A laser flying system and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a projectile-type, retrievable laser loitering system and method, relating to the field of aerospace technology. The system includes: a flight control module, a communication interaction module, a navigation and guidance module, a perception and warning module, a command and control decision-making module, a servo-tracking module, and a high-energy laser module. The perception and warning module is used to detect environmental information in the monitored area; the command and control decision-making module is used for centralized management, information fusion, and intelligent decision-making; the servo-tracking module is used to acquire, track, and aim at threat targets and send aiming-ready commands; the high-energy laser module is used to non-destructively strike key parts of the threat target along the path to the threat target when the servo-tracking module sends the aiming-ready command; and the navigation and guidance module is used to generate a path to the threat target. This system improves the safety of the aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace technology, and in particular to a projectile-type retrievable laser loitering system and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technologies such as optoelectronic imaging, detection guidance, and artificial intelligence, the demand for intelligent equipment in civilian sectors for scenarios such as low-altitude security, emergency rescue, and industrial inspection is becoming increasingly urgent. In complex environments such as forest fire monitoring, security in large factories, fire protection in high-rise buildings in cities, and emergency search and rescue in remote areas, traditional ground-based monitoring equipment suffers from limited visibility and delayed response. Therefore, aircraft are primarily used to replace traditional ground-based monitoring equipment.

[0003] Existing aircraft mainly rely on manual remote control or preset flight routes, lacking autonomous target recognition, intelligent tracking and dynamic mission planning capabilities. When dealing with emergencies, they are unable to quickly lock onto targets and implement precise intervention. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a projectile, retrievable laser loitering system and method to address the aforementioned technical problems. This system and method improve the safety of aircraft.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention provides a projectile-type recoverable laser loitering method, applied to a projectile-type recoverable laser loitering system, wherein the projectile-type recoverable laser loitering system is integrated on an aircraft; the method includes: After the aircraft is launched, environmental information of the monitoring area is collected in real time, and the target feature vector is obtained based on the environmental information. Based on the target feature vector, the potential target region is located in the image domain or fused information domain, and the category of multiple targets in the potential target region is determined. It continuously tracks multiple targets, calculates the position, velocity, direction and acceleration of each target in the potential target area, and determines the threat level of each target in the potential target area by combining the preset threat assessment rule base. When the threat level of a target is higher than the preset level or a target enters the preset area, the corresponding target is identified as a threat target. The threat target is then subjected to coarse tracking and fine tracking in sequence. Based on the fine tracking image, the key parts of the threat target are identified. Once the key parts of the threat target are locked, an aiming ready signal is generated. In response to the targeting-ready signal, conduct non-destructive strikes on critical areas along the path to the target.

[0006] Optionally, the laser patrol system includes an infrared focal plane array detector, a visible light camera, a low-light night vision device, a millimeter-wave radar, a miniaturized pulse Doppler radar, a laser rangefinder, and environmental sensors; it collects environmental information of the monitored area in real time and obtains target feature vectors based on the environmental information, specifically including: An infrared focal plane array detector is used to detect the infrared energy radiated by the target and convert the infrared energy into an electrical signal to obtain an infrared thermal image. The visible light camera or low-light night vision device receives the visible light or near-infrared light reflected from the target and generates high-resolution optical images or videos based on the visible light or near-infrared light. The system actively transmits electromagnetic waves and receives the echo signals reflected from the target using millimeter-wave radar or miniaturized pulse-Doppler radar. The distance to the target is obtained using a laser rangefinder; Environmental data, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed, are acquired through environmental sensors. The infrared thermal image, high-resolution optical image or video, echo signal, target distance and environmental data are processed for noise suppression, image enhancement and sensor calibration and registration. Target features are extracted from infrared thermal images, high-resolution optical images or videos, echo signals, target distance, and environmental data, and all target features are fused to obtain a target feature vector.

[0007] Optionally, the threat target may be subjected to coarse tracking and fine tracking in sequence, specifically including: The coarse turntable is used to adjust the orientation to detect and capture the threat target, and the first threat target image acquired by the coarse tracking imaging sensor is received. Based on the image of the first threat target, calculate the first off-target distance between the center point of the threat target and the ATP optical axis; Based on the first miss distance, a speed or position command is generated to drive the coarse turntable to move until the first miss distance is reduced to the preset miss distance, thus completing coarse tracking; After coarse tracking, the threat target is brought into the field of view of the fine tracking imaging unit; When the coarse tracking imaging unit stabilizes the threat target within the effective field of view of the fine tracking unit, the fine tracking imaging unit is activated. The fine tracking imaging unit acquires the image of the second threat target through the fine tracking narrow field of view high frame rate camera, calculates the second miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the second threat target image, and drives the FSM to perform high-frequency and small-amplitude vibrations based on the second miss distance to counteract the jitter of the coarse tracking imaging unit in real time.

[0008] A projectile-type retrievable laser loitering system includes: a navigation and guidance module, a perception and alarm module, a command and control decision module, a servo tracking and aiming module, and a high-energy laser module; The perception and alarm module is used to collect environmental information of the monitoring area in real time and obtain the target feature vector based on the environmental information. The command and control decision module locates potential target regions in the image domain or fused information domain based on target feature vectors and determines the categories of multiple targets in the potential target regions; it continuously tracks multiple targets, calculates the position, velocity, direction and acceleration of each target in the potential target regions, and determines the threat level of each target in the potential target regions by combining the preset threat assessment rule base. The servo tracking module is used to identify the target as a threat target when the threat level of the target is higher than the preset level or when the target enters the preset area. It then performs coarse tracking and fine tracking on the threat target in sequence, and determines the key parts of the threat target based on the fine tracking image. Once the key parts of the threat target are locked, an aiming ready signal is generated. The navigation and guidance module is used to generate a path to the threat target when the servo tracking module sends an aiming-ready signal; A high-energy laser module is used to deliver a non-destructive strike to critical areas along the path to the target in response to a targeting-ready signal.

[0009] Optionally, the system also includes a flight control module; the flight control module includes a sensor unit, a flight control computer, and an actuator unit; the sensor unit includes an inertial measurement unit, a global navigation satellite system receiver, a barometric altimeter, an airspeed tube, a magnetometer, and a laser rangefinder or ultrasonic sensor; the flight control computer includes a data acquisition and preprocessing unit, a multi-sensor data fusion and state estimation unit, a control law calculation unit, and a command generation and distribution unit; the actuator unit includes a servo electronic speed controller, an electronic speed controller, and actuators, used to execute actions corresponding to the commands generated by the flight control computer; The flight control module is used to receive flight status data collected by the sensor unit in real time through the flight control computer, perform fusion estimation, error calculation, and control law calculation on the flight status data in sequence, and generate instructions. The actuator unit drives the control surfaces or motors to change the flight attitude and position according to the generated instructions.

[0010] Optionally, the perception and alarm module includes a sensor subsystem, a data preprocessing unit, a multi-source information fusion unit, and an intelligent identification and alarm unit; the sensor subsystem includes an infrared sensing unit, a photoelectric imaging unit, a radar detection unit, a laser rangefinder, and an environmental sensor; the data preprocessing unit includes a noise suppression unit, an image enhancement unit, and a sensor calibration and registration unit; the multi-source information fusion unit includes a feature-level fusion unit and a decision-level fusion unit; the intelligent identification and alarm unit includes a target detection and identification unit, a target state estimation unit, and a threat assessment and alarm generation unit. The perception and alarm module is used to perform noise reduction, enhancement and registration operations on the battlefield environment information collected by the sensor subsystem through the data preprocessing unit. The registration operation results are deeply fused through the multi-source information fusion unit, and the target feature vector is generated by the intelligent recognition and alarm unit based on the deep fusion results.

[0011] Optionally, the navigation and guidance module is a composite guidance system consisting of an inertial navigation unit, a satellite positioning unit, an optoelectronic sensor unit, and a path planning unit; The navigation and guidance module is used to collect angular rate data of the laser loitering system through the inertial navigation unit, latitude and longitude coordinates of the laser loitering system through the satellite positioning unit, and terrain features through the photoelectric sensor unit; it fuses and eliminates errors in the angular rate data, latitude and longitude coordinates, and terrain features to generate real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters of the laser loitering system; and the path planning unit generates a path to the threat target based on the generated real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters, combined with the internal performance constraints and external environmental constraints of the laser loitering system.

[0012] Optionally, the command and control decision module is used to continuously collect the status and perception data of all modules in the laser patrol system through a hardware interface; fuse the collected status and perception data of all modules to generate a real-time comprehensive situation; generate action decisions based on the real-time comprehensive situation and threat assessment rule base; convert the generated action decisions into a sequence of instructions; send the sequence of instructions to the corresponding execution modules through a communication interface; continuously monitor the execution results and status changes of each module to form a closed-loop control, and dynamically adjust the action decisions based on the feedback from each module.

[0013] Optionally, the servo tracking module includes a coarse tracking imaging unit, a fine tracking imaging unit, and a controller; The servo tracking module is used to drive the coarse tracking imaging unit to quickly point the coarse turntable to the general direction of the threat target after the action decision of the command and control decision module includes the strike command. The coarse tracking wide field of view camera captures the first threat target image, calculates the first miss distance between the center of the threat target in the first threat target image and the ATP optical axis, and drives the coarse turntable to move based on the first miss distance to perform coarse tracking. When the coarse tracking imaging unit stabilizes the threat target within the effective field of view of the fine tracking unit, the fine tracking imaging unit is activated. The fine tracking imaging unit acquires the image of the second threat target through the fine tracking narrow field of view high frame rate camera, calculates the second miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the second threat target image, and drives the FSM to perform high-frequency and small-amplitude vibrations based on the second miss distance to counteract the jitter of the coarse tracking imaging unit in real time. Based on the image of the second threat target, the type and posture of the threat target are identified, and the key parts of the threat target are analyzed and automatically selected. Based on the selected key parts, the controller generates correction instructions to fine-tune the FSM angle, pointing the optical axis of the fine tracking imaging unit toward the vulnerable parts; After the servo tracking module determines that the aiming point is locked on the key part, it sends an aiming ready signal to the high-energy laser module.

[0014] Optionally, the high-energy laser module consists of a power supply unit, a temperature control and cooling unit, a control and drive unit, a laser generation unit, an optical path combining unit, and a laser output unit. The high-energy laser module is used to non-destructively strike critical parts of a threat target along a path generated by the navigation and guidance module when a targeting-ready signal is received.

[0015] The present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described projectile-type retrievable laser loitering method.

[0016] The present invention provides a computer device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the above-described projectile retrievable laser loitering method.

[0017] The above-mentioned at least one technical solution adopted in this invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: After the aircraft is launched, it monitors the environmental information of the area in real time and obtains the target feature vector based on the environmental information. It dynamically perceives changes in the battlefield and provides real-time data support for subsequent decision-making, avoiding misjudgments caused by information lag. Based on the target feature vector, it locates potential target areas in the image domain or fused information domain and determines the categories of multiple targets in the potential target area. It quantifies complex environmental information into computable vectors, improves target recognition efficiency, and reduces algorithm complexity. It continuously tracks multiple targets and calculates the position, velocity, direction, and acceleration of each target in the potential target area. Combined with a preset threat assessment rule base, it determines the threat level of each target in the potential target area. Based on the rule base, it quantifies the risk and prioritizes high-threat targets. When the threat level of a target is higher than the preset level or a target enters a preset area, the corresponding target is identified as a threat target. The threat target is then subjected to coarse and fine tracking. Based on the fine-tracked image, the key parts of the threat target are identified. Once the key parts of the threat target are locked, a targeting ready signal is generated. Locking the key parts can significantly improve the damage effectiveness. In response to the targeting ready signal, it performs a non-destructive strike on the key parts of the threat target along the path to the threat target. This method improves the safety of aircraft. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a projectile-type retrievable laser loitering system provided by the present invention; Figure 2 A structural diagram of a projectile-type retrievable laser loitering system provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the servo tracking module provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the high-energy laser module provided by the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the communication interaction module provided by the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a projectile-type retrievable laser loitering method provided by the present invention; Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the projectile-based retrievable laser loitering method provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0021] Devices such as desktop computers, servers, and laptops are capable of executing the solutions of this invention. For ease of explanation, the following description will focus on servers as the executing entity.

[0022] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a projectile, retrievable laser loitering system, comprising: a navigation and guidance module, a perception and alarm module, a command and control decision module, a servo tracking and aiming module, and a high-energy laser module; the perception and alarm module is used to collect environmental information of the monitored area in real time and obtain target feature vectors based on the environmental information; the command and control decision module, based on the target feature vectors, locates potential target areas in the image domain or fused information domain and determines the categories of multiple targets in the potential target areas; continuously tracks multiple targets, calculates the position, velocity, direction, and acceleration of each target in the potential target areas, and combines them with preset threat assessment rules. The system comprises a database that determines the threat level of each target in a potential target area; a servo tracking module that identifies a target as a threat target when its threat level is higher than a preset level or when a target enters a preset area, performs coarse and fine tracking on the threat target, and identifies the key parts of the threat target based on the fine tracking image. Once the key parts of the threat target are locked, an aiming ready signal is generated; a navigation and guidance module that generates a path to the threat target when the servo tracking module sends the aiming ready signal; and a high-energy laser module that, in response to the aiming ready signal, performs a non-destructive strike on the key parts of the threat target along the path to the threat target.

[0024] Specifically, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the projectile-type retrievable laser loitering system provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the projectile reusable laser loitering system mainly includes multiple modules with different functions, such as a flight control module, a communication interaction module, a navigation and guidance module, a perception and alarm module, a command and control decision module, a servo tracking and aiming module, a high-energy laser module, and a power supply module.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a projectile-type reusable laser loitering system, such as... Figure 2 As shown, this system combines high-energy laser and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies to construct an unmanned laser patrol system that integrates multiple functions such as reconnaissance and perception, early warning detection, communication networking, flight cruise, fixed-point hovering, intelligent decision-making, predictive strike, damage assessment, and autonomous return. This system enables proactive safety protection of the area surrounding the aircraft and reconnaissance and strike capabilities within local battlefield areas, thereby addressing the threats to the self-protection of existing aircraft.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the flight control module includes a sensor unit, a flight control computer, and an actuator unit. The sensor unit includes an inertial measurement unit, a global navigation satellite system receiver, a barometric altimeter, an airspeed tube, a magnetometer, and a laser rangefinder or ultrasonic sensor. The flight control computer includes a data acquisition and preprocessing unit, a multi-sensor data fusion and state estimation unit, a control law calculation unit, and a command generation and distribution unit. The actuator unit includes a servo electronic speed controller, an electronic speed controller, and actuators, used to execute actions corresponding to the commands generated by the flight control computer. The flight control module is used to receive flight state data collected by the sensor unit in real time through the flight control computer, sequentially perform fusion estimation, error calculation, and control law calculation on the flight state data, and generate commands. The actuator unit drives the control surfaces or motors to change the flight attitude and position according to the generated commands.

[0027] Specifically, the flight control module is the core of the projectile reusable laser loitering system, enabling autonomous flight and attitude control. It adopts a closed-loop control architecture and mainly consists of three parts: a sensor unit, a flight control computer, and an actuator unit. These parts work together to achieve different functional modes (such as stationary hovering and maneuvering cruise). 1. Sensor Unit: As the system's sensory nerves, it collects multi-dimensional state parameters of the laser loitering system in real time. This unit typically includes:

[0028] ① Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU): The core component, which includes a three-axis gyroscope (which measures the angular rate of the body around the X / Y / Z axes) and a three-axis accelerometer (which measures the linear acceleration of the body along the X / Y / Z axes).

[0029] ② Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver: such as GPS / BeiDou module, which provides absolute position (latitude, longitude, altitude) and ground speed information.

[0030] ③ Barometric altimeter: Provides altitude reference data based on atmospheric pressure, and is often fused with GNSS altitude data.

[0031] ④ Pitot tube (optional): Measures the speed of an aircraft relative to the air (airspeed).

[0032] ⑤ Magnetometer (magnetic compass): measures the heading angle (yaw angle) of an aircraft relative to the Earth's magnetic field.

[0033] ⑥ Laser rangefinder / ultrasonic sensor (optional, for near-ground use): Provides accurate ground altitude information, especially during hovering and landing.

[0034] 2. Flight Control Computer (FCC): As the brain and central nervous system of the laser loitering system, it is responsible for data processing, state estimation, control law calculation, and command generation. Its workflow is as follows:

[0035] ① Data Acquisition and Preprocessing: Receive all raw data (angular rate, acceleration, position, velocity, altitude, heading, etc.) from the sensor unit. First, filter the raw data (e.g., low-pass filter) to eliminate high-frequency noise and interference.

[0036] ② Multi-sensor data fusion and state estimation: Estimation algorithms (such as Kalman filters and their variants) are applied to deeply fuse data from IMU, GNSS, barometers, magnetometers, etc. This process aims to overcome the errors and limitations of single sensors (such as IMU drift and GNSS obstruction delay) and accurately and in real time estimate the complete state information of the laser loitering system, including: three-dimensional attitude angles (pitch, roll, yaw), three-dimensional angular rate, three-dimensional position (latitude, longitude, and altitude), three-dimensional velocity (ground speed / airspeed), and altitude (barometric altitude / GNSS altitude / fused altitude).

[0037] ③ Control Law Calculation: The currently estimated system state (such as actual attitude angles, altitude, and position) is compared with the desired command values ​​(position / velocity commands or mode commands such as hover point coordinates and cruise heading provided by the navigation and guidance module), and the error is calculated. Based on the error information, a control algorithm is applied, usually PID control or its improved versions, such as cascade PID, adaptive PID, and sometimes combined with more advanced algorithms such as Model Predictive Control (MPC), to calculate the control quantities required to maintain or change the current flight state. These control quantities are essentially adjustment commands that need to be applied to the actuators.

[0038] ④ Command Generation and Distribution: The calculated control quantities (e.g., the required change in steering surface deflection angle δ for each channel, and the speed increment Δrpm for each motor) are converted into specific action command signals (such as PWM signals and CAN bus commands) that can be understood by the actuator units. These command signals are then precisely distributed to the corresponding actuator units.

[0039] 3. Actuator Unit: Acting as the muscles of the system, it generates physical movements based on motion command signals issued by the FCC, directly altering the attitude and motion state of the laser loitering system. Its main components include:

[0040] ① Servo (for fixed-wing / hybrid layout): Receives control surface deflection commands and drives the ailerons (controls roll), elevators (controls pitch), rudders (controls yaw), etc., to deflect the control surfaces to the angle specified by the command, thereby changing the airflow to generate the required torque.

[0041] ② Electronic Speed ​​Controller (ESC): Receives motor speed commands and precisely controls the drive motor's speed by adjusting the voltage and current supplied to the brushless DC motor, typically using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology. Changes in speed directly alter the thrust and torque generated by the propeller.

[0042] ③ Servo / Actuator (optional for vector thrust): Used to adjust the direction of engine or motor thrust.

[0043] Closed-loop control process: The sensor unit continuously senses the flight status -> the FCC receives data, fuses and estimates, calculates errors, solves the control law, and generates commands -> the actuator unit receives commands and drives the control surfaces / motors to move -> the flight attitude and position change -> the sensor unit senses the new state. This forms a real-time, closed-loop feedback control system. By continuously comparing the desired state with the actual state and correcting errors, the flight control module ultimately achieves precise attitude stabilization, trajectory tracking, mode switching, and responses to airflow interference, supporting functions such as hovering and maneuvering cruise.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, the perception and alarm module includes a sensor subsystem, a data preprocessing unit, a multi-source information fusion unit, and an intelligent identification and alarm unit. The sensor subsystem includes an infrared sensing unit, an optoelectronic imaging unit, a radar detection unit, a laser rangefinder, and an environmental sensor. The data preprocessing unit includes a noise suppression unit, an image enhancement unit, and a sensor calibration and registration unit. The multi-source information fusion unit includes a feature-level fusion unit and a decision-level fusion unit. The intelligent identification and alarm unit includes a target detection and recognition unit, a target state estimation unit, and a threat assessment and alarm generation unit. The perception and alarm module is used to sequentially perform noise reduction, enhancement, and registration operations on the battlefield environment information collected by the sensor subsystem through the data preprocessing unit, deeply fuse the registration operation results through the multi-source information fusion unit, and extract features based on the deep fusion results through the intelligent identification and alarm unit to generate a target feature vector.

[0045] Specifically, the perception and alarm module is the core unit of the laser loitering system, enabling it to achieve situational awareness of the battlefield environment and detect and identify threat targets. Its core function is to integrate multiple heterogeneous sensors to work collaboratively, detecting, identifying, and locating potential threat targets around the battlefield in real time, and acquiring environmental information and key feature information of the surrounding battlefield to provide reliable intelligence support for subsequent command and control decisions. The perception and alarm module consists of a sensor subsystem, a data preprocessing unit, a multi-source information fusion unit, and an intelligent identification and alarm unit.

[0046] 1. Sensor Subsystem: ① Infrared Sensing Unit: Typically employs an Infrared Focal Plane Array (IRFPA) detector, operating in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 3-5μm) and / or long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-12μm) bands. This unit passively receives the infrared energy radiated by the target object itself, converts it into an electrical signal, and generates an infrared thermal image. Its main functions are: detecting targets with thermal radiation characteristics; achieving day and night operation capability, especially advantageous at night or under poor visibility conditions such as smoke, fog, and haze; and providing rough temperature distribution information of the target.

[0047] ② Optoelectronic Imaging Unit: This typically includes a visible light camera and / or a low-light night vision device; some systems may integrate a short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1-3μm) camera. This unit receives visible or near-infrared light reflected from the target and generates high-resolution optical images or videos. Its main functions are: to provide high-definition visual information such as the target's outline, color texture, and detailed features; and to provide rich detail information under good lighting conditions to assist in target identification.

[0048] ③ Radar Detection Unit: Typically employs millimeter-wave radar or miniaturized pulse-Doppler radar. This unit actively emits electromagnetic waves and receives the echo signals reflected from the target. Its main functions are: accurately measuring the target's distance (Range), radial velocity (based on Doppler frequency shift), and azimuth / elevation relative to the laser loitering system. It possesses all-weather, all-day operating capability, unaffected by sunlight or most adverse weather conditions.

[0049] ④ Laser rangefinder: It can be used independently or as a supplement to radar units to provide high-precision distance measurement for specific targets.

[0050] ⑤ Environmental sensors: such as small weather stations, which sense ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc., to assist in the correction of atmospheric transmission attenuation models and improve the accuracy of other sensors.

[0051] 2. Data Preprocessing Unit: Receives raw data streams from various sensor subsystems and performs preliminary processing to improve data quality and subsequent processing efficiency. ① Noise suppression: Apply spatial domain / frequency domain filtering to reduce image noise; perform clutter suppression processing on radar signals.

[0052] ② Image enhancement: Perform contrast stretching, histogram equalization, and other operations on infrared and visible light images to improve visual effects and target distinguishability.

[0053] ③ Sensor calibration and registration: Perform temporal and spatial calibration on multiple sensors to ensure that the same target detected by different sensors is aligned in time and space.

[0054] 3. Multi-source information fusion unit: The core processing unit of the perception and alarm module, designed to integrate complementary and redundant information from sensors based on different physical principles to generate a more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable description of the target state than that from a single sensor. Fusion is typically performed at the feature level or decision level.

[0055] ① Feature-level fusion: Extract target features from data from various sensors, and then fuse these heterogeneous features to form a richer and more robust target feature vector. Commonly used algorithms include Kalman filtering, Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF), and deep learning-based feature fusion networks for moving target tracking fusion.

[0056] ② Decision-level fusion: Each sensor subsystem first makes an initial judgment independently based on its own data, and then these initial judgments are fused to arrive at a final comprehensive conclusion. Through fusion, the limitations of a single sensor are overcome, the probability of target detection is improved, and the false alarm rate is reduced.

[0057] 4. Intelligent identification and alarm unit: ① Target Detection and Recognition: Based on the fused feature vectors or data, target detection algorithms are applied to locate potential target regions in the image domain or fused information domain. Subsequently, target recognition / classification algorithms are applied to determine which type of target the detected region belongs to. The recognition process utilizes key information extracted from the fused information, such as target infrared characteristics, image appearance features, and size estimation.

[0058] ② Target state estimation: Continuously track the identified target and estimate its precise position, speed / direction, acceleration and other dynamic information.

[0059] ③ Threat Assessment and Alarm Generation: Based on a pre-defined threat assessment rule base, the threat level of a target is calculated. When a high-threat target is detected or a target enters a pre-defined alert zone, an alarm is generated in real time. The alarm information includes the target's key characteristic information and raw data index.

[0060] Workflow Summary: Various sensors independently collect raw environmental and target data -> Data preprocessing unit performs noise reduction, enhancement, and registration -> Multi-source information fusion unit deeply fuses heterogeneous data to generate better feature descriptions -> Intelligent identification and alarm unit detects and identifies targets based on fused information, extracts key features, assesses threats, and generates alarms -> Outputs structured target environmental information and alarm signals to the command and control decision module.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the navigation and guidance module is a composite guidance system comprising an inertial navigation unit, a satellite positioning unit, an optoelectronic sensor unit, and a path planning unit. The navigation and guidance module is used to acquire angular rate data of the laser loitering system via the inertial navigation unit, acquire latitude and longitude coordinates of the laser loitering system via the satellite positioning unit, and acquire terrain features via the optoelectronic sensor unit. It then fuses and eliminates errors in the angular rate data, latitude and longitude coordinates, and terrain features to generate real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters of the laser loitering system. Finally, the path planning unit generates a path to the threatening target based on the generated real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters, combined with the internal performance constraints and external environmental constraints of the laser loitering system.

[0062] Specifically, the navigation and guidance module is a composite guidance system combining inertial, satellite, and electro-optical navigation technologies. It primarily provides the system with information such as its position, velocity, and flight attitude in a reference coordinate system. The implementation process includes: First, the inertial navigation unit collects angular acceleration and angular rate data, the satellite positioning unit obtains latitude and longitude coordinates, and the electro-optical sensor unit captures terrain features. All three data sources are input to a data fusion processor. The data fusion processor uses a Kalman filter algorithm to fuse the multi-source information, eliminating errors and generating accurate real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters. Second, based on the fused position and velocity information, and considering internal performance constraints (maximum system speed, minimum turning radius, and endurance) and external environmental constraints (terrain obstacle distribution, weather conditions, and threat areas), the path planning unit uses the Dijkstra optimization algorithm to calculate the optimal path to the target. The path planning unit outputs position commands (target point coordinate sequence) and velocity commands (rate of change of heading angle) to guide the system to fly along the specified route, completing the path planning and navigation tasks.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the command and control decision module is used to continuously collect the status and perception data of all modules in the laser patrol system through a hardware interface; fuse the collected status and perception data of all modules to generate a real-time comprehensive situation; generate action decisions based on the real-time comprehensive situation and threat assessment rule base; convert the generated action decisions into a sequence of instructions; send the sequence of instructions to the corresponding execution modules through a communication interface; continuously monitor the execution results and status changes of each module to form a closed-loop control, and dynamically adjust the action decisions based on the feedback from each module.

[0064] Specifically, the command and control decision-making module is the central hub of the laser loitering system. Its core function is to achieve centralized management, information fusion, and intelligent decision-making for various functional modules (sensing and alarm, navigation and guidance, flight control, servo tracking and aiming, high-energy laser, and communication modules). This module integrates the system from dispersed sensing and execution units into an organic intelligent whole through hardware integration and software algorithms. Its composition and implementation are as follows:

[0065] 1. Hardware architecture and interconnectivity: Core processor: Typically uses a high-performance embedded computing platform (such as a multi-core ARM processor or an x86 architecture onboard computer), runs a real-time operating system (RTOS) or Linux system, and provides powerful data throughput and parallel computing capabilities.

[0066] Unified data bus and interface: The modules establish physical connections with the above modules through various standard communication interfaces (such as CAN bus, Ethernet, RS-422 / 485, high-speed serial port, etc.), forming the system's "neural network".

[0067] Data exchange and protocol conversion: The communication management unit integrated within the module is responsible for parsing the different data protocols of each module and converting them into a unified data format within the system for exchange, thereby achieving true "interconnectivity".

[0068] 2. Software Architecture and Function Implementation: The module's functionality is achieved through its internally running task scheduling core and a series of dedicated software functional units working together.

[0069] Information Fusion and Situation Generation Unit: This unit forms the basis for decision-making. It receives and correlates heterogeneous data from various modules in real time (such as target location, attributes, friendly location, attitude, battery level, and environmental information), processes it using a Kalman filter data fusion algorithm, generates a unified, high-confidence comprehensive battlefield situation map, and displays it on the human-machine interface.

[0070] The task planning and decision-making unit is the "brain" of the module. Based on a comprehensive situational awareness, pre-set task objectives, and a rule / algorithm library (such as state machines, decision trees, and lightweight AI models), it performs logical reasoning and calculations to automatically or assist the operator in making decisions. For example, based on the target threat level and location provided by the perception and alarm module, it automatically generates the decision: "Incoming target detected, high threat level, instruction: intercept first."

[0071] Task Scheduling and Resource Management Unit: This unit is the executor of decisions. It decomposes the high-level instructions output by the decision-making unit (such as "intercept the target") into specific, executable sequences of sub-tasks (such as "instruct the navigation and guidance module to fly to a certain point", "instruct the servo tracking and aiming module to lock onto the target", "instruct the high-energy laser module to charge and authorize launch"), and rationally arranges the execution sequence of each sub-task and the allocation of system resources through scheduling algorithms to ensure smooth and efficient task execution.

[0072] Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and Command Arbitration Unit: Provides a graphical user interface (which can be remotely transmitted via a communication module), displays real-time system status and overall situational awareness, and receives advanced commands from operators (such as mode switching, target designation, and fire authorization). This unit is also responsible for arbitrating the priority of operator commands and automatic decision-making commands to ensure a safe and smooth transition of control.

[0073] 3. Workflow (Function Implementation): The command and control decision module, composed of the aforementioned hardware and software, implements its core functions according to the following process: Information aggregation: Continuously collect status and perception data from all modules through hardware interfaces.

[0074] Situation generation: The information fusion unit processes data and generates a real-time comprehensive situation.

[0075] Decision making: The task planning and decision-making unit formulates action decisions based on the situation and rule base.

[0076] Task decomposition and scheduling: The task scheduling unit transforms decisions into specific instruction sequences.

[0077] Command distribution: The command is accurately sent to the corresponding execution module through the communication interface (such as sending the command "lock target A" to the servo tracking module).

[0078] Monitoring and closed-loop control: Continuously monitor the execution results and status changes of each module's instructions to form a closed-loop control, and dynamically adjust decisions and scheduling based on feedback, thereby achieving a complete closed loop from perception to action and completing "centralized control" of all modules.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the servo tracking module includes a coarse tracking imaging unit, a fine tracking imaging unit, and a controller. The servo tracking module is configured to, when the command and control decision module's action decision includes a strike command, drive the coarse tracking imaging unit to rapidly point the coarse turntable towards the general direction of the threat target, capture an image of the first threat target using a coarse tracking wide-field-of-view camera, calculate a first miss distance between the center of the threat target in the first threat target image and the ATP optical axis, and drive the coarse turntable to move based on the first miss distance for coarse tracking. When the coarse tracking imaging unit stabilizes the threat target within the effective field of view of the fine tracking unit, the fine tracking imaging unit is activated, and the fine tracking imaging unit... The high-frame-rate, narrow-field-of-view camera with fine tracking acquires images of the second threat target and calculates the second miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the second threat target image. Based on the second miss distance, the FSM is driven to perform high-frequency and small-amplitude vibrations to counteract the jitter of the coarse tracking imaging unit in real time. Based on the second threat target image, the type and attitude of the threat target are identified, and key parts of the threat target are analyzed and automatically selected. Based on the selected key parts, the controller generates correction commands to fine-tune the FSM angle and point the optical axis of the fine tracking imaging unit towards the vulnerable part. After the servo tracking module determines that the aiming point is locked on the key part, it sends an aiming ready signal to the high-energy laser module.

[0080] Specifically, the servo tracking module mainly consists of a coarse target tracking imaging unit and a fine target tracking imaging unit, such as... Figure 3 As shown. This module mainly realizes functions such as optical acquisition, positioning and tracking, stable aiming, selection of the strike point, and focused laser emission of the mission target. Its core architecture adopts a coarse-fine composite axis control system, which mainly consists of the following hardware units:

[0081] 1. Coarse tracking imaging unit: Mechanical structure: A two-dimensional azimuth-pitch turntable supported by a high-torque motor, a high-precision reducer, and high-rigidity bearings. It provides a wide range of azimuth and pitch motion capabilities.

[0082] Coarse tracking imaging sensor: mounted on a turntable, usually a wide field of view (FOV) camera, with a large field of view, used for initial detection and target acquisition in a wide airspace.

[0083] Coarse tracking controller: Receives initial target orientation information from the perception and alarm module or commands from the command and control decision module, driving the coarse turntable to quickly point towards the approximate target area. It receives the target image acquired by the coarse tracking imaging sensor and calculates the line-of-sight error between the target's center point and the system's preset aiming point (ATP optical axis). This controller typically employs a PID position loop control algorithm, generating speed / position commands based on the line-of-sight error information to drive the turntable movement and reduce the line-of-sight error, achieving coarse closed-loop tracking of the target. Its characteristics include fast response and a large range, but its tracking accuracy is limited (residual error exists).

[0084] 2. Precision tracking imaging unit: Core component: A fast-steering mirror (FSM) driven by a piezoelectric ceramic actuator (PZT) or a voice coil motor (VCM). It features a small angle range (typically a few milliradians), extremely high bandwidth (response frequency up to hundreds of Hz or even kHz), and nanometer-level resolution motion capability.

[0085] Fine-tracking imaging sensor: narrow field of view (FOV), high frame rate camera (usually in the same band as coarse tracking or short-wave infrared SWIR to balance sensitivity and resolution), with a small field of view (e.g., milliradian level). Responsible for receiving the target image after initial stabilization through coarse tracking.

[0086] The precision tracking controller receives high-frequency target images acquired by the precision tracking imaging sensor and calculates the minute miss distance of the target within the precision tracking field of view. Employing high-frequency bandwidth control algorithms (such as lead-lag compensation and adaptive control), it generates high-bandwidth commands to drive the FSM (Fixed-Side Mirror) in high-frequency reciprocating motion, real-time correcting and compensating for residual low-frequency and high-frequency jitter errors from the coarse tracking unit, achieving high-precision and high-stability aiming point maintenance.

[0087] Beam guiding and optical path combining unit: Ensures that the fine tracking optical path and the laser emission optical path are highly coincident (i.e., common optical path design). Typically, the fine tracking FSM and the fine tracking imaging sensor are integrated into the laser emission optical path, located on the optical path before or after the laser beam expander system, so that the stable aiming point of the fine tracking imaging sensor is the aiming point of the laser beam.

[0088] Aiming point selection and laser focusing control unit (integrated in the controller): Based on high-resolution images or fused information of the target provided by the precision tracking imaging sensor, image recognition algorithms (such as template matching based on a pre-stored target image library or deep learning models) are applied to automatically identify the target type and its attitude, and analyze and select vulnerable parts of the target (such as the seeker, fuel tank, control wings). Corresponding angle fine-tuning commands are generated, and the aiming point of the laser beam is precisely guided to the selected vulnerable part via the precision tracking FSM. The laser emitting unit is controlled to focus (adjusting the focal length of the emitting optical system).

[0089] 2. Function Implementation Process (Coarse-to-Fine Collaborative Workflow): The servo tracking module's functionality is a progressive, closed-loop process from coarse to fine. Optical acquisition and positioning tracking: After the command and control decision module issues the strike command, the coarse tracking controller drives the coarse tracking turntable to quickly point towards the approximate target location. The coarse tracking wide-field-of-view camera captures the target image, calculates the miss distance between the target center and the ATP optical axis, and drives the coarse tracking turntable to perform initial acquisition and coarse tracking, stabilizing the target within the field of view.

[0090] Target acquisition and precise aiming: When coarse tracking stabilizes the target within the effective field of view of the precision tracking imaging unit, the precision tracking system is activated. The precision tracking narrow field of view high frame rate camera acquires the target image and calculates the minute miss distance. The precision tracking controller drives the FSM to perform high-frequency, small-amplitude vibrations to compensate for residual errors from coarse tracking and jitter introduced by platform vibration, wind disturbance, etc., in real time, achieving high-precision and stable aiming.

[0091] Strike point selection and optical path locking: Based on the clear target image provided by the precision tracking imaging sensor, the aiming point selection unit identifies the target type and attitude, analyzes and automatically selects the optimal strike point. The controller generates correction commands to fine-tune the FSM angle, precisely pointing the precision tracking optical axis to the vulnerable area.

[0092] Laser Focused Emission: After the servo tracking module confirms that the aiming point is stably locked on the selected location, it sends an "aiming ready" signal to the high-energy laser module. The high-energy laser module activates, and the emitted beam passes through the optical emission system integrated with the FSM, following a precisely oriented optical path towards the vulnerable part of the target. The FSM continues to operate during the emission process, maintaining stable beam direction.

[0093] In an exemplary embodiment, the high-energy laser module comprises a power supply unit, a temperature control and cooling unit, a control and drive unit, a laser generation unit, an optical path synthesis unit, and a laser output unit. The high-energy laser module is used to perform non-destructive strikes on the critical parts of the threat target along the path generated by the navigation and guidance module to reach the threat target when a targeting ready signal is received.

[0094] Specifically, the high-energy laser module mainly consists of a power supply unit, a temperature control and cooling unit, a control and drive unit, a laser generation unit, an optical path combining unit, and a laser output unit, such as... Figure 4 As shown, this module, as the core component of the entire system, primarily generates and synthesizes high-energy lasers, providing a high-quality laser beam to achieve non-destructive strikes against targets. The laser energy directly determines the strike intensity. This module works collaboratively through a series of sophisticated optical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal subsystems, and its composition and implementation are as follows:

[0095] 1. Module composition and function implementation: Power Supply and Management Unit: As the energy source of the module, this unit receives primary power from the platform (such as a battery) and stores, modulates, and distributes electrical energy through a high-power pulse power supply (such as a capacitor-based or switching power supply) and power management circuitry. It can quickly release high-power pulses or provide continuous current according to instructions, precisely meeting the stringent requirements of different operating modes of the laser generation unit (such as continuous irradiation and pulsed impact).

[0096] Laser generation and amplification unit (laser): This is the core of the module. It typically uses a fiber laser or a solid-state laser (such as a slab or wafer laser). Internally, it includes:

[0097] Pump source: (such as a high-power laser diode array) converts electrical energy into pump light of a specific wavelength.

[0098] Gain medium (such as ytterbium-doped fiber, Nd:YAG crystal) absorbs pump light energy and produces population inversion.

[0099] Resonant cavity: enables photons to oscillate and amplify in a gain medium, forming laser light.

[0100] Subsequent amplification stages (such as multi-stage fiber amplifiers) amplify the power of the seed laser to the high power level required for the strike (such as 10kW to 100kW).

[0101] Temperature Control and Cooling Unit: High-power lasers generate a large amount of waste heat during operation. The temperature control unit is responsible for efficient heat dissipation and precise temperature control to ensure laser efficiency and beam quality. Typically, a forced liquid cooling circulation system (coolant, pump, heat exchanger) or a microchannel cooling scheme is used to remove the heat generated by the gain medium and pump source. Thermoelectric coolers (TEC) or PID control algorithms are used to maintain the temperature of critical optical components within ±0.1°C, ensuring stable laser operation.

[0102] Beam control and combining unit: This unit is responsible for shaping, guiding and diagnosing the original laser beam output from the laser.

[0103] Beam shaping: The diameter of the laser beam is increased by using a beam expander array to reduce the divergence angle.

[0104] Optical path guidance and combining: Multiple laser beams are coaxially combined using mirrors and beam combiners (such as polarization beam combiners and wavelength beam combiners) to further enhance the total power and ensure that the beams accurately enter the emission optical path.

[0105] Beam quality diagnostics (optional): Real-time monitoring of key parameters such as laser power and beam shape (BQ) using sampling mirrors and sensors (such as CCDs and power meters), and feedback of the information to the control and drive unit to form closed-loop control.

[0106] Control and Drive Unit: Acting as the module's "local brain," this unit is typically a dedicated control board. It receives commands from the command and control decision module (such as "launch," "standby," and "set power"), and accordingly:

[0107] Generate drive signals to control the output mode and timing of the power supply unit.

[0108] It generates control signals to drive the pump and TEC of the temperature-controlled cooling unit.

[0109] Real-time monitoring of the status parameters (voltage, current, temperature, pressure) of each sub-unit (power supply, temperature control, laser) and execution of health management (PHM) and safety interlock logic (such as overheat protection and water shortage protection) to ensure safe operation of the module.

[0110] The module status information (such as "ready", "fault", "laser power") is reported to the command and control decision module.

[0111] 2. Collaborative Workflow: The command and control decision module issues an attack command -> the control drive unit receives the command, performs a self-test and unlocks the safety interlock -> the temperature control and cooling unit starts to stabilize the laser temperature at the operating point -> the power supply unit supplies power to the pump source and amplifier according to the preset mode -> the laser generation and amplification unit outputs high-power laser -> the beam control and synthesis unit shapes and guides the laser beam -> the laser beam is emitted through the exit window designed with a common optical path, and after being precisely guided by the servo tracking and aiming module, it continuously irradiates the vulnerable parts of the target, accumulating energy until damage is caused.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment, the system further includes a power supply module; the power supply module includes a high-energy battery, a drive motor, an electronic speed controller (ESC), folding propellers, and a booster engine; the high-energy battery is used to power the laser loitering system; the ESC is used to adjust the speed of the brushless motor by adjusting the voltage, so as to drive the folding propellers of the laser loitering system to rotate according to the principles of aerodynamics; the booster engine is used to realize the launch propulsion and instantaneous acceleration of the laser loitering system, so as to control the attitude and flight behavior of the laser loitering system.

[0113] Specifically, the power supply module is the energy core and power source of the laser loitering system. It mainly consists of high-energy batteries, drive motors, electronic speed controllers, folding propellers, and booster engines. Its core function is to provide continuous, stable, and high-power electrical energy and thrust to the entire system (especially the high-energy laser module and flight propulsion), enabling full-cycle power support from launch boost, cruise flight to high-energy strike. This module achieves its function through multi-energy collaborative management and efficient electric propulsion technology. Its composition and implementation are as follows:

[0114] 1. Module composition and function implementation: High-energy battery pack and power management unit (BMS): As the main power source of the system, it typically employs high-energy-density lithium polymer battery packs or intelligent battery systems. Internally, it consists of multiple cells connected in series and parallel. The BMS provides real-time status monitoring (voltage, current, temperature, remaining charge), charge / discharge balancing, and overheat / overcurrent / short-circuit protection to ensure power supply safety and battery life. The BMS uploads the battery status to the command and control decision module via a communication bus. This unit provides power to the pulse power supply of the high-energy laser module, the servo system of the flight control module, and all airborne electronic equipment.

[0115] Drive motor: A high-power-density, high-efficiency brushless DC motor or permanent magnet synchronous motor is used as the actuator to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.

[0116] Electronic speed controller: Receives speed control commands from the flight control module, and uses pulse width modulation technology through an H-bridge circuit composed of power MOSFETs to precisely adjust the voltage and current supplied to the drive motor, thereby steplessly and accurately controlling the motor speed and torque, and ultimately changing the propeller thrust.

[0117] Promoting organization: Foldable blades / propellers: Made of lightweight, high-strength materials (such as carbon fiber composites). Their foldable design greatly reduces the system's envelope space during storage, transportation, and launch. After launch, they rapidly unfold using centrifugal force or an actuation mechanism, and are driven by a drive motor to rotate at high speed, generating the main thrust required for cruise flight.

[0118] 2. Collaborative work and energy management: This module does not work independently; its core lies in deep collaboration with the flight control module and the command and control decision module.

[0119] Flight thrust control: Based on navigation and guidance commands, the flight control module calculates the thrust required to maintain or change flight attitude and trajectory, and sends corresponding speed commands to the electronic speed controller (ESC). The ESC drives the motor, which in turn drives the propeller to generate precise thrust, thus achieving flight control.

[0120] High-energy pulse power support: When the high-energy laser module is ready to fire, its pulse power supply unit will draw a huge current instantaneously. The high-energy battery pack and BMS need to have a high-rate discharge capability to cope with this peak power demand. At the same time, the power management unit will coordinate to manage the power consumption of other electrical devices (briefly reducing the power of non-critical devices when necessary) to prioritize the energy supply for laser emission and prevent the system from losing power due to excessive instantaneous load.

[0121] Multi-mode power switching: The system intelligently switches power modes according to mission phases: during the launch / climb phase, the booster engine provides the main thrust; during the cruise and operation phase, the electric propulsion subsystem provides continuous and precise thrust; during the high-energy strike phase, the battery pack prioritizes powering the laser module.

[0122] The system also includes a communication module; the communication module is used to provide data support for information exchange between all modules in the laser patrol system.

[0123] Specifically, the communication interaction module employs a combination of line-of-sight relay and beyond-line-of-sight satellite communication data links. This enables various functions such as networking connections between the aircraft and laser loitering systems, and between multiple laser loitering systems, as well as remote control, data transmission, communication encryption, protocol conversion, and signal enhancement. This provides accurate and reliable data support for command and control interaction during strike operations. Figure 5 As shown. This module achieves its functions by integrating multiple communication methods and intelligent management strategies. Its composition and implementation are as follows:

[0124] 1. Module composition and function implementation: ① Multi-mode RF front-end unit: Line-of-sight data link: Employing C / Ku band software-defined radio technology, it is equipped with a high-gain directional antenna and an omnidirectional antenna. The directional antenna is used for automatic tracking and alignment when high-bandwidth transmission is required (such as high-definition video streaming), ensuring long-distance communication quality; the omnidirectional antenna is used to maintain the basic link connection. This unit achieves low-latency, high-speed local communication coverage.

[0125] Beyond-line-of-sight satellite communication unit: Integrates a miniaturized satellite communication terminal, operates in the Ka / UHF band, and is equipped with a mobile communication antenna or a phased array antenna. By connecting to a space-based satellite network, it transmits commands from the ground control station and received system status telemetry data globally, completely overcoming geographical limitations.

[0126] Anti-interference and frequency hopping unit: It integrates an anti-interference processor and adopts technologies such as direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) and adaptive filtering to suppress interference in complex electromagnetic environments and ensure the stability and security of communication links.

[0127] ②Baseband processing and protocol conversion unit: This unit is the "brain" of the communication system, with a high-performance communication processor at its core. It runs a complete communication protocol stack and is responsible for encoding / decoding (such as LDPC codes and Turbo codes to improve error correction capabilities), modulation / demodulation (such as QPSK, OQPSK, 8PSK), framing / deframing, and encryption / decryption of transmitted and received data.

[0128] Meanwhile, as a protocol gateway, it packages and reuses different types of data (control commands, telemetry, images, laser status) from various modules (command and control decisions, perception and alarms, etc.) within the system into a format that conforms to the data link standard before sending it, and demultiplexes and distributes the received data to the corresponding internal modules.

[0129] ③ Link Management and Intelligent Switching Unit: This is the core of achieving the "integration" function. This unit monitors the communication quality of each link in real time (such as signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, and latency).

[0130] Based on preset link switching strategies (such as thresholding or intelligent decision-making algorithms), the system automatically selects the optimal communication link. For example, when within line of sight and large amounts of data need to be transmitted, the line-of-sight data link is used first; when the system flies out of line of sight or the line-of-sight link is interrupted, it automatically and seamlessly switches to the satellite communication link to ensure communication continuity.

[0131] Independent power supply and heat dissipation unit: Communication modules consume a lot of power, especially satellite communication and radio frequency units. Therefore, they are usually equipped with independent power management and heat dissipation devices to ensure stable operation in various working modes.

[0132] 2. Collaborative Workflow: Uplink (Command and Control): Ground station commands are encrypted and modulated before being transmitted via line-of-sight relay or satellite communication link. The communication module receives the signals, demodulates, decrypts, and converts the protocols before distributing the commands to the command and control decision module via an internal bus (such as CAN or Ethernet).

[0133] Downlink (Status Information Feedback): Data such as system status collected by the command and control decision module, target environment information obtained by the perception and alarm module, and aiming images from the servo tracking and aiming module are sent to the communication module. The baseband processing unit compresses, encrypts, and frames the data. Subsequently, the link management unit intelligently selects the optimal link (line-of-sight or satellite communication) based on the current network conditions to transmit the data back to the ground station.

[0134] Link maintenance and intelligent switching: Throughout the mission, the link management unit continuously monitors the status of each link. Once the quality of the primary link drops below the threshold, it automatically and seamlessly switches the communication traffic to the backup link. The entire process requires no manual intervention, greatly improving the system's autonomy and reliability.

[0135] like Figure 6As shown, the present invention provides a projectile reusable laser loitering method, which is applied to a projectile reusable laser loitering system, and the projectile reusable laser loitering is integrated on an aircraft.

[0136] S601: After the aircraft is launched, it collects environmental information of the monitoring area in real time and obtains the target feature vector based on the environmental information.

[0137] In one exemplary embodiment, the laser patrol system includes an infrared focal plane array detector, a visible light camera, a low-light night vision device, a millimeter-wave radar, a miniaturized pulse Doppler radar, a laser rangefinder, and environmental sensors. It collects environmental information of the monitored area in real time and obtains a target feature vector based on this information. Specifically, this includes: using an infrared focal plane array detector to detect the infrared energy radiated by the target and converting the infrared energy into an electrical signal to obtain an infrared thermal image; and using a visible light camera or a low-light night vision device to receive the visible or near-infrared light reflected by the target and generate a high-resolution optical image or video based on the visible or near-infrared light. The system actively transmits electromagnetic waves and receives echo signals reflected from the target using millimeter-wave radar or miniaturized pulse-Doppler radar; it obtains the target distance using a laser rangefinder; it acquires environmental data, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed, using environmental sensors; it performs noise suppression, image enhancement, and sensor calibration and registration processing on the infrared thermal image, high-resolution optical image or video, echo signal, target distance, and environmental data; it extracts target features from the infrared thermal image, high-resolution optical image or video, echo signal, target distance, and environmental data, and fuses all target features to obtain a target feature vector.

[0138] S602: Based on the target feature vector, locate the potential target region in the image domain or fused information domain, and determine the category of multiple targets in the potential target region.

[0139] Specifically, based on the target feature vector, a target detection algorithm is used to locate the potential target region in the image domain or the fused information domain, and a target recognition algorithm is used to determine the category of multiple targets in the potential target region.

[0140] S603: Continuously tracks multiple targets, calculates the position, velocity, direction and acceleration of each target in the potential target area, and determines the threat level of each target in the potential target area by combining the preset threat assessment rule base; Specifically, the threat assessment rule base contains a series of judgment logics based on multi-dimensional tactical parameters. One simple implementation is based on a weighted scoring strategy, with the following specific rules:

[0141] (1) Threat level classification: Two levels are set: Level 1 (high-risk threat) and Level 2 (general threat).

[0142] (2) Rule base logic: For each target, calculate its threat score in four dimensions in real time.

[0143] Distance Dimension (Sd): The straight-line distance between the target and the system; the closer the distance, the higher the score. Velocity Dimension (Sv): The target's velocity; the higher the velocity (especially acceleration towards the system), the higher the score. Azimuth Dimension (Sb): The angle between the target's direction of movement and the system's line of sight (aiming line); the highest score is achieved when the target is directly facing the system (angle close to 0°). Behavior Dimension (Sa): Whether the target has entered the preset core alert zone (e.g., a region with a distance < 5km and an azimuth angle < 30°).

[0144] (3) Scoring calculation: Total threat score ,in, These are the weighting coefficients for each dimension.

[0145] (4) Level determination: If the target enters the core alert area or the total threat score T>threshold A), it is determined to be a Level 1 threat; if the total threat score T>threshold B, it is determined to be a Level 2 threat; otherwise, it is considered a non-threat target.

[0146] S604: When the threat level of a target is higher than the preset level or a target enters the preset area, the corresponding target is identified as a threat target. The threat target is then subjected to coarse tracking and fine tracking in sequence. Based on the fine-tracked image, the key parts of the threat target are determined. Once the key parts of the threat target are locked, an aiming ready signal is generated.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment, coarse tracking and fine tracking of the threat target are performed sequentially, specifically including: detecting and capturing the threat target by adjusting the orientation of the coarse turntable and receiving a first threat target image acquired by the coarse tracking imaging sensor; calculating a first miss distance between the center point of the threat target and the ATP optical axis based on the first threat target image; generating a speed or position command based on the first miss distance to drive the coarse turntable to move until the first miss distance is reduced to a preset miss distance, thus completing coarse tracking; after coarse tracking, the threat target is brought into the field of view of the fine tracking imaging unit; when the coarse tracking imaging unit stabilizes the threat target within the effective field of view of the fine tracking unit, the fine tracking imaging unit is activated, and the fine tracking imaging unit acquires a second threat target image through the fine tracking narrow field of view high frame rate camera, calculates a second miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the second threat target image, and drives the FSM to perform high-frequency and small-amplitude vibrations based on the second miss distance to counteract the jitter of the coarse tracking imaging unit in real time.

[0148] Specifically, the preset miss distance is set according to specific engineering practices.

[0149] S605: In response to a targeting-ready signal, conduct a non-destructive strike on critical areas along the path to the target.

[0150] In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides as follows Figure 7 The diagram shown illustrates a process flow for a projectile, retrievable laser loitering method, which specifically includes the following steps: Specifically, the workflow of the laser loitering system mainly includes nine steps: working mode selection, environmental perception and alarm, situational information processing, target decision-making and strike, target detection and acquisition, precise target tracking, target strike lock-on, laser output strike, and strike effect evaluation. Figure 6 As shown. The specific content is as follows:

[0151] (1) Working mode selection: After the carrier launches and releases the aircraft carrying the projectile reusable laser loitering system, the system enters the working mode. The working modes mainly include three types: fixed-point hovering, mobile loitering, and autonomous return. The specific mode can be selected according to the different needs and specific tasks.

[0152] (2) Environmental perception and early warning: The system uses its own infrared, photoelectric and radar perception and alarm devices to perceive the battlefield environment, identify battlefield environment information in real time, discover targets and determine their accurate location, and issue early warnings in a timely manner.

[0153] (3) Information processing and fusion: The battlefield terrain environment information and target infrared, image, size, distance characteristics and other situational information sensed by the detection equipment are cleaned, filtered, transformed, classified and fused to extract and summarize the key information and dynamic change patterns of the target environment, providing reliable support for subsequent analysis and decision-making.

[0154] (4) Target decision-making and strike: The command and control decision-making module makes a threat assessment of incoming targets based on the processed information. Targets with a high threat are struck first, and targets with a low threat are struck later, so as to achieve orderly, hierarchical and efficient strikes against multiple incoming targets in batches.

[0155] (5) Target detection and acquisition: After the command and control decision module determines the target and mission, it issues a command to the servo tracking module. The coarse servo turntable adjusts its position to detect and acquire the incoming target. After the target signal is acquired, the coarse photoelectric unit extracts the target image information and calculates the deflection angle by comparing it with the ATP optical axis. The target miss distance information is obtained. The rotation of the coarse servo unit is controlled according to the miss distance information to perform coarse tracking of the target, that is, real-time acquisition and alignment of the target.

[0156] (6) Precise Target Tracking: After the coarse tracking photoelectric unit performs coarse tracking of the target, due to the poor stability accuracy of the coarse tracking servo platform, the target needs to be brought into the field of view of the fine tracking imaging unit. When the continuous stability error of the coarse tracking unit exceeds the effective working area of ​​the field of view required by the fine tracking imaging unit, the fine tracking platform cannot obtain a stable image of the target and therefore enters standby mode. When the continuous stability error of the coarse tracking unit is within the effective working area of ​​the field of view required by the fine tracking imaging unit, the fine tracking unit receives the target image information imported by the coarse tracking unit and performs closed control. The high-frequency reciprocating motion of the fine tracking fast reflector corrects and compensates for the residual error of the coarse tracking unit in real time, realizing high-bandwidth and high-precision stable aiming of the target by the coarse-fine composite stable tracking imaging unit.

[0157] (7) Target engagement and locking: The laser emitting unit and the fine tracking stabilization unit adopt a common optical path design, that is, the fine tracking stabilization unit is reasonably installed in the laser beam loop of the photoelectric turntable to ensure that the fine tracking optical path and the laser emitting optical path are completely overlapped. When the fine tracking imaging unit is stably aligned with the target, the high-energy laser can be irradiated on the preset target aiming point.

[0158] (8) Laser output strike: After the servo tracking module completes the precise and stable positioning and tracking of the target, it automatically identifies the target type and attitude according to the pre-stored image library and automatically finds the vulnerable parts of the target. The turntable shoots the adjusted laser beam toward the vulnerable parts of the threatening target. The high-energy laser module starts and emits, striking the vulnerable parts of the target at the speed of light.

[0159] (9) Impact effect assessment: After the laser completes the strike on the target, the system's sensing and detection equipment will extract features from the target's shape, movement, infrared and other image information to determine the damage effect on the target. The assessment effect serves as a reference for whether to end the strike process.

[0160] The operation methods of laser patrol systems can be classified in different ways according to different classification standards. Specifically, they can be divided into two operation methods for discussion: Depending on factors such as energy power, operating wavelength, strike distance, and output method, laser loitering systems have multiple strike modes. The more concentrated the laser energy, the higher the output power, the larger the aperture, the stronger the destructive force, and the longer the effective range. During long-range transmission, laser energy is attenuated by atmospheric propagation, resulting in significant energy loss when irradiating targets at long distances. The laser energy reaching the target is relatively weak, only enough to interfere with the target's optoelectronic units. During medium-range transmission, high-energy lasers are used to irradiate incoming targets. At this point, the relatively high laser energy can blind or dazzle the target's optoelectronic units, causing partial loss of function and rendering the target incapacitated. During short-range transmission, high-energy lasers can severely damage the target's mechanical structure and electronic circuit components, causing functional loss or even crashing, thus destroying the target.

[0161] Depending on the platform, airspace, and method of use, laser loitering systems have different characteristics and application scenarios. Laser loitering systems can be mounted on aircraft platforms of different configurations, such as fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Upon reaching the designated work area, they can be launched from the carrier aircraft, enabling independent, autonomous, and coordinated operation. Furthermore, the system can change its form during missions to reach different airspace altitudes, achieving high-altitude hovering, wide-area detection and sensing, and precise point-to-point strike capabilities in high-altitude areas; mid-altitude maneuvering cruise, forward reconnaissance, and maneuvering strike capabilities in mid-altitude areas; and low-altitude hovering cruise, precise target imaging, and preemptive strike capabilities in low-altitude areas.

[0162] Compared to loitering munitions, laser loitering systems have longer endurance and range, allowing for longer loitering and coverage of a larger area. They possess the capability for long-duration, high-frequency, and precise target searching, as well as multiple attack capabilities, including ground and air attacks. Upon reaching the target area, they can autonomously reconnoiter, identify, track, and monitor predetermined targets, and attack concealed targets with low optical or radar signatures. They can also use their own detection equipment to perceive battlefield situational information, depict the regional situation, assess the strike effect, and provide a reference for subsequent strikes. After completing the mission, they can autonomously return to a predetermined location for recovery.

[0163] The projectile-launchable, recoverable laser loitering system features a miniaturized and integrated design, resulting in a small size. It also incorporates a new high-energy laser module, enabling precise strikes against security threats. The various modules of the laser loitering system work collaboratively, enhancing the equipment's penetration capabilities, multi-range capabilities, multi-mission capabilities, rapid response capabilities, continuous flight capabilities, and network coordination capabilities. Deployed via airborne launch, the system is suitable for more complex scenarios, such as urban areas and valleys. Furthermore, by adjusting the laser's output power, it can adaptively strike targets at different distances, including long-range interference, mid-range blinding, and close-range destruction. This system improves the safety of the aircraft.

[0164] When applying the projectile-type retrievable laser loitering method provided by this invention, it is not necessary to consider... Figure 6 The steps shown are executed in sequence. The specific execution order of each step can be determined as needed, and this invention does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0165] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that can be used to execute the above-described... Figure 6 The provided method is a projectile-type, retrievable laser loitering method.

[0166] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the methods described above. Any references to memory, storage, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided by this invention can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, or optical storage, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc.

[0167] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A projectile-type retrievable laser loitering method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a projectile-type, reusable laser loitering system, which is integrated onto an aircraft; the method includes: After the aircraft is launched, environmental information of the monitoring area is collected in real time, and the target feature vector is obtained based on the environmental information. Based on the target feature vector, the potential target region is located in the image domain or fused information domain, and the categories of multiple targets in the potential target region are determined. It continuously tracks multiple targets, calculates the position, velocity, direction and acceleration of each target in the potential target area, and determines the threat level of each target in the potential target area by combining the preset threat assessment rule base. When the threat level of a target is higher than the preset level or a target enters the preset area, the corresponding target is identified as a threat target. The threat target is then subjected to coarse tracking and fine tracking in sequence. Based on the fine tracking image, the key parts of the threat target are identified. Once the key parts of the threat target are locked, an aiming ready signal is generated. In response to the aiming-ready signal, a non-destructive strike is carried out on critical parts along the path to the target.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The laser patrol system includes an infrared focal plane array detector, a visible light camera, a low-light night vision device, a millimeter-wave radar, a miniaturized pulse Doppler radar, a laser rangefinder, and environmental sensors. The system involves real-time acquisition of environmental information from the monitored area, and obtaining a target feature vector based on this information. Specifically, this includes: An infrared focal plane array detector is used to detect the infrared energy radiated by the target and convert the infrared energy into an electrical signal to obtain an infrared thermal image. The visible light camera or low-light night vision device receives the visible light or near-infrared light reflected from the target and generates high-resolution optical images or videos based on the visible light or near-infrared light. The system actively transmits electromagnetic waves and receives the echo signals reflected from the target using millimeter-wave radar or miniaturized pulse-Doppler radar. The distance to the target is obtained using a laser rangefinder; Environmental data, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed, are acquired through environmental sensors. The infrared thermal image, the high-resolution optical image or video, the echo signal, the target distance, and the environmental data are subjected to noise suppression, image enhancement, and sensor calibration and registration processing. The target features are extracted from the infrared thermal image, the high-resolution optical image or video, the echo signal, the target distance, and the environmental data, respectively, and all target features are fused to obtain a target feature vector.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process of sequentially performing coarse and fine tracking on threat targets specifically includes: The coarse turntable is used to adjust the orientation to detect and capture the threat target, and the first threat target image acquired by the coarse tracking imaging sensor is received. Based on the first threat target image, calculate the first off-target distance between the center point of the threat target and the ATP optical axis; Based on the first miss distance, a speed or position command is generated to drive the coarse turntable to move until the first miss distance is reduced to a preset miss distance, thus completing coarse tracking; After performing the coarse tracking, the threat target is brought into the field of view of the fine tracking imaging unit; When the coarse tracking imaging unit stabilizes the threat target within the effective field of view of the fine tracking unit, the fine tracking imaging unit is activated. The fine tracking imaging unit acquires the second threat target image through the fine tracking narrow field of view high frame rate camera, calculates the second miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the second threat target image, and drives the FSM to perform high-frequency and small-amplitude vibrations based on the second miss distance to counteract the jitter of the coarse tracking imaging unit in real time.

4. A projectile-type retrievable laser loitering system, characterized in that, The system includes: a navigation and guidance module, a perception and alarm module, a command and control decision module, a servo tracking and aiming module, and a high-energy laser module; The perception and alarm module is used to collect environmental information of the monitoring area in real time and obtain the target feature vector based on the environmental information. The command and control decision module locates potential target regions in the image domain or fused information domain based on the target feature vector, and determines the categories of multiple targets in the potential target regions; it continuously tracks multiple targets, calculates the position, velocity, direction and acceleration of each target in the potential target regions, and determines the threat level of each target in the potential target regions by combining the preset threat assessment rule base. The servo tracking module is used to identify the target as a threat target when the threat level of the target is higher than the preset level or when the target enters the preset area, and to perform coarse tracking and fine tracking on the threat target in sequence. Based on the fine tracking image, the key parts of the threat target are determined. After locking the key parts of the threat target, an aiming ready signal is generated. The navigation and guidance module is used to generate a path to the threatening target when the servo tracking module sends an aiming ready signal; The high-energy laser module is used to respond to the aiming-ready signal and perform a non-destructive strike on key parts along the path to the target.

5. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The system also includes a flight control module; the flight control module includes a sensor unit, a flight control computer, and an actuator unit; the sensor unit includes an inertial measurement unit, a global navigation satellite system receiver, a barometric altimeter, an airspeed tube, a magnetometer, and a laser rangefinder or ultrasonic sensor; the flight control computer includes a data acquisition and preprocessing unit, a multi-sensor data fusion and state estimation unit, a control law calculation unit, and a command generation and distribution unit; the actuator unit includes a servo electronic speed controller, an electronic speed controller, and actuators, used to execute actions corresponding to the commands generated by the flight control computer; The flight control module is used to receive flight status data collected by the sensor unit in real time through the flight control computer, perform fusion estimation, error calculation, and control law calculation on the flight status data in sequence, and generate instructions. The actuator unit drives the control surfaces or motors to change the flight attitude and position according to the generated instructions.

6. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The perception and alarm module includes a sensor subsystem, a data preprocessing unit, a multi-source information fusion unit, and an intelligent identification and alarm unit; the sensor subsystem includes an infrared sensing unit, a photoelectric imaging unit, a radar detection unit, a laser rangefinder, and an environmental sensor; the data preprocessing unit includes a noise suppression unit, an image enhancement unit, and a sensor calibration and registration unit. The multi-source information fusion unit includes a feature-level fusion unit and a decision-level fusion unit; the intelligent identification and alarm unit includes a target detection and identification unit, a target state estimation unit, and a threat assessment and alarm generation unit. The perception and alarm module is used to perform noise reduction, enhancement and registration operations on the battlefield environment information collected by the sensor subsystem in sequence through the data preprocessing unit, to perform deep fusion of the registration operation results through the multi-source information fusion unit, and to extract features based on the deep fusion results through the intelligent recognition and alarm unit to generate target feature vectors.

7. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The navigation and guidance module is a composite guidance system consisting of an inertial navigation unit, a satellite positioning unit, an optoelectronic sensor unit, and a path planning unit. The navigation and guidance module is used to acquire angular rate data of the laser loitering system through the inertial navigation unit, acquire latitude and longitude coordinates of the laser loitering system through the satellite positioning unit, and acquire terrain features through the photoelectric sensor unit. The angular rate data, latitude and longitude coordinates, and terrain features are fused and error-eliminating to generate real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters of the laser loitering system. Based on the generated real-time position, velocity, and attitude parameters, and combined with the internal performance constraints and external environmental constraints of the laser loitering system, the path planning unit generates a path to the threatening target.

8. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The command and control decision module is used to continuously collect the status and perception data of all modules in the laser patrol system through a hardware interface; fuse the collected status and perception data of all modules to generate a real-time comprehensive situation; generate action decisions based on the real-time comprehensive situation and threat assessment rule base; convert the generated action decisions into instruction sequences; send the instruction sequences to the corresponding execution modules through a communication interface; continuously monitor the instruction execution results and status changes of each module to form closed-loop control, and dynamically adjust the action decisions based on the feedback from each module.

9. The system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The servo tracking module includes a coarse tracking imaging unit, a fine tracking imaging unit, and a controller; The servo tracking module is used to drive the coarse tracking imaging unit to quickly point the coarse turntable to the general direction of the threat target after the action decision of the command and control decision module includes the strike command. The coarse tracking wide field of view camera captures the first threat target image, calculates the first miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the first threat target image, and drives the coarse turntable to move based on the first miss distance to perform coarse tracking. When the coarse tracking imaging unit stabilizes the threat target within the effective field of view of the fine tracking unit, the fine tracking imaging unit is activated. The fine tracking imaging unit acquires the second threat target image through the fine tracking narrow field of view high frame rate camera, calculates the second miss distance between the center of the threat target and the ATP optical axis in the second threat target image, and drives the FSM to perform high-frequency and small-amplitude vibrations based on the second miss distance to counteract the jitter of the coarse tracking imaging unit in real time. Based on the second threat target image, the type and posture of the threat target are identified, and key parts of the threat target are analyzed and automatically selected. Based on the selected key parts, the controller generates correction instructions to fine-tune the FSM angle, pointing the optical axis of the fine tracking imaging unit toward the vulnerable parts; After the servo tracking module determines that the aiming point is locked on the key part, it sends an aiming ready signal to the high-energy laser module.

10. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The high-energy laser module consists of a power supply unit, a temperature control and cooling unit, a control and drive unit, a laser generation unit, an optical path combining unit, and a laser output unit. The high-energy laser module is used to non-destructively strike the critical parts of the threat target along the path generated by the navigation and guidance module when a targeting ready signal is received.

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