Projectile tracking system
US6057915A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 18, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 2, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 18, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/86
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A projectile tracking system for acquiring and precisely tracking a projectile in flight in order to reveal the source from which the projectile was fired. The source is revealed by the back projection of a 3-dimensional track file. The system is particularly suited for tracking a bullet fired by a sniper and identifying the location of the sniper. Projectiles of interest typically become hot due to aerodynamic heating. A telescope focuses infrared light from a relatively large field of view on to an infrared focal plane array. In a detection mode, the system searches for the infrared signature of the projectile. The telescope's field of view is steered in the azimuth by a step and stare mirror which is driven by an azimuth drive motor mounted on the frame. When a projectile is detected, the system switches to a tracking mode and the mirror is steered by the azimuth drive motor and a pivot motor to track the projectile. A laser radar system provides a laser beam which is optically coaligned with the telescope axis. Mirror angular position information, laser radar pulse travel time, and the missile spot position on detector array are used by a computer to calculate projectile trajec…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.