Miniature camera and laser co-boresight optical system and method of use

Abstract

The application discloses a micro camera and laser co-caliber optical system and a use method, relates to the field of laser optical instruments, and solves the problem that the existing multi-band co-caliber optical system cannot simultaneously realize integration, multifunction and miniaturization. The micro camera and laser co-caliber optical system comprises a zoom optical lens group, a beam expanding and telescoping group, an electromagnetic vibration mirror, a beam splitter, a quick reflection mirror and a laser light source. The laser converging zoom optical lens group and the precision tracking imaging branch are connected with a zoom cam lens barrel and a precision tracking lens barrel respectively, the beam expanding and telescoping group is connected with an antenna frame, and the electromagnetic vibration mirror, the beam splitter and the reflection mirror are connected with respective bases. The coaxial coupling design is adopted between the components, the laser path and the image path are completely overlapped, high-precision image guided attack control is realized, and the application is suitable for a small mobile platform for industrial precision machining, rapid identification of short-range dynamic targets, high-precision tracking and laser precise attack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser optical instruments, specifically to an optical system and method of using a miniature camera and a laser with the same aperture. Background Technology

[0002] As modern high-precision strike and intelligent sensing missions continue to evolve towards longer ranges, smaller sizes, and greater integration, the structural design and control precision of optoelectronic systems face even greater challenges. In particular, critical scenarios such as precision guidance, space target identification, and high-speed maneuvering target recognition require optical systems with high-resolution imaging, sub-arcsecond optical axis control, and coaxial laser strike capabilities to achieve an integrated workflow of target identification, aiming and tracking, and laser strike.

[0003] Chinese patent CN115373122A discloses an optical system and design method for laser emission and imaging with a common aperture. It uses a front-mounted beam expander telescope group of an off-axis two-mirror afocal Cassegrain system. The primary mirror, secondary mirror, and third mirror are all off-axis three-reflection imaging systems with free-form surfaces. It builds a laser emission and imaging system with a common aperture, realizing the overall design of an optical system with one transmitter and one receiver. It belongs to the traditional common aperture optical system design. It does not optimize the focal length of its imaging optical system and laser emission branch. Moreover, the off-axis three-imaging system with free-form surfaces has high cost and high system assembly and adjustment difficulty.

[0004] Chinese patent CN119335741A discloses a three-band common aperture multifunctional optical system. It integrates two imaging systems and a laser emission branch into a multi-band common aperture optical system through the primary and secondary mirrors of a coaxial Cassegrain system, realizing an overall optical system design of two receivers and one transmitter. It also belongs to the traditional common aperture optical system design. This patent does not optimize the focal length of its imaging optical system and laser emission branch.

[0005] Therefore, an optical system with a shared aperture for both a miniature camera and a laser is needed. This system can optimize the laser emission path by using zoom technology for the laser emission path and a coaxial spherical lens group for the imaging system. This allows the laser to strike targets at different distances within the optimized optical path. This approach can reduce costs and assembly difficulty while ensuring system functionality, improve the miniaturization of the optical system, and meet the requirements of a compact, optically consistent, and high-precision control optoelectronic system architecture. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention addresses the challenge of simultaneously achieving integration, multifunctionality, and miniaturization in multi-band co-aperture optical systems. To this end, this invention proposes a co-aperture optical system for a miniature camera and a laser, along with its usage method.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] Option 1: This invention proposes an optical system that integrates a miniature camera and a laser with the same aperture. The optical system integrates an imaging system and a laser emission branch in the same optical path. The imaging system includes a fine tracking optical path composed of a reverse laser collimating zoom optical lens group and a fine tracking imaging lens group. The laser emission branch includes a main laser source and a focusing lens group. The focusing lens group includes a first positive meniscus lens, a first negative meniscus lens, a second negative meniscus lens, a second positive meniscus lens, a third positive meniscus lens, an electromagnetic galvanometer, a beam splitter, a fast-reflecting mirror, a laser source, an off-axis dual-mirror afocal Cassegrain module, and a converging zoom lens group.

[0009] The laser beam emitted by the main laser source is sequentially reflected by a fast-reflecting mirror, transmitted through a beam splitter, and its beam direction is adjusted by an electromagnetic galvanometer. It is then expanded and collimated by the off-axis dual-reflector Cassegrain module before being focused and illuminated by a converging zoom lens group. The precision tracking imaging lens group is used for high-precision target identification and tracking based on the imaging. The electromagnetic galvanometer is used to perform high-bandwidth precision tracking correction on the emitted main laser beam based on feedback information from the precision tracking imaging lens group, enabling precise aiming and strike of the laser against the target.

[0010] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment is provided, wherein the optical system further includes a primary mirror and a secondary mirror, wherein the reflecting surface of the primary mirror is a concave parabolic surface and the reflecting surface of the secondary mirror is a convex parabolic surface; the focal points of the primary mirror and the secondary mirror coincide and there is no intermediate image point.

[0011] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment is provided in which the electromagnetic galvanometer, beam splitter, and fast reflector are all mounted on their respective bases, and the tilt angle of their reflecting or transmitting surfaces is 45° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0012] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment is provided, wherein the laser emitting branch is specifically:

[0013] The laser beam emitted from the main laser source is reflected by a fast-reflecting mirror and then reaches a beam splitter. After being transmitted through the beam splitter, it is reflected by a shared electromagnetic mirror for both laser and visible light. Subsequently, it is expanded and collimated by reflections from a secondary mirror and a primary mirror. Finally, it is focused by a first positive meniscus lens, a first negative meniscus lens, a second negative meniscus lens, a second positive meniscus lens, and a third positive meniscus lens before exiting onto the target. The fast-reflecting mirror and electromagnetic mirror are used to adjust the beam direction of the laser emission branch. The primary mirror and secondary mirror together form an off-axis, two-reflector, afocal Cassegrain module for expanding and collimating the laser beam. The first positive meniscus lens, the first negative meniscus lens, the second negative meniscus lens, the second positive meniscus lens, and the third positive meniscus lens are used to focus the expanded and collimated laser beam onto the target surface.

[0014] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment is provided, wherein the precision tracking optical path is used to accurately identify and lock onto a moving target, and stably lock the laser spot at a specific position on the target surface. The precision tracking optical path includes a reflective optical path structure and a transmissive imaging lens group. The transmissive imaging lens group includes, in sequence along the optical axis, a first single lens, a first cemented doublet lens, a second single lens, and a third single lens. The first single lens is a biconvex lens, and the first cemented doublet lens is composed of a biconvex lens near the object side and a biconcave lens near the image side. The biconvex lens is made of an ultra-low dispersion material. The second lens is a meniscus lens with negative optical power. The third lens is a biconvex lens with positive optical power.

[0015] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment is provided in which the material of all lenses is not limited to optical glass.

[0016] Option 2: A method for using the optical system with a shared aperture for the miniature camera and laser as described in any one of Options 1, the method comprising the following steps:

[0017] Step 1: Initialize the imaging system, laser emission branch, electromagnetic galvanometer drive module, detector and data processing module. The initialization includes temperature control activation, electronic module self-test and working parameter loading.

[0018] Step 2: After completing the initial calibration in Step 1, perform dynamic target tracking and laser strike tests;

[0019] Step 3: The host computer software controls the laser source to switch to working mode. The optical system controls the motor driving cam mechanism of the focusing zoom lens group according to the estimated target distance and target surface characteristics. The position of the cam mechanism is updated in real time according to the preset zoom cam curve to ensure that the laser beam forms the smallest spot on the target surface.

[0020] The laser beam is output via fiber optic coupling, corrected by a fast-reflecting mirror, and dynamically compensated for platform jitter. The laser beam, after being reflected by the fast-reflecting mirror, enters the optical path shared with the imaging system. Following path correction by a beam splitter, an optical antenna shapes and expands the laser beam. A focusing lens group connected to the optical antenna dynamically adjusts the focal length under system control. A drive motor drives a zoom cam in real-time to adjust the laser convergence point, ensuring precise focusing of laser energy onto the target surface. The optical system simultaneously monitors the deviation between the laser path center and the image coordinate system, and automatically corrects the beam using an electromagnetic galvanometer.

[0021] Step 4: Perform closed-loop correction. When the laser pulse hits the target, it produces a strong flash or ablation point. The detector captures the target image in the next exposure cycle. The target reflection signal is received by the main mirror of the common front beam expander imaging group. The reflection signal is processed by echo light and then fed back to the detector through the imaging channel. The image processing module is used to identify the coordinates of the laser hit point and calculate the pixel deviation between the hit point and the expected hit point of the target. The optical system automatically corrects the angle of the electromagnetic galvanometer to form closed-loop control of the image and beam. The subsequent system performs multimodal evaluation of the target hit effect. If the target is hit, proceed to the next step. If the target is lost, feature acquisition is performed again and the control system parameters are updated.

[0022] Step 5: Based on the motion position prediction of the optical system, run the pre-built neural network model. When the target moves or the field of view of the environment changes, the system continuously acquires images at a specific frequency, extracts the target motion trend through the neural network algorithm, corrects the electromagnetic galvanometer angle in real time, and completes dual-axis fast tracking.

[0023] Step 6: During the operation of the optical system, the embedded processing module records image data, target coordinates, laser emission status, electromagnetic mirror angle, power supply and temperature status information in real time, and stores them in a dual-redundant manner to the solid-state storage module. If the average image brightness of the system image processing module drops by more than 70%, the optical system immediately triggers the safety mode, shuts down the main laser emission, records the optical path obstruction fault code and sends an alarm to the host computer software. The laboratory power supply simulated voltage drops, the optical system power management module detects undervoltage, the optical system immediately enters the safety mode, shuts down the laser emission, and sends a power abnormality alarm information to the host control system.

[0024] Step 7: After the task is completed or a termination command is received, the optical system will automatically stop laser emission, drive the electromagnetic galvanometer to zero, drive the converging zoom lens group to reset to the initial state; the imaging optical axis will return to the default direction, each module will perform temperature control cooling and status saving operations, the main control terminal will generate a task report, including the target tracking image sequence, electromagnetic galvanometer adjustment curve, and laser control log, and export it as a PDF or upload it to the task management platform through an encrypted interface.

[0025] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment is provided in which the detector pixel size is equal to 6.5 μm.

[0026] The advantages of this invention are:

[0027] The miniature camera and laser co-aperture optical system described in this invention employs a co-aperture structure to achieve precise tracking imaging and a coaxial design for the laser emission channel, effectively reducing system size and improving optical axis consistency. Fine-tuning of the laser beam direction is achieved through an electromagnetic galvanometer, with a pointing accuracy better than ±10μrad, making it suitable for real-time locking of dynamic targets.

[0028] The optical system described in this invention employs a reflective Cassegrain structure combined with a zoom imaging lens group, providing high-resolution imaging and long-focal-length observation capabilities, meeting the requirements for long-distance target identification and laser illumination. The laser emission wavelength is 1.064 μm, offering excellent concealment and long-distance energy transmission capabilities, making it suitable for precision strike and space target marking missions.

[0029] This invention employs a zoom mechanism in the laser emission path and a coaxial spherical lens group in the imaging system, enabling the laser to strike targets at different distances within an optimized optical path. This reduces costs and assembly difficulty while ensuring system functionality, improves the miniaturization of the optical system, and satisfies the requirements of a compact, optically consistent, and highly precise optoelectronic system architecture. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the optical system structure of a miniature camera and a laser sharing the same aperture, as described in this invention.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a continuous zoom optical system with a shared aperture for a miniature camera and a laser, as described in this invention.

[0032] Figure 3 This is the MTF curve of the continuous zoom optical system described in this invention at a back intercept of 5m.

[0033] Figure 4 This is the MTF curve of the continuous zoom optical system described in this invention at a back intercept of 6m.

[0034] Figure 5 This is the MTF curve of the continuous zoom optical system described in this invention at a back intercept of 7m.

[0035] Figure 6 This is the MTF curve of the continuous zoom optical system described in this invention at a back intercept of 8m.

[0036] Figure 7 This is the MTF curve of the continuous zoom optical system described in this invention at a back intercept of 9m.

[0037] Figure 8 This is the MTF curve of the continuous zoom optical system described in this invention at a back intercept of 10m.

[0038] Figure 9 This is the MTF curve of the rear imaging group described in this invention in the visible light band.

[0039] Figure 10This is an MTF curve of the optical system described in the present invention in the visible light band.

[0040] Figure 11 This is a dot plot of the rear imaging group described in this invention in the visible light band.

[0041] Figure 12 This is a dot diagram of the optical system described in this invention in the visible light band.

[0042] Figure 13 This is a field distortion diagram of the optical system described in the present invention in the visible light band.

[0043] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the usage method of the optical system based on the co-aperture of a miniature camera and a laser as described in this invention.

[0044] Among them, the first positive meniscus lens 1, the first negative meniscus lens 2, the second negative meniscus lens 3, the second positive meniscus lens 4, the third positive meniscus lens 5, the primary mirror 6, the secondary mirror 7, the electromagnetic galvanometer 8, the beam splitter 9, the first single lens 10, the first cemented doublet lens 11, the second single lens 12, the third single lens 13, the fast-reflecting mirror 14, the laser source 15, the fourth single lens 16, the fifth single lens 17, the sixth single lens 18, the seventh single lens 19, and the eighth single lens 20. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them.

[0046] Implementation Method 1, see [link] Figures 1 to 14 As shown, this embodiment proposes an optical system in which a miniature camera and a laser share the same aperture. The system specifically includes the following steps:

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This invention illustrates a schematic diagram of a miniaturized tracking camera and laser co-aperture laser tracking optical system. The optical system includes, arranged sequentially from the object side to the image side along a common optical axis, a first positive meniscus lens 1, a first negative meniscus lens 2, a second negative meniscus lens 3, a second positive meniscus lens 4, a third positive meniscus lens 5, a primary mirror 6, a secondary mirror 7, an electromagnetic galvanometer 8, a beam splitter 9, a first single lens 10, a first cemented doublet lens 11, a second single lens 12, a third single lens 13, a fast-reflecting mirror 14, a laser source 15, a fourth single lens 16, a fifth single lens 17, a sixth single lens 18, a seventh single lens 19, and an eighth single lens 20.

[0048] In this embodiment, the beam-expanding telescope group adopts an off-axis reflection type, which has the functions of laser beam expansion and elimination of central obstruction. The beam-expanding telescope group consists of a primary mirror 6 and a secondary mirror 7. The reflecting surface of the primary mirror 6 is a concave parabolic surface, and the reflecting surface of the secondary mirror 7 is a convex parabolic surface. The focal points of the primary mirror 6 and the secondary mirror 7 coincide and there is no intermediate image point. Coating, 5°~15°, reflective film, A-side, Rs, p>99.9%@1060nm~1100nm, Rs, p>95%@450nm~700nm, film system resistant to strong light, pulsed laser energy 150mJ, pulse width 10ns, frequency 100Hz, damage threshold: primary mirror average power density is 0.236W / cm2, primary mirror peak power density is 0.236MW / cm2; secondary mirror average power density is 3.773W / cm2, secondary mirror peak power density is 3.773MW / cm2.

[0049] In this embodiment, in the shared-aperture optical system of the miniature camera and laser, the electromagnetic galvanometer 8 has the function of receiving and emitting laser beams and rotating the optical axis, and has the function of executing the pointing command of the terminal controller to complete the two-axis pointing and scanning functions, thereby realizing high-precision optical angle feedback. The electromagnetic galvanometer 8, beam splitter 9, and fast reflector 14 are all mounted on their respective bases, and the tilt angle of their reflecting or transmitting surfaces is 45° with the horizontal plane.

[0050] In this embodiment, the miniature camera and laser co-aperture optical system comprises a mirror assembly consisting of a lens, a retaining ring, a mirror chamber, and adjustment shims. The azimuth and pitch of the mirror tube can be adjusted by grinding the shims. The mirror chamber is made of titanium alloy (TC4), which has good thermal stability. The remaining materials are made of aluminum alloy (2A12), which is lightweight and easy to process. The mounting frame mainly supports the various components. The antenna primary mirror assembly and the mirror assembly have bosses at their mounting points to ensure flatness. It is also made of titanium alloy (TC4), which has good thermal stability.

[0051] In this embodiment, in the laser emission path, the laser emitted by the laser source 15 is reflected by the fast-reflecting mirror 14, then reflected by the shared beam splitter 9 and the electromagnetic galvanometer 8, and finally enters the off-axis dual-reflector afocal Cassegrain module. After being reflected and expanded by the secondary mirror 7 and the primary mirror 6, the laser reaches the continuous zoom optical system, and is finally converged and emitted by the continuous zoom optical system. The optical elements of the zoom optical system include, in sequence: a first positive meniscus lens 1 with positive optical power, a second negative meniscus lens 3 with negative optical power, a second positive meniscus lens 4 with positive optical power, and a third positive meniscus lens 5 with positive optical power. These elements are used to converge the laser beam to meet the requirements for laser focusing and striking distant targets. The optical power distribution, surface combination, and material selection of the lens group work together to effectively suppress aberrations and meet the performance requirements for continuous zoom tracking and striking moving targets.

[0052] In this embodiment, the visible light fine-tracking imaging optical path is composed of a reflective and a transmissive structure: visible light passes through a first positive meniscus lens 1 with positive optical power, a first negative meniscus lens 2 with negative optical power, a second negative meniscus lens 3 with negative optical power, a second positive meniscus lens 4 with positive optical power, and a third positive meniscus lens 5 with positive optical power, and is transmitted to the primary mirror 6 and the secondary mirror 7. After reflection, it is redirected by the electromagnetic galvanometer 8 to the beam splitter 9, and reflected into the first single lens 10, the first cemented doublet lens 11, the second single lens 12, and the third single lens 13, and finally focused onto the fine-tracking detector. The fine-tracking optical path includes a reflective optical path structure and a transmissive imaging lens group: the transmissive imaging lens group includes, along the optical axis, the first single lens 10, the first cemented doublet lens 11, the second single lens 12, and the third single lens 13. The first single lens 10 of the precision tracking lens assembly is a biconvex lens with positive optical power. The first cemented doublet lens 11 consists of a biconvex lens near the object side and a biconcave lens near the image side, also with positive optical power. The biconvex lens uses an ultra-low dispersion material. The second single lens 12 is a meniscus lens with negative optical power. Finally, the visible light imaging system uses a third single lens 13, which is a biconvex lens with positive optical power. This system accurately identifies and locks onto moving targets, and stably locks the laser spot at a specific position on the target surface.

[0053] In this embodiment, the fourth single lens 16 of the laser focusing zoom optical system is made of H-ZPK7 material with a refractive index of 1.569 and an Abbe number of 71.304. The fifth single lens 17 is made of H-ZK21 material with a refractive index of 1.622 and an Abbe number of 58.120. The sixth single lens 18 is made of H-F4 material with a refractive index of 1.620 and an Abbe number of 36.345. The seventh single lens 19 is made of H-LAK6A material with a refractive index of 1.693 and an Abbe number of 53.380. The eighth single lens 20 is made of D-LAK5 material with a refractive index of 1.677 and an Abbe number of 54.889.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first single lens 10 of the precision tracking imaging system is made of H-QF1 material with a refractive index of 1.548 and an Abbe number of 45.820. The first cemented doublet 11 is made of LAF3 material near the object side with a refractive index of 1.604 and an Abbe number of 80.831, and is made of H-ZLAF75A material near the image side with a refractive index of 1.903 and an Abbe number of 31.314. The second single lens 12 is made of ZF12 material with a refractive index of 1.761 and an Abbe number of 26.555. The third single lens 13 is made of D-ZK3-25 material with a refractive index of 1.588 and an Abbe number of 61.284.

[0055] In this embodiment, all lenses use optical glass as the material, which is common, readily available, and easy to process. The lens materials of the micro camera and laser co-aperture optical system can be replaced with optical resin or optical crystal materials according to specific needs.

[0056] like Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a schematic of a continuous zoom optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture, according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the fourth single lens 16 is a positive meniscus lens with positive optical power, and the fifth single lens 17 is a meniscus lens with negative optical power. The fourth single lens 16 and the fifth single lens 17 together form the front fixed group of the continuous zoom optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture. The sixth single lens 18 is a meniscus lens with negative optical power and serves as the zoom group of the continuous zoom optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture. The seventh single lens 19 is a meniscus lens with positive optical power and serves as the compensation group of the continuous zoom optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture. The eighth single lens 20 is a meniscus lens with positive optical power and serves as the rear fixed group of the continuous zoom optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture.

[0057] In this embodiment, the lens movement of the zoom lens group at a distance of 5-10m behind the working distance is shown in Table 1 below. D is the behind working distance of the zoom lens group, and d1, d2, and d3 are the movement between the zoom group and the compensation group and the front fixed group and the rear fixed group, respectively.

[0058] Table 1. Lens movement of zoom lens groups at a rear working distance of 5-10m

[0059]

[0060] In this embodiment, the zoom optical system uses H-ZPK7 glass with good dispersion performance in the front fixed group to reduce chromatic aberration across a wide wavelength range. Simultaneously, individual spherical lenses are used throughout the entire optical system to further reduce assembly and adjustment difficulty. The shared-aperture optical system for the miniature camera and laser employs a cam to achieve continuous zoom, resulting in a short zoom stroke and a smooth zoom curve without inflection points. To achieve system lightweighting, reduce system complexity, and lower manufacturing costs, this invention does not use aspherical lenses, thus enabling continuous zoom.

[0061] Figures 3 to 8 This is an MTF (Mean Transformer File) diagram of a continuous zoom optical system that combines a miniature camera with a laser aperture. Figures 9 to 10The figures show the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) curves for the rear imaging group and the co-aperture optical system, respectively. MTF reflects the imaging quality of an optical system; specifically, the larger the area enclosed by the MTF curve and the x-axis, the smoother the MTF curve transition, and thus the better the imaging quality of the optical system. The figures show that the MTF of this miniature camera and the laser co-aperture continuous zoom optical system coincides with the diffraction limit at their respective limiting frequencies, indicating that the system has excellent imaging performance.

[0062] Figure 11 This is a dot plot of the rear imaging group in the visible light band. Figure 12 This is a dot plot of the system in the visible light band of an embodiment of the common-aperture optical system of this application. The dot plot reflects the geometric structure of the optical system's imaging. In image quality evaluation, the density of the dot plot can very intuitively reflect the quality of the image. The smaller the RMS radius in the dot plot, the smaller the aberrations, and the better the image quality of the system. It can be seen that when the RMS diameter is within 3 μm, the spot radius of each field of view does not change much, the aberration correction is good, and this continuous zoom optical system with a common aperture and common optical path for visible and near-infrared lasers has excellent imaging quality.

[0063] Figure 13 This is a field curvature distortion diagram of an optical system with a shared aperture for a miniature camera and a laser. Figure 13 As shown, the axial aberration of the eyepiece optical system is small. The field curvature is within ±0.15mm, meaning the field curvature of the miniaturized tracking camera and laser co-aperture laser tracking optical system has been corrected to a small range. Simultaneously, when the system distortion is less than 4%, image distortion is imperceptible. As can be seen from the figure, the system distortion is less than 0.05%, and there is no easily noticeable distortion in the image.

[0064] Implementation Method 2, such as Figure 14 As shown, the method of using the optical system with a shared aperture for a miniature camera and a laser, as described in Embodiment 1, includes the following steps:

[0065] Step 1: Start the main control terminal on the host computer software and power on the power management module through the embedded control platform. Initialize the imaging system, laser emission module, electromagnetic galvanometer drive module, detector, and data processing module sequentially, including temperature control activation, electronic module self-test, and loading of operating parameters. Place a high-precision crosshair reticle 5m in front of the optical system. Move the zoom lens group to the preset position corresponding to the 5m back intercept. The host computer software triggers the detector to acquire images, calculates the coordinates of the reticle center on the detector, and adjusts the collimation of the optical axis of the fine tracking optical path. Switch the laser source to low-power indicator light mode and check the optical axis of the laser emission branch to ensure that the fine tracking optical path and the laser emission optical path are coaxially aligned, the incident angle is uniform, and the system focus point is consistent with the center of the optical axis.

[0066] Step Two: After initial calibration, dynamic target tracking and laser strike tests are performed. The optical system activates the fine tracking channel, the zoom lens group initiates wide-area scanning mode, and the camera exposure time automatically adjusts. The target reflected light is guided into the high-resolution imaging lens group via a common-aperture off-axis reflective Cassegrain system. The image processing module, based on a sub-pixel-level edge extraction algorithm, acquires the target feature contour in real time and combines it with a Kalman filter to achieve trajectory prediction and stable locking. The fine tracking galvanometer calculates the target center deviation based on image feedback data, performs dynamic angle coarse adjustment by motor-driven galvanometer, achieves sub-pixel precision positioning, outputs the miss vector using Zernike moment edge detection, pre-aligns the laser emission branch path, and performs pre-compensation based on target motion prediction using a fast-reflection mirror. During the optical axis closed-loop calibration phase, image processing and feature recognition are performed using the target tracking algorithm. After optical axis calibration, the galvanometer is finely adjusted to precisely correct the angle.

[0067] Step 3: The host computer software controls the laser source 15 to switch to working mode. Based on the estimated target distance and target surface characteristics, the optical system controls the zoom lens group's motor-driven cam mechanism. The cam position is updated in real-time according to the preset zoom cam curve to ensure the laser beam forms a minimal spot on the target surface. The laser beam is output via fiber optic coupling, corrected by a fast-reflecting mirror, and dynamically compensated for platform jitter, with a correction range less than 2 mrad. The laser beam output via fiber optic coupling from the laser source 15 is reflected by the fast-reflecting mirror 14 and enters the optical path shared with the imaging system. After path correction by the beam splitter, the optical antenna shapes and expands the laser beam, achieving a magnification of 5x. The focusing lens group connected to the optical antenna dynamically adjusts the focal length under system control. The lens positions of the zoom and compensation groups in the zoom lens group are adjusted according to the target distance and target surface characteristics. The drive motor drives the zoom cam in real-time to adjust the laser convergence point position, ensuring the laser energy is accurately focused onto the target surface. The optical system synchronously monitors the deviation between the laser path center and the image coordinate system and completes automatic beam correction via an electromagnetic galvanometer.

[0068] Step 4: Closed-loop correction is performed. The laser pulse strikes the target, producing a strong flash or ablation point. The precision tracking detector captures the target image in the next exposure cycle. The target's reflected signal is received by the primary mirror of the common pre-extension beam expander imaging group. The reflected signal undergoes echo processing and is then fed back to the detector via the imaging channel. The image processing module runs a specific algorithm to identify the coordinates of the laser impact point and calculates the pixel deviation between the impact point and the target's expected impact point. If the deviation exceeds a set threshold, it is used as feedback. The optical system automatically corrects the electromagnetic galvanometer angle, forming a closed-loop control for the image and beam. This closed loop significantly improves the target's accuracy and stability. The subsequent optical system performs multimodal evaluation of the target's impact effect. If a valid hit is achieved, the next step is performed; if the target is lost, feature acquisition is repeated, and the control system parameters are updated.

[0069] Step 5: Building upon the motion position prediction of the optical system, a lightweight neural network model is additionally run. When the target moves or the environmental field of view changes, the optical system continuously acquires images at a specific frequency. The neural network algorithm extracts the target's motion trend and corrects the electromagnetic galvanometer angle in real time to achieve rapid dual-axis tracking. The system maintains stable locking of the laser onto key parts of the target, ensuring that the laser pointing error is within the allowable range, adapting to high-speed or small-angle displacement of the target.

[0070] Step Six: During the operation of the optical system, the embedded processing module records image data, target coordinates, laser emission status, electromagnetic mirror angle, power supply and temperature status, etc. in real time, and stores them in a dual-redundant manner to the solid-state storage module. If the average image brightness of the system image processing module drops by more than 70%, the system immediately triggers the safety mode, shuts down the main laser emission, records the optical path obstruction fault code and sends an alarm to the host computer software. A slight impact on the platform simulates vibration-induced optical axis misalignment. The optical system determines that the pointing drift has occurred, shuts down the laser, records the fault alarm, and attempts to restart the dedicated process. If the simulated voltage of the laboratory power supply drops, the optical system power management module detects undervoltage, and the optical system immediately enters the safety mode, shuts down the laser emission, and sends a power abnormality alarm message to the host control system.

[0071] Step 7: Upon task completion or receipt of a termination command, the optical system sequentially executes the following actions: automatically stops laser emission, drives the electromagnetic galvanometer to zero, and drives the zoom lens group to reset to its initial state. The imaging optical axis returns to its default direction, and each module performs temperature control cooling and status saving operations. The main control terminal generates a task report, including the target tracking image sequence, electromagnetic galvanometer adjustment curve, laser control log, etc., which can be exported as PDF or uploaded to the task management platform via an encrypted interface.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of this disclosure can be combined or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this disclosure. This is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0073] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, if these modifications and modifications of the invention fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention is also intended to include these modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. An optical system for a miniature camera and a laser sharing the same aperture, characterized in that, The optical system integrates the imaging system and the laser emission branch in the same optical path. The imaging system includes a fine tracking optical path composed of a reverse laser collimating zoom optical lens group and a fine tracking imaging lens group. The laser emission branch includes a main laser source, a fast-reflecting mirror (14), a beam splitter (9), an electromagnetic galvanometer (8), an off-axis dual-reflector afocal Cassegrain module, and a laser collimating zoom optical lens group. The laser collimation zoom optical lens group includes a first positive meniscus lens (1), a first negative meniscus lens (2), a second negative meniscus lens (3), a second positive meniscus lens (4), and a third positive meniscus lens (5). The laser beam emitted by the main laser source is reflected by a fast-reflecting mirror (14), transmitted by a beam splitter (9), and the beam direction is adjusted by an electromagnetic galvanometer (8). The beam is then expanded and collimated by the off-axis dual-reflector Cassegrain module, and finally converged by the laser collimating and zooming optical lens group to illuminate the target. The fine tracking imaging lens group is used to perform high-precision identification and tracking of the target based on the imaging. The electromagnetic galvanometer (8) is used to perform high-bandwidth fine tracking correction on the emitted main laser beam based on the feedback information from the fine tracking imaging lens group, so as to achieve precise aiming and striking of the laser against the target.

2. The optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The off-axis dual-reflector Cassegrain module includes a primary mirror (6) and a secondary mirror (7). The reflecting surface of the primary mirror (6) is a concave parabolic surface, and the reflecting surface of the secondary mirror (7) is a convex parabolic surface. The focal points of the primary mirror (6) and the secondary mirror (7) coincide and there is no intermediate image point.

3. The optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electromagnetic galvanometer (8), beam splitter (9), and fast reflector (14) are all mounted on their respective bases, and the tilt angle of their reflecting or transmitting surfaces is 45° to the horizontal plane.

4. The optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser emission branch is specifically as follows: The laser beam emitted by the main laser source is reflected by the fast reflector (14) and reaches the beam splitter (9). After being transmitted through the beam splitter (9), it is reflected by the shared electromagnetic galvanometer (8) for both laser and visible light. Then, it is reflected by the secondary mirror (7) and the primary mirror (6) for beam expansion and collimation. Finally, it is focused by the first positive meniscus lens (1), the first negative meniscus lens (2), the second negative meniscus lens (3), the second positive meniscus lens (4), and the third positive meniscus lens (5) before being emitted to the target. The fast reflector (14) and the electromagnetic galvanometer (8) are used to adjust the beam direction of the laser emission branch. The primary mirror (6) and the secondary mirror (7) together form an off-axis dual-reflector afocal Cassegrain module for beam expansion and collimation of the laser beam. The first positive meniscus lens (1), the first negative meniscus lens (2), the second negative meniscus lens (3), the second positive meniscus lens (4), and the third positive meniscus lens (5) are used to focus the expanded and collimated laser beam onto the target surface.

5. The optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The precision tracking optical path is used to accurately identify and lock onto moving targets, and to stably lock the laser spot at a specific position on the target surface. The precision tracking optical path includes a reflective optical path structure and a transmissive imaging lens group. The transmissive imaging lens group includes, in sequence along the optical axis, a first single lens (10), a first cemented doublet lens (11), a second single lens (12), and a third single lens (13). The first single lens (10) is a biconvex lens. The first cemented doublet lens (11) is composed of a biconvex lens near the object side and a biconcave lens near the image side. The biconvex lens is made of ultra-low dispersion material. The second single lens (12) is a meniscus lens with negative optical power. The third single lens (13) is a biconvex lens with positive optical power.

6. The optical system for a miniature camera and laser sharing the same aperture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The materials used for all lenses are not limited to optical glass.

7. A method of using the optical system with a shared aperture for a miniature camera and a laser according to any one of claims 1-6, the method comprising the following steps: Step 1: Initialize the imaging system, laser emission branch, electromagnetic galvanometer drive module, detector and data processing module. The initialization includes temperature control activation, electronic module self-test and working parameter loading. Step 2: After completing the initial calibration in Step 1, perform dynamic target tracking and laser strike tests; Step 3: The host computer software controls the laser source (15) to switch to working mode. The optical system controls the motor drive cam mechanism of the laser collimating zoom optical lens group according to the estimated target distance and target surface characteristics. The position of the cam mechanism is updated in real time according to the preset zoom cam curve to ensure that the laser beam forms the smallest spot on the target surface. The laser beam is output through fiber coupling, reflected and corrected by a fast reflector (14), and the platform jitter is dynamically compensated. The laser beam is output through fiber coupling via a laser source (15), and after being reflected by the fast reflector (14), it enters the optical path shared with the imaging system. After path correction by a beam splitter (9), the optical antenna shapes and expands the laser beam. The laser collimating zoom optical lens group connected after the optical antenna dynamically adjusts the focal length under the control of the optical system. The zoom cam is driven in real time by a drive motor to adjust the position of the laser convergence point, ensuring that the laser energy is accurately converged to the target surface. The optical system synchronously monitors the deviation between the laser path center and the image coordinate system, and completes automatic beam correction through an electromagnetic galvanometer (8). Step 4: Perform closed-loop correction. The laser pulse irradiates the target and produces a strong flash or ablation point. The detector captures the target image in the next exposure cycle. The target reflection signal is received by the main mirror of the common front beam expander imaging group. The reflection signal is processed by echo light and then fed back to the detector through the imaging channel. The image processing module is used to identify the coordinates of the laser hit point and calculate the pixel deviation between the hit point and the expected hit point of the target. The optical system automatically corrects the angle of the electromagnetic galvanometer (8) to form image and beam closed-loop control. The optical system performs multimodal evaluation of the target hit effect. If the target is hit, proceed to the next step. If the target is lost, re-acquire the feature and update the control system parameters. Step 5: Based on the motion position prediction of the optical system, run the pre-built neural network model. When the target moves or the field of view of the environment changes, the optical system continuously acquires images at a specific frequency, extracts the target motion trend through the neural network algorithm, corrects the angle of the electromagnetic galvanometer (8) in real time, and completes dual-axis fast tracking. Step 6: During the operation of the optical system, the embedded processing module records the image data, target coordinates, laser emission status, electromagnetic mirror (8) angle, power supply and temperature status information in real time, and stores them in the solid-state storage module in a dual-redundant manner; if the average image brightness of the optical system image processing module drops by more than 70%, the optical system immediately triggers the safety mode, shuts down the main laser emission, records the optical path obstruction fault code and alarms the host computer software, the laboratory power supply simulated voltage drops, the power management module detects undervoltage, the optical system immediately enters the safety mode, shuts down the laser emission, and sends a power abnormality alarm information to the host control system; Step 7: After the task is completed or a termination instruction is received, the optical system will automatically stop laser emission, drive the electromagnetic galvanometer (8) to zero, drive the laser collimation zoom optical lens group to reset to the initial state; the imaging optical axis returns to the default direction, each module performs temperature control cooling and status saving operations, the main control terminal generates a task report, including the target tracking image sequence, the electromagnetic galvanometer (8) adjustment curve, and the laser control log, and export it as a PDF or upload it to the task management platform through an encrypted interface.

8. The method of using the optical system with a shared aperture for a miniature camera and a laser according to claim 7, characterized in that, The detector pixel size is 6.5 μm.

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