter 10 on the optical axis of the case grain optical system, the main-diameter hollow 23 of the main diameter, the target through hole 35 at the center of the target installation part, the hollow 45 of the Peltier element, and the polished center of the diffusion plate 51, a small substrate through hole in the center of the substrate of the LED module 60 is arranged.

In the rear of the LED module again, a luminous flux separator 70, which is usually called a splitter, is installed. In the beam splitter, a beam splitting surface or a reflecting surface is formed to pass about half of the light incident therethrough and reflect half of the light. In the direction in which the light incident from the front to the rear is reflected by the reflective surface of the beam splitter 70 and directed, the laser diode 80 that emits laser light is in the direction of the optical axis toward which the light transmitted from the reflective surface is directed (behind the beam splitter). The laser light detector 90 is installed in the.

In the reverse direction, the laser light emitted from the laser diode 80 is reflected from the reflective surface, and the small substrate hole in the center of the substrate of the LED module, the polished center of the diffusion plate, the hollow of the Peltier element, the target hole in the center of the target, and the main diameter. It can be discharged to the outside through the main diameter hollow, the convex surface of the secondary diameter, and the concave surface of the main diameter.

Hereinafter, a method of aligning each optical sensor made in this embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

First, referring to FIG. 7, looking at a method of aligning the daytime camera 101 through the aiming module of this embodiment configuration, the light emitted from the LED light source is scattered from the diffusion plate 50 and thus the central portion of the Peltier element 40 Uniform light is sent to the surface of the target 33 installed in the center of the target assembly through the hollow 45. The light that has passed through the pattern of the target 33 is reflected from the convex surface 11 of the secondary mirror through the main diameter hollow 23 in the center of the secondary mirror, and is reflected from the concave surface 21 of the primary mirror again, resulting in an enlarged area compared to the initial stage. It enters the daytime camera 101 while having a. In the daytime camera, the line of sight is aligned by looking at the pattern, checking the focus and line of sight (LOS), and adjusting the orientation direction.

Next, referring to FIG. 8, looking at a method of aligning the thermal imager 103 or the infrared camera through this aiming module, the temperature of the target 33 surface in the Peltier element 40 is lowered, and the diffusion plate 50 is Increase the temperature. Conversely, even if the temperature of the target surface is increased and the temperature of the diffuser plate is lowered, infrared radiation is possible. In a similar path as in the daytime camera alignment, infrared light is transmitted to the thermal camera 103. Therefore, the pattern is imaged on the thermal imaging camera due to the temperature difference between the target surface and the background diffusion plate. The thermal camera 101 looks at the target 33 and performs focus and line of sight (LOS) alignment.

Referring to FIG. 9, looking at a method of aligning the laser receiver 105 through this aiming module, the light emitted from the laser diode 80 is a reflective surface of the beam splitter 70, and a small substrate through hole of the LED module 60. , Passing through the polished center of the diffusion plate 50, the hollow of the Peltier element 40, and the target pinhole at the center of the target 33, it enters the laser receiver 105 outside the aiming module. The receiver can perform alignment by checking whether the laser light is coming in or not and the center of the light intensity.

Looking at the alignment method of the external laser transmitter 107 with reference to FIG. 10, the laser light emitted from the external laser transmitter passes through the concave surface of the main mirror 20, the convex surface of the sub-diameter 10, and the main diameter hollow into the target hole of the target surface. Make sure you get the focus. The laser light passes through the target hole, the center of the diffusion plate 50, and the substrate hole, passes through the reflective surface of the beam splitter 70, is incident on the laser light detector 90, and confirms the incident signal to the external laser transmitter 107. )'S line of sight (LOS), direction of orientation can be aligned.

In the above, the present invention has been described through limited embodiments, but this has been illustratively described to aid understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments.

Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs may implement various changes or application examples based on the present invention, and it is natural that such modifications or application examples fall within the scope of the appended claims.

10: Pukyong 20: Pukkyung
23: main light hollow 31: target assembly
33: target 35: target through hole
40: Peltier element 41: low temperature material layer
43: high temperature material layer 45: hollow
50: diffuser plate 51: central portion
53: peripheral part 60: LED module
70: beam splitter 80: laser diode
90: laser light detector

Claims (3)

Case grain optical system with a front minor mirror and a rear major mirror when viewed from the optical axis,
A target assembly installed at the rear of the main diameter and in which a target with a pattern displayed in the center is installed,
A Peltier element installed at the rear of the target assembly such that one of the target assembly and the high-temperature side and the low-temperature side is in contact, and has a cavity in the center to expose the target,
A diffuser plate installed to be in contact with the Peltier element at the rear of the Peltier element, and has a polishing surface in the central portion to allow light to pass therethrough, and to scatter light at a periphery where at least a portion of the cavity overlaps,
A light source module installed at the rear of the diffusion plate and having a light source installed at a position facing the periphery of the diffusion plate and having a through hole in the center portion to allow laser light to pass
A beam splitter (beam splitter) installed at the rear of the light source module and installed with a reflective surface facing the through hole in front,
A laser transmitter (laser diode) installed in a direction in which the light passing through the through hole is reflected from the reflective surface and directed,
Aiming module of electro-optical equipment for aircraft target comprising a laser light detector installed at the rear of the beam splitter in a direction in which the light passing through the through hole is transmitted from the reflective surface and goes straight The method of claim 1,
The light source is made of a directional LED light source, and the laser transmitter is a aiming module of the electro-optical equipment for an aircraft target, characterized in that made of a laser diode. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
A pattern that can be a reference line is displayed on the target, and a target through hole, which is a pinhole, is formed in the center of the target,
The Peltier element has a plate shape in contact with the target installation portion in the front and at least a portion of the diffusion plate in the rear,
When the front and the rear are made of different material layers, the front forms a heat generating part or a heat absorbing part, and the rear forms a heat absorbing part or a heat generating part, and when electric current flows through the Peltier element, the infrared light generated by the action of the Peltier element is transmitted through the target. Aiming module of the electro-optical equipment for an aircraft target, characterized in that the emission is installed so as to recognize the pattern.

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