Electrooptical targeting device for tracking airborne targets

摘要

An electrooptic target detection apparatus for acquiring and measuring airborne targets has an imaging sensor (10), for example a video and/or infrared camera (11, 12), and a laser rangefinder (13) which emits a laser measurement beam for range measurement. The imaging sensor (10) and laser rangefinder (13) are arranged together on a stabilisation platform (14) which is driven by a drive unit (15) in order to pivot it in elevation ( epsilon ) and azimuth ( alpha ). In order to dispense with high-power lasers and to use cost-effective laser transmitters having comparatively low laser energy in the laser rangefinder (13), which is nevertheless intended to provide reliable range measurements from long ranges even for airborne targets having a small area, an automatic target tracking unit (tracker 20) is connected to the imaging sensor (10), which unit permanently supplies correction signals (x,y) corresponding to the offset of the target from the imaging sensor axis (24), which correction signals (x, y) are used to track the stabilisation platform (14) by means of the drive unit (15). There is a tolerance field (29) around the axis (24) of the imaging sensor (10), and a comparator unit (30) compares the relative target position with the tolerance area (29) and, if the target position is outside the tolerance area (29), generates an inhibit signal to prevent triggering of the laser rangefinder (13). IMAGE