Collaborative tracking system and method based on optical measurement equipment and phased array telemetry system

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of optical measurement technology, and in particular relates to a collaborative tracking system and method based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system. The method comprises: S1: controlling the phased array telemetry system to align the optical measurement device with the target; S2: after the optical measurement device is aligned with the target, the image processing unit extracts features from the target image obtained by the optical measurement device in real time. If the features of the target images of M consecutive frames are consistent, step S3 is executed; otherwise, step S1 is repeated; S3: the collaborative tracking unit determines the real-time position of the target based on the optical measurement data and the telemetry data, and outputs the real-time position of the target to the operation control unit to achieve automatic tracking of the target; S4: if the target images of M consecutive frames collected in real time by the optical measurement device do not contain the target, step S1 is repeated; otherwise, step S3 is executed until the target tracking is terminated. The present invention can effectively capture and track the target.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of optical measurement technology, and in particular relates to a collaborative tracking system and method based on optical measurement equipment and a phased array telemetry system. Background Art

[0002] Optical measurement equipment offers advantages such as high measurement accuracy, fast response speed, and strong anti-interference capabilities, making it widely used in the field of tracking and measuring dynamic targets. However, optical measurement equipment has a limited range and, in certain special circumstances (such as shipborne low-elevation conditions), has difficulty continuously tracking targets.

[0003] Compared to optical measurement equipment, telemetry systems offer stable measurement errors, are unaffected by weather, and have a long range. They can provide auxiliary guidance information for optical measurement equipment, but their tracking accuracy is inferior to that of optical measurement equipment. Compared to traditional short backfire telemetry, phased array telemetry systems have higher antenna gain and a wider range of operational airspace. They do not rely on additional guidance information and can autonomously guide optical measurement equipment toward the target, demonstrating greater robustness in complex scenarios. Existing telemetry modules often integrate optical measurement equipment at the module stacking level, limiting telemetry's use to a single guidance function. Furthermore, due to the limited antenna gain of traditional short backfire telemetry, target detection over a wider airspace is difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a collaborative tracking system and method based on optical measurement equipment and phased array telemetry systems to solve the problem of low capture, tracking and measurement performance of existing optical measurement equipment in complex scenarios. The present invention uses the advantages of optical measurement equipment and phased array telemetry systems to complement each other and guide each other to adapt to more complex scenarios and effectively complete the capture and tracking of targets.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution created by the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] A collaborative tracking system based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system comprises a phased array telemetry system, an optical measurement device and an electronic control system, wherein the electronic control system comprises an operation control unit, an image processing unit, a collaborative tracking unit and a calibration unit, wherein the operation control unit receives control information from a host computer and sends the control information to the image processing unit, the collaborative tracking unit and the calibration unit respectively; the calibration unit is used to keep the angle measurement zero point of the phased array telemetry system consistent with the optical axis of the optical measurement device in a spatial direction; the image processing unit receives a video image acquired in real time by the optical measurement device, obtains real-time miss distance data of the target based on the video image, and sends the real-time miss distance data to the collaborative tracking unit; the collaborative tracking unit obtains a real-time position of the target based on the real-time miss distance data and real-time guidance data acquired by the phased array telemetry system, and inputs the real-time position of the target to the operation control unit; the operation control unit controls the optical measurement device and the phased array telemetry system to align with the target based on the real-time position of the target, thereby realizing collaborative tracking of the target by the optical measurement device and the phased array telemetry system.

[0007] A collaborative tracking method based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system is implemented using a collaborative tracking system based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system, specifically comprising the following steps:

[0008] S1: Use the calibration unit to align the phased array telemetry system's angular measurement zero point with the optical axis of the optical measurement device in spatial direction. Control the phased array telemetry system to scan and obtain real-time guidance data of the target. The servo controller calculates the tracking frame's rotation angle based on the real-time guidance data and drives the tracking frame to align the optical measurement device with the target.

[0009] S2: After the optical measurement device is aligned with the target, the image processing unit extracts features from the real-time target image obtained by the optical measurement device to obtain real-time miss distance data of the target;

[0010] S3: The collaborative tracking unit determines the target's real-time position based on the target's real-time miss distance data and real-time guidance data, and outputs the target's real-time position to the operation control unit. The operation control unit calculates the position error and sends it to the servo controller to achieve automatic tracking of the target.

[0011] S4: If the M consecutive frames of target images collected in real time by the optical measurement device do not contain the target, repeat step S1; otherwise, execute step S3 until the target tracking is completed.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0013] (1) The present invention creates a collaborative tracking system and method based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system. Since the phased array telemetry system has a long range and a large field of view, it can preferentially detect the target and then guide the optical measurement device to capture the target to achieve high-precision tracking. When the optical measurement device finds it difficult to continuously track the target, the optical measurement device guides the telemetry system to continue tracking the target.

[0014] (2) The present invention creates a collaborative tracking system and method based on optical measurement equipment and a phased array telemetry system. By combining a phased array telemetry system with an optical measurement device, the system can improve antenna gain, expand the telemetry airspace, and better provide guidance information for the optical measurement device. Furthermore, the present invention can simultaneously acquire multi-source information about a target, perform fusion processing on multiple data sources, improve scenario adaptability, and more effectively accomplish tasks such as rapid target capture, stable tracking, and high-precision measurement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of the present invention, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a collaborative tracking system based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 A flowchart of a collaborative tracking method based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the workflow of the collaborative tracking method based on optical measurement equipment and phased array telemetry system described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Description of reference numerals:

[0020] 1. Phased array telemetry system; 2. Optical measurement equipment; 3. Electronic control system; 4. Tracking frame; 11. Phased array telemetry antenna; 12. Telemetry receiver; 21. Main optics; 22. External plug-in; 31. Operation control unit; 32. Collaborative tracking unit; 33. Image processing unit; 34. Calibration unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0022] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second" and the like are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as "first", "second" and the like may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, the present invention provides a collaborative tracking system based on an optical measurement device 2 and a phased array telemetry system 1, comprising a phased array telemetry system 1, an optical measurement device 2 and an electronic control system 3, wherein the electronic control system 3 comprises an operation control unit 31, an image processing unit 33, a collaborative tracking unit 32 and a calibration unit 34, wherein the operation control unit 31 receives control information from a host computer and sends the control information to the image processing unit 33, the collaborative tracking unit 32 and the calibration unit 34 respectively; the calibration unit 34 is used to make the angle measurement zero point of the phased array telemetry system 1 consistent with the optical axis of the optical measurement device 2 in the spatial direction. ; The image processing unit 33 receives the video image collected in real time by the optical measurement device 2, and obtains the real-time miss distance data of the target based on the video image, and sends the real-time miss distance data to the collaborative tracking unit 32. The collaborative tracking unit 32 obtains the real-time position of the target based on the real-time miss distance data and the real-time guidance data collected by the phased array telemetry system 1, and inputs the real-time position of the target to the operation control unit 31. The operation control unit 31 controls the optical measurement device 2 and the phased array telemetry system 1 to align with the target based on the real-time position of the target, thereby realizing the collaborative tracking of the target by the optical measurement device 2 and the phased array telemetry system 1.

[0027] It should be noted that the tracking frame 4 is used to drive the phased array telemetry system 1 and the optical measurement device 2 to rotate. The tracking frame 4 is a support and rotation platform, which includes an azimuth axis system and a pitch axis system, and is used to achieve continuous movement in the horizontal and vertical directions, thereby driving the phased array telemetry system 1 and the optical measurement device 2 to achieve continuous movement in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0028] The optical measurement device 2 is used for optical imaging, including a main optical unit 21 and an external unit 22 (including one or more). The main optical unit 21 can adopt a common aperture or single-band imaging form. The optical measurement device 2 selects visible light, short-wave infrared, medium-wave infrared or long-wave infrared according to actual needs to achieve target capture, tracking and measurement.

[0029] The phased array telemetry system 1 is used to receive telemetry signals, and includes a phased array telemetry antenna 11 and a telemetry receiver 12 . The phased array telemetry antenna 11 is mounted on a supporting and rotating platform, and its optical axis is aligned with that of the optical measurement device 2 .

[0030] The electronic control system 3 is the control and processing part, which realizes the operation control, image processing, collaborative tracking and system calibration of the tracking frame 4, optical measurement equipment 2 and phased array telemetry system 1, and the electronic control functional unit can be configured according to actual needs.

[0031] The electronic control system 3 includes an operation control unit 31, an image processing unit 33, a collaborative tracking unit 32 and a calibration unit 34, and may also include other units such as storage, enhancement, interpretation, and simulation training.

[0032] The operation control unit 31 receives data information (control information) from the external system and controls the phased array telemetry system 1, optical measurement equipment 2 and electronic control system 3 according to the control information to complete data acquisition, processing, recording, uploading, etc.

[0033] The image processing unit 33 is responsible for processing the digital video signal of the optical measurement device 2 (generally speaking, at least two optical measurement devices 2 are mounted on the same tracking frame 4, and the optical measurement devices 2 include short-wave infrared type, visible light type, or light type in other bands), detecting and tracking targets appearing in the field of view, completing the miss distance extraction work, and transmitting the processed miss distance information to the collaborative tracking unit 32 to complete the tracking of the target.

[0034] The collaborative tracking unit 32 integrates optical measurement data (miss distance data and encoder data), telemetry data (real-time guidance data), theoretical data and other data (including optical measurement miss distance data, encoder data, telemetry complex data frame data and theoretical ballistic data), and through complex target adaptive detection and tracking operations, estimates the target position and synchronously outputs it to the operation control unit 31 to complete optical and remote collaborative tracking.

[0035] Calibration unit 34: completes the positioning and orientation operations, completes accurate target positioning through the target or other known points, and completes the precision calibration of the optical measurement device 2; to ensure that the phased array antenna angle measurement zero point is consistent with the optical axis of the optical measurement device 2, the phased array antenna calibration and the optical axis calibration of the optical measurement device 2 are performed.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a collaborative tracking method based on an optical measurement device 2 and a phased array telemetry system 1, which is implemented using a collaborative tracking system based on the optical measurement device 2 and the phased array telemetry system 1, and specifically includes the following steps:

[0037] S1: Using the calibration unit 34, the angular measurement zero point of the phased array telemetry system 1 is aligned with the optical axis of the optical measurement device 2 in the spatial direction. The phased array telemetry system 1 is controlled to scan to obtain real-time guidance data of the target. The servo controller calculates the rotation angle of the tracking frame 4 based on the real-time guidance data and drives the tracking frame 4 to align the optical measurement device 2 with the target.

[0038] S2: After the optical measuring device 2 is aligned with the target, the image processing unit 33 performs feature extraction on the real-time target image obtained by the optical measuring device 2 to obtain real-time miss distance data of the target;

[0039] S3: The collaborative tracking unit 32 determines the real-time position of the target based on the real-time miss distance data and the real-time guidance data of the target, and outputs the real-time position of the target to the operation control unit 31. The operation control unit 31 calculates the position error and sends it to the servo controller, thereby realizing automatic tracking of the target by the optical measurement device 2 and the phased array telemetry system 1;

[0040] S4: If the M consecutive frames of target images collected in real time by the optical measurement device 2 do not contain the target, then repeat step S1; otherwise, execute step S3 until the target tracking is completed.

[0041] Furthermore, in step S1, if the phased array telemetry system 1 fails to find the target, when the theodolite rotation direction is manually intervened, during calibration, or during system debugging, the calibration unit 34 is used to align the angular measurement zero point of the phased array telemetry system 1 with the optical axis of the optical measurement device 2 in the spatial direction. The operator operates the single rod to control the rotation direction and rotation speed of the optical measurement device 2, causing the optical measurement device 2 to rotate toward the target and acquiring single rod data in real time (the single rod data includes the output voltages generated by the azimuth sensor and the pitch sensor connected to the single rod). Based on the single rod data, an estimated target position and an estimated target velocity are acquired, and the optical measurement device 2 is aligned with the target based on the estimated target position and the estimated target velocity.

[0042] Furthermore, a method for determining the real-time position of a target based on real-time miss distance data and real-time guidance data is provided: the real-time guidance data gives the distance from the target to the measuring station, and the real-time miss distance data and encoder data give the azimuth and pitch angles of the target relative to the measuring station. These three coordinates can uniquely determine a point in the spherical coordinate system (i.e., the real-time position of the given target).

[0043] It should be noted that the tracking methods include single-pole tracking, digital tracking (primarily phased array telemetry system 1), automatic acquisition (optical telemetry collaboration), automatic tracking (primarily optical measurement equipment 2), etc., and can freely switch between telemetry and optical measurement to meet the stable tracking requirements of various mission types and mission environments. The details are as follows:

[0044] Single-rod tracking involves the operator manipulating a single rod to rotate the optical measuring device 2 (which in turn rotates the tracking frame 4, thereby rotating the optical measuring device 2 mounted on the tracking frame 4) to track the desired target. In single-rod tracking mode, the control unit 31 directly converts the single-rod data into a target velocity estimate, integrates the single-rod data over time to generate a target position estimate, and simultaneously outputs the target position estimate and velocity estimate to the control unit 31. In this mode, the control unit 31 simultaneously executes automatic tracking mode algorithms (including adaptive threshold target centroid extraction, target edge extraction, and target correlation filter detection).

[0045] In the digital tracking mode, the operation control unit 31 controls the tracking frame 4 according to the real-time guidance data to achieve stable tracking. The source of the real-time guidance data can be the real-time guidance value of the phased array telemetry system 1 or the host computer, or the preset theoretical trajectory.

[0046] Automatic acquisition is a transitional operating mode established for initial target acquisition. Automatic acquisition can be manually switched from single-pole tracking mode or digital guidance tracking mode. After the image processing unit 33 acquires the target, it automatically switches to automatic tracking mode. Initial automatic acquisition is divided into two modes: waiting point gaze dynamic target acquisition and dynamic guidance target acquisition. The mode used is determined by the configuration instructions.

[0047] Waiting point staring moving target capture means that the target is in a fast-moving state, and the azimuth and elevation angles of the optical measurement device 2 are fixed before capturing the moving target (that is, before the moving target enters the field of view of the optical measurement device 2) (this is called staring measurement method). After the moving target enters the field of view of the optical measurement device 2, the azimuth and elevation angles of the optical measurement device 2 begin to rotate accordingly according to the target's movement direction and speed to continuously track the target.

[0048] Target capture under dynamic guidance means that the optical measuring device 2 receives the azimuth and elevation angles guided by the external real-time guidance and rotates accordingly. The tracking frame 4 is always rotating during the entire target capture process.

[0049] To understand which method is determined by the configuration instructions, the following example illustrates this: For example, if it is known that the theoretical trajectory of the target must pass through the current camera field of view of the optical measurement device 2, then the optical measurement device 2 will only start tracking the target after the target moves into the camera field of view. In this case, the waiting point staring moving target capture method is suitable;

[0050] For example, if the target is moving at high speed and the phased array telemetry system 1 has already determined the target's real-time spatial position, the azimuth and elevation angles of the optical measurement device 2 can be continuously adjusted according to the target's real-time spatial position so that the optical measurement device 2 points to the target position. This situation is suitable for target capture under dynamic guidance.

[0051] Automatic tracking integrates image data from various sources, encoder data, and a priori parameters, performing complex adaptive target detection, fusion recognition, and fusion tracking operations to estimate and output the target's position and velocity. In automatic tracking mode, if a target is lost, re-searching for it proceeds in the same manner as target acquisition under dynamic guidance. To ensure flexibility, the fusion tracking data source can be manually disabled by the operator. For example, if the operator specifically intends to use infrared target tracking only, all other optical measurement sources can be disabled.

[0052] For example, the optical measurement device 2 uses image processing algorithms (such as adaptive target detection, fusion recognition, and fusion tracking operations) based on the image data of the tracked target to determine the target's position in the image, thereby extracting the target's miss distance. The time series of the target's azimuth angle and elevation angle relative to the optical measurement device 2 are then calculated based on the encoder data. The estimated speed and other motion information of the target can be calculated by dividing the azimuth angle change and elevation angle change calculated at adjacent sampling moments by the sampling time.

[0053] Further, such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the specific process of the collaborative tracking system is as follows:

[0054] System initialization: Complete the deployment of the collaborative tracking system based on the optical measurement device 2 and the phased array telemetry system 1, cable connection, system power-on, communication network connection test, self-test and feedback of self-test information;

[0055] System calibration: Complete equipment positioning and orientation operations, accurately locate targets through targets or other known points, and wait for the target to enter the field of view;

[0056] Real-time acquisition: Phased array telemetry system 1 monitors the telemetry signal reception strength in real time, and optical measurement device 2 collects images in real time;

[0057] Target capture: When the telemetry signal is received, i.e., the target is captured, the control unit 31 outputs guidance information to guide the cooperative tracking system to cover the target area. The optical measurement device 2 automatically captures the target, tracks the target to the center of the imaging target surface, and switches to automatic tracking mode.

[0058] Automatic tracking: The collaborative data processing unit completes the processing of optical measurement data and telemetry data, and unifies them into a data format for tracking control; the collaborative tracking unit 32 integrates optical measurement data, telemetry data source, theoretical data and other data, estimates the real-time position of the target and synchronously outputs it to the operation control unit 31 to complete automatic tracking.

[0059] It should be understood that the various forms of the processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in the present disclosure can be performed in parallel, sequentially, or in a different order, as long as the desired results of the technical solutions disclosed in the present disclosure can be achieved. This is not limited herein.

[0060] The above specific embodiments do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions may be made based on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A collaborative tracking system based on optical measurement equipment and phased array telemetry system, characterized by: The invention comprises a phased array telemetry system, an optical measurement device and an electronic control system, wherein the electronic control system comprises an operation control unit, an image processing unit, a collaborative tracking unit and a calibration unit, wherein the operation control unit receives control information from a host computer and sends the control information to the image processing unit, the collaborative tracking unit and the calibration unit respectively; the calibration unit is used to make the angle measurement zero point of the phased array telemetry system consistent with the optical axis of the optical measurement device in the spatial direction; the image processing unit receives a video image collected in real time by the optical measurement device, obtains real-time miss distance data of the target based on the video image, and sends the real-time miss distance data to the collaborative tracking unit, the collaborative tracking unit obtains the real-time position of the target based on the real-time miss distance data and the real-time guidance data collected by the phased array telemetry system, and inputs the real-time position of the target to the operation control unit, and the operation control unit controls the optical measurement device and the phased array telemetry system to align with the target based on the real-time position of the target, thereby realizing collaborative tracking of the target by the optical measurement device and the phased array telemetry system.

2. A collaborative tracking method based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system, implemented using the collaborative tracking system based on an optical measurement device and a phased array telemetry system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific steps include: S1: Use the calibration unit to align the phased array telemetry system's angular measurement zero point with the optical axis of the optical measurement device in spatial direction. Control the phased array telemetry system to scan and obtain real-time guidance data of the target. The servo controller calculates the tracking frame's rotation angle based on the real-time guidance data and drives the tracking frame to align the optical measurement device with the target. S2: After the optical measurement device is aligned with the target, the image processing unit extracts features from the real-time target image obtained by the optical measurement device to obtain real-time miss distance data of the target; S3: The collaborative tracking unit determines the target's real-time position based on the target's real-time miss distance data and real-time guidance data, and outputs the target's real-time position to the operation control unit. The operation control unit calculates the position error and sends it to the servo controller to achieve automatic tracking of the target. S4: If the M consecutive frames of target images collected in real time by the optical measurement device do not contain the target, then repeat step S1; otherwise, execute step S3 until the target tracking is completed.

Images