Unmanned aerial vehicle for autonomously identifying confrontation target and method for autonomously identifying confrontation target by unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of autonomously identifying a confrontation target and a method for autonomously identifying the confrontation target by the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a photoelectric guidance unit, an airborne flight control computer, a ground control station and a data terminal, the photoelectric guidance unit is installed at the head of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the airborne flight control computer is in communication connection with the photoelectric guidance unit through a serial port, the ground control station is in communication with the data terminal through a network port, and the data terminal is in communication connection with the photoelectric guidance unit. The photoelectric guidance unit is used for searching, detecting and locking the target, the anti-electromagnetic interference capacity is high, and the advantages of high precision and high resolution are achieved. The photoelectric control unit is low in cost, low in power consumption, small in size and capable of being installed on small and medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles. The visible light camera in the photoelectric control unit is a passive imaging device and cannot actively emit signals, so that the visible light camera is not easily detected by enemies, and has good concealment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of drones that autonomously identify adversarial targets, and in particular to a drone that autonomously identifies adversarial targets and a method for drones to autonomously identify adversarial targets. Background Art

[0002] As an emerging device, drones play a vital role in modern society, achieving target engagement through precision guidance. Drones primarily consist of small and medium-sized drones. Currently, drones rely primarily on seeker equipment for target guidance. Optoelectronic guidance technology has become a mainstream guidance method due to its high precision, strong anti-interference capabilities, and low cost. During target engagement, the optoelectronic guidance unit uses optical sensors (such as visible light cameras and infrared sensors) to perceive the target's optical characteristics, acquire target position information in real time, and integrate image processing algorithms to identify and track the target. The guidance system then generates flight control commands based on the target's position information, guiding the drone's flight and ultimately completing the suicide engagement mission.

[0003] Prior art proposes a direct-launch autonomous cruise drone using laser guidance. This approach is costly and complex, prone to interference from other systems, and susceptible to weather conditions such as fog, rain, and clouds. Another prior art proposes an aviation computer radar guidance system, which uses radar guidance. However, radar guidance units are large, heavy, and consume high power, making them unsuitable for small and medium-sized drones. Furthermore, their resolution is typically lower than that of optoelectronic guidance systems, making them susceptible to interference in complex electromagnetic environments. This makes it difficult to accurately distinguish and lock onto targets, especially in complex terrain or densely populated environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application propose a drone that can autonomously identify countermeasure targets and a method for autonomously identifying countermeasure targets by a drone, aiming to use an optoelectronic guidance unit to search, detect and lock targets, with strong anti-electromagnetic interference capabilities and the advantages of high precision and high resolution.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, an embodiment of the present application provides a UAV that can autonomously identify countermeasure targets, including an optoelectronic guidance unit, an airborne flight control computer, a ground control station and a data terminal; the optoelectronic guidance unit is installed on the head of the UAV, the airborne flight control computer is connected to the optoelectronic guidance unit via a serial port communication, the ground control station communicates with the data terminal via a network port, and the data terminal is communicated with the optoelectronic guidance unit.

[0006] Optionally, the photoelectric guidance unit includes a visible light camera and a central processing unit; the visible light camera is installed in the photoelectric guidance unit through a rotating pan-tilt structure, the central processing unit is electrically connected to the visible light camera, and the central processing unit is a processor integrated with an image processing module.

[0007] Optionally, the rotating gimbal structure includes a transverse rotation mechanism and a longitudinal rotation mechanism; the transverse rotation mechanism and the longitudinal rotation mechanism are electrically connected to the central processing unit respectively; the transverse rotation mechanism and the longitudinal rotation mechanism are both used to receive control signals from the central processing unit and drive the visible light camera to adjust the angle so that the target is always located in the center of the image.

[0008] Optionally, the central processing unit is integrated with a target detection module, which implements the framing and category labeling functions of targets in the image through hardware circuits to identify target categories such as vehicles, radar observation stations, airport facilities, and personnel.

[0009] Optionally, the onboard flight control computer has a flight control module, which is electrically connected to the servo of the UAV via a CAN bus; the flight control module receives the frame angle and frame angular rate signals transmitted by the photoelectric guidance unit via a serial port, and calculates the control amount of the rudder through the hardware device according to the received signal and sends a control instruction to the servo

[0010] Optionally, the flight control module includes an orientation calculation submodule and an attitude comparison submodule; the orientation calculation submodule is used to calculate the target orientation through hardware equipment by combining the frame angle, the frame angular rate signal and the current attitude signal of the UAV; the attitude comparison submodule is used to compare the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude and generate a rudder control amount.

[0011] Optionally, the ground control station includes a display module and an operation module; the display module is electrically connected to the data terminal, and is used to display image data collected by the optoelectronic guidance unit in real time, wherein the image data includes a detection frame and locked target information; the operation module is electrically connected to the data terminal, and is used to send control instructions to the optoelectronic guidance unit, wherein the control instructions include instructions for switching to a confrontation target or exiting a confrontation state.

[0012] Optionally, the UAV is provided with a mission information storage unit, and the central processing unit is integrated with a target priority sorting module, which is electrically connected to the mission information storage unit and is used to prioritize the detected target categories according to the mission information stored in the mission information storage unit, and output a locking signal to the rotating gimbal structure.

[0013] Optionally, the data terminal includes an uplink communication module and a downlink communication module; the uplink communication module is used to transmit instructions from the ground control station to the optoelectronic guidance unit; the downlink communication module is used to transmit UAV flight status information and image data to the ground control station.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the present application also provides a method for autonomously identifying adversarial targets by a UAV, which is applied to a central computer and includes:

[0015] During the takeoff preparation phase, the countermeasure mission information is bound to the UAV's optoelectronic guidance unit through the ground optoelectronic measurement and control software;

[0016] After the UAV arrives at the target area, it activates the visible light camera of the optoelectronic guidance unit to collect image data of the target area in real time;

[0017] The central processing unit of the optoelectronic guidance unit performs image enhancement processing on the video stream collected by the visible light camera, and detects and labels the targets in the image based on the deep learning algorithm;

[0018] Prioritize detected targets based on bound mission information, autonomously lock onto the most valuable target, and dynamically adjust the horizontal and vertical rotation angles of the visible light camera to keep the target in the center of the image;

[0019] The frame angle and frame angular rate generated by the photoelectric guidance unit during target tracking are received, and combined with the current flight attitude of the UAV, the specific orientation of the target relative to the UAV is calculated, the target flight attitude is deduced, and the control amount of each control surface is generated by comparing the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude;

[0020] Send the rudder control value to the servo to control the UAV's flight attitude and guide the UAV to fly along the target direction until the target confrontation is completed.

[0021] The embodiments of the present application propose a drone that can autonomously identify countermeasure targets and a method for autonomously identifying countermeasure targets by a drone, which include an optoelectronic guidance unit, an onboard flight control computer, a ground control station and a data terminal; the optoelectronic guidance unit is installed on the head of the drone, the onboard flight control computer is connected to the optoelectronic guidance unit via a serial port, the ground control station communicates with the data terminal via a network port, and the data terminal is connected to the optoelectronic guidance unit. The present application utilizes an optoelectronic guidance unit to search, detect and lock onto targets, has strong anti-electromagnetic interference capabilities, and has the advantages of high precision and high resolution. The optoelectronic control unit has low cost, low power consumption, and a small size, and can be equipped on small and medium-sized drones. The visible light camera in the optoelectronic control unit is a passive imaging device that does not actively emit signals, so it is not easily detected by the enemy and has good concealment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the module connection relationship of a drone that autonomously identifies countermeasure targets provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of identifying adversarial targets for a drone that autonomously identifies adversarial targets, provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, each embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that in each embodiment of the present application, many technical details are proposed to enable the reader to better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical solutions claimed in the present application can be implemented. The division of the following embodiments is for convenience of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of the present application. The various embodiments can be combined and referenced with each other under the premise of no contradiction.

[0025] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a method for autonomous identification and countermeasures against suicide drones. The technical solution employed by this invention is to utilize an electro-optical guidance unit to search, identify, and lock onto a target; to precisely control the drone's flight attitude and trajectory with the aid of an onboard flight control computer; and to use electro-optical measurement and control software to display the image data transmitted back by the electro-optical guidance unit in real time.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 An embodiment of the present application provides a UAV that can autonomously identify a countermeasure target, including an optoelectronic guidance unit 10, an onboard flight control computer 20, a ground control station 30, and a data terminal 40; the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 is installed on the head of the UAV, the onboard flight control computer 20 is connected to the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 via a serial port communication, the ground control station 30 is communicated with the data terminal 40 via a network port, and the data terminal 40 is communicated with the optoelectronic guidance unit 10.

[0027] Among them, the photoelectric guidance unit 10 includes a visible light camera and a central processing unit; the visible light camera is installed in the photoelectric guidance unit 10 through a rotating pan-tilt structure, and the central processing unit is electrically connected to the visible light camera. The central processing unit is a processor integrated with an image processing module.

[0028] Among them, the rotating gimbal structure includes a horizontal rotation mechanism and a vertical rotation mechanism; the horizontal rotation mechanism and the vertical rotation mechanism are respectively electrically connected to the central processing unit; the horizontal rotation mechanism and the vertical rotation mechanism are both used to receive control signals from the central processing unit and drive the visible light camera to adjust the angle so that the target is always located in the center of the image.

[0029] Specifically, the optoelectronic guidance unit (10) is mounted on the drone's head. Its internal visible light camera can rotate freely in both horizontal and vertical directions during flight, enabling a comprehensive search for ground targets. Simultaneously, the central processing unit (CPU) within the optoelectronic guidance unit (10) performs real-time processing on the video stream captured by the visible light camera, including image enhancement, target recognition, and target lock operations, ensuring autonomous target capture and tracking.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing unit is integrated with a target detection module, which implements the framing and category labeling functions of targets in the image through hardware circuits to identify target categories such as vehicles, radar observation stations, airport facilities, and personnel.

[0031] In one embodiment of the present application, the onboard flight control computer 20 has a flight control module, which is electrically connected to the servo of the UAV via a CAN bus; the flight control module receives the frame angle and frame angular rate signals transmitted by the photoelectric guidance unit 10 through a serial port, and calculates the control amount of the control surface through the hardware device according to the received signal and sends a control instruction to the servo.

[0032] Among them, the flight control module includes an orientation calculation submodule and an attitude comparison submodule; the orientation calculation submodule is used to calculate the target orientation through hardware equipment by combining the frame angle, frame angular rate signal and the current attitude signal of the drone; the attitude comparison submodule is used to compare the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude and generate the rudder control quantity.

[0033] Specifically, the onboard flight control computer 20 is responsible for the flight control, mission management, and system coordination of the UAV. The flight control program runs inside it. When performing a confrontation mission, the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 transmits information such as the target's frame angle (i.e., the deflection angle of the camera relative to the UAV's reference coordinate system) and the frame angular rate (i.e., the angular velocity of the camera's rotation) to the onboard flight control computer 20 in real time through the serial port. Based on this information, the flight control program calculates the control amount of each rudder surface (i.e., the rudder control amount) and sends the control command to the servo, thereby accurately guiding the UAV to fly along the target direction and ensuring the efficient completion of the confrontation mission.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present application, the ground control station 30 includes a display module and an operation module; the display module is electrically connected to the data terminal 40, and is used to display the image data collected by the photoelectric guidance unit 10 in real time, wherein the image data includes a detection frame and locked target information; the operation module is electrically connected to the data terminal 40, and is used to send control instructions to the photoelectric guidance unit 10, wherein the control instructions include instructions for switching to a confrontation target or exiting a confrontation state.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present application, the drone is provided with a mission information storage unit, and the central processing unit is integrated with a target priority sorting module, which is electrically connected to the mission information storage unit and is used to prioritize the detected target categories according to the mission information stored in the mission information storage unit, and output a locking signal to the rotating gimbal structure.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present application, the data terminal 40 includes an uplink communication module and a downlink communication module; the uplink communication module is used to transmit instructions from the ground control station 30 to the optoelectronic guidance unit 10; the downlink communication module is used to transmit drone flight status information and image data to the ground control station 30.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present application, the drone further includes optoelectronic measurement and control software 50, which is deployed in a ground control station 30 and communicates with a data terminal 40 via a network port. Its core functions include real-time display of image data collected by the optoelectronic control unit and control of the optoelectronic control unit.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, during the takeoff preparation phase, the ground-based optoelectronic control software completes the binding for this countermeasure mission, and this binding information is uploaded to the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 via the data terminal 40. After reaching the target area, the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 detects all targets within the area and autonomously selects the most valuable target based on target type for lock-on. During lock-on, the visible light camera within the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 automatically rotates horizontally and vertically to ensure that the target is always centered in the captured image. During this process, the horizontal and vertical frame angles and angular velocity information generated by the camera rotation are transmitted in real time to the flight control computer 20 via serial communication. Based on the received frame angle and angular velocity data, the flight control computer 20 calculates the steering control value for each control surface and generates corresponding control instructions, which are transmitted to each servo via the CAN bus to achieve precise control of the UAV's flight attitude. Simultaneously, the image data collected by the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 is transmitted to the optoelectronic control software via the data terminal 40 for real-time display and monitoring. Furthermore, the downlink transmission of the UAV's flight status information and the uplink transmission of control instructions are both achieved through the communication link of the data terminal 40.

[0039] Based on the above embodiments, the present application further provides a method for a drone to autonomously identify a countermeasure target, which may include the following execution process:

[0040] S10. During the takeoff preparation phase, the countermeasure mission information is bound to the UAV's optoelectronic guidance unit through the ground optoelectronic measurement and control software;

[0041] S20: After the UAV arrives at the target area, the visible light camera of the photoelectric guidance unit is activated to collect image data of the target area in real time;

[0042] S30, using the central processor of the optoelectronic guidance unit to perform image enhancement processing on the video stream collected by the visible light camera, and detecting and classifying targets in the image based on a deep learning algorithm;

[0043] S40, prioritizing the detected targets according to the bound task information, autonomously locking the most valuable target, and dynamically adjusting the horizontal and vertical rotation angles of the visible light camera so that the target is always located in the center of the image;

[0044] S50, receiving the frame angle and frame angular rate generated by the photoelectric guidance unit during the target tracking process, and combining them with the current flight attitude of the UAV, calculating the specific orientation of the target relative to the UAV, deducing the target flight attitude, and generating the control amount of each control surface by comparing the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude;

[0045] S60: Send the rudder control value to the servo to control the flight attitude of the UAV and guide the UAV to fly along the target direction until the target confrontation is completed.

[0046] The following combination Figure 2 The detailed process of the drone performing the confrontation mission is described in detail in the following embodiments.

[0047] (1) When performing a confrontation mission, the visible light camera within the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 collects image data of the target area in real time and transmits it to the central processing unit. The target detection program within the central processing unit performs target detection on the image. Based on the deep learning processing algorithm running on the hardware device installed in the central computer, it can efficiently identify a variety of target categories, including vehicles, radar observation stations, airport facilities, personnel, etc. The detection program frames the identified target in the image and annotates its category information.

[0048] (2) When a target is detected, the photoelectric guidance unit 10 prioritizes the categories of the detected targets based on pre-set task information, autonomously locks onto the target with the highest attention value, and simultaneously adjusts the visible light camera's posture in real time to ensure that the target is always in the center of the image. The photoelectric control software displays an image with a detection frame and the locked target in real time. During this process, the photoelectric control software can switch to a target for confrontation or exit the confrontation state at any time.

[0049] (3) As the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 tracks the target, the visible light camera automatically adjusts its rotation angle in both the horizontal and vertical directions based on changes in the target's position to ensure the target remains centered in the image. This dynamic adjustment generates frame angle and frame angular rate data in real time. The optoelectronic guidance unit 10 transmits this data in real time to the flight control computer 20 via serial communication, providing target position and motion status data for flight control.

[0050] (4) If the optoelectronic guidance unit 10 successfully tracks the target, the system will use the frame angle and frame angular rate data provided by the optoelectronic guidance unit 10, combined with the current flight attitude of the UAV, to calculate the specific position of the target relative to the UAV. Then, the flight control program further derives the target flight attitude required by the UAV to achieve target confrontation. Subsequently, by comparing the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude, the control amount of each control surface (i.e., the rudder control amount) is calculated to approach the confrontation target.

[0051] In summary, the photoelectric guidance method for suicide UAV proposed in the present invention can be seen from the guidance method:

[0052] (1) The photoelectric guidance unit 10 is used to search, detect and lock the target, which has strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability and has the advantages of high precision and high resolution.

[0053] (2) The optoelectronic control unit is mainly composed of a visible light camera and a central processing unit. It has low cost, low power consumption, and small size, and can be equipped on small and medium-sized UAVs.

[0054] (3) This method, combined with advanced image processing technology, can detect multiple targets and track and lock high-value targets, making it suitable for multi-target combat scenarios.

[0055] (4) The visible light camera in the optoelectronic control unit is a passive imaging device that does not actively emit signals. Therefore, it is not easily detected by the enemy and has good concealment.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above embodiments are specific embodiments for implementing the present application, and that in actual applications, various changes may be made thereto in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A drone capable of autonomously identifying adversarial targets, characterized in that: include: It includes an electro-optical guidance unit, an onboard flight control computer, a ground control station and a data terminal; The photoelectric guidance unit is installed on the head of the UAV, the onboard flight control computer is connected to the photoelectric guidance unit via a serial port communication, the ground control station communicates with the data terminal via a network port, and the data terminal is connected to the photoelectric guidance unit via a communication connection.

2. The UAV capable of autonomously identifying countermeasure targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photoelectric guidance unit includes a visible light camera and a central processing unit; The visible light camera is installed in the photoelectric guidance unit through a rotating pan-tilt structure. The central processing unit is electrically connected to the visible light camera. The central processing unit is a processor integrated with an image processing module.

3. The UAV capable of autonomously identifying countermeasure targets according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotating platform structure includes a horizontal rotating mechanism and a vertical rotating mechanism; The horizontal rotation mechanism and the vertical rotation mechanism are electrically connected to the central processing unit respectively; The transverse rotation mechanism and the longitudinal rotation mechanism are both used to receive control signals from a central processing unit and drive the visible light camera to adjust the angle so that the target is always located in the center of the image.

4. The UAV capable of autonomously identifying countermeasure targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central processing unit is integrated with a target detection module, which implements the framing and category labeling functions of targets in the image through hardware circuits to identify target categories such as vehicles, radar observation stations, airport facilities, and personnel.

5. The UAV capable of autonomously identifying countermeasure targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The onboard flight control computer has a flight control module, and the flight control module is electrically connected to the servo of the UAV via a CAN bus; The flight control module receives the frame angle and frame angular rate signals transmitted by the photoelectric guidance unit through the serial port, calculates the control amount of the control surface through the hardware device according to the received signals, and sends a control instruction to the steering gear.

6. The autonomous target identification drone according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flight control module includes an orientation calculation submodule and an attitude comparison submodule; The orientation calculation submodule is used to calculate the target orientation through hardware equipment by combining the frame angle, the frame angular rate signal and the current attitude signal of the UAV; The attitude comparison submodule is used to compare the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude and generate the control amount of the control surface.

7. The autonomous target identification drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ground control station includes a display module and an operation module; The display module is electrically connected to the data terminal and is used to display image data collected by the photoelectric guidance unit in real time, wherein the image data includes detection frame and locked target information; The operation module is electrically connected to the data terminal and is used to send control instructions to the photoelectric guidance unit, wherein the control instructions include instructions for switching the confrontation target or exiting the confrontation state.

8. The UAV capable of autonomously identifying countermeasure targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone is provided with a mission information storage unit, and the central processing unit is integrated with a target priority sorting module. The target priority sorting module is electrically connected to the mission information storage unit and is used to prioritize the detected target categories according to the mission information stored in the mission information storage unit, and output a locking signal to the rotating gimbal structure.

9. The UAV capable of autonomously identifying countermeasure targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data terminal includes an uplink communication module and a downlink communication module; The uplink communication module is used to transmit instructions from the ground control station to the optoelectronic guidance unit; The downlink communication module is used to transmit the UAV flight status information and image data to the ground control station.

10. A method for autonomously identifying a countermeasure target by a UAV, characterized in that: Applied to central computers, including: During the takeoff preparation phase, the countermeasure mission information is bound to the UAV's optoelectronic guidance unit through the ground optoelectronic measurement and control software; After the UAV arrives at the target area, it activates the visible light camera of the optoelectronic guidance unit to collect image data of the target area in real time; The central processing unit of the optoelectronic guidance unit performs image enhancement processing on the video stream collected by the visible light camera, and detects and labels the targets in the image based on the deep learning algorithm; Prioritize detected targets based on bound mission information, autonomously lock onto the most valuable target, and dynamically adjust the horizontal and vertical rotation angles of the visible light camera to keep the target in the center of the image; The frame angle and frame angular rate generated by the photoelectric guidance unit during target tracking are received, and combined with the current flight attitude of the UAV, the specific orientation of the target relative to the UAV is calculated, the target flight attitude is deduced, and the control amount of each control surface is generated by comparing the current flight attitude with the target flight attitude; The rudder control value is sent to the servo to control the flight attitude of the drone and guide the drone to fly along the target direction until the target confrontation is completed.

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