Rws active defense system

Abstract

To solve the problem that an active defense system intercepting flying objects has difficulty intercepting flying objects launched from close proximity to a vehicle.SOLUTION: An active defense system uses a camera (2) to take pictures of the area around a vehicle (1), identifies anti-tank weapons through image recognition, and automates the process of neutralizing the anti-tank weapons using the Remote Weapon Station (5) equipped on the vehicle (1). This allows the system to neutralize the anti-tank weapons before they can be fired, even if infantry approaches the vehicle in an ambush.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention is a technology for defending against attacks from close range by anti-tank weapons carried by infantry with a Remote Weapon Station (RWS) of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 provides a technique for aiming at a specific part of a pest identified by image recognition.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The Israeli army operates tanks equipped with Trophy (an active defense system of the type that intercepts projectiles), but since Trophy cannot intercept projectiles fired from close range, it destroyed buildings and underground tunnels as part of its preparations for an invasion of the Gaza Strip.

[0005] When attacking a city where infantry with anti-tank weapons are holed up, if a technology for preventing anti-tank weapons fired from close range is not established, buildings that serve as shelters on the advance route of the ground forces will have to be destroyed by artillery fire. On the other hand, in recent years, it has become increasingly common for combat vehicles to be equipped with remotely operable machine guns and the like called Remote Weapon Stations (RWS).

[0006] Therefore, by automating a series of operations by the system from capturing the situation around the combat vehicle by a camera, identifying anti-tank weapons by image recognition, to suppressing the anti-tank weapons by a Remote Weapon Station, a technology is required to suppress enemy infantry before firing anti-tank weapons even when approached by enemy infantry by ambush or the like.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] To achieve the above object, the active defense system according to the present invention includes a vehicle, the vehicle includes a camera for capturing the situation around the vehicle, an image identification unit for identifying anti-tank weapons from the image captured by the camera, and a coordinate recording unit in which horizontal angles in the real world with respect to the coordinates on the image captured by the camera and vertical angles corresponding to the distance from the vehicle are recorded.

[0008] The vehicle includes a Remote Weapon Station and a ray axis acquisition unit for acquiring the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station as horizontal and vertical angles with respect to the vehicle. When the image identification unit identifies an anti-tank weapon, based on the coordinates in the image of the anti-tank weapon identified by the image identification unit from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit, horizontal and vertical angles in the real world with respect to the vehicle are determined, and a moving unit A is provided for moving the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station acquired by the ray axis acquisition unit to the horizontal and vertical angles between the anti-tank weapon determined from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit and the vehicle.

[0009] The vehicle includes an angle detection unit that detects the inclination of the vehicle in the vertical direction, and a distance estimation unit that estimates the distance between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon from the size of the anti-tank weapon in the image identified by the image identification unit. Based on the inclination of the vehicle detected by the angle detection unit and the distance between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon estimated by the distance estimation unit, an angle correction unit is provided to determine the accurate angle in the vertical direction between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit. A moving unit B is provided to move the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station obtained by the ray axis acquisition unit to the angle in the vertical direction between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon determined by the angle correction unit.

[0010] The vehicle includes a communication unit that communicates between vehicles and shares the position coordinates of the vehicle and the horizontal angle of the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station obtained by the ray axis acquisition unit. A ray axis determination unit is provided to determine the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station in the direction of the sailor so that the movement time of the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station in the horizontal direction is averaged for the entire circumference of the group of vehicles that share information through the communication unit.

[0011] The vehicle includes a display that displays the image captured by the camera, and a threat display unit that highlights the anti-tank weapon and assigns an identification number to the identified anti-tank weapon and displays it on the display when the image identification unit identifies the anti-tank weapon. The threat display unit includes an audio input unit that can input the identification number and a shooting instruction displayed on the display by voice.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the active defense system using RWS according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with ambushes by infantry equipped with anti-tank weapons.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the active defense system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the schematic configuration of the active defense system.

[0016] The active defense system 100 is constituted by a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 includes a camera 2, an image identification unit 3, a coordinate recording unit 4, a Remote Weapon Station 5, a ray axis acquisition unit 6, a moving unit A 7, an angle detection unit 8, a distance estimation unit 9, an angle correction unit 10, a moving unit B 11, a communication unit 12, a ray axis determination unit 13, a display 14, a threat display unit 15, and an audio input unit 16.

[0017] In order to deal with the ambush of infantry lurking in shelters, the active defense system 100 detects the threats around the vehicle and automates the system to determine the relative positional relationship between the detected threats and the vehicle, aiming to suppress the soft targets that pose a threat to the vehicle in the shortest possible time.

[0018] Therefore, the active defense system 100 includes the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a camera 2 for photographing the situation around the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is equipped with an image identification unit 3 for identifying anti-tank weapons from the images captured by the camera 2. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a coordinate recording unit 4 in which the horizontal angle with the vehicle 1 in the real world and the vertical angle corresponding to the distance from the vehicle 1 are recorded for the coordinates on the image captured by the camera 2. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a Remote Weapon Station 5. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a ray axis acquisition unit 6 for acquiring the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 as the horizontal and vertical angles with respect to the vehicle 1. When the image identification unit 3 identifies an anti-tank weapon, based on the coordinates in the image of the anti-tank weapon identified by the image identification unit 3 from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit 4, the horizontal and vertical angles with the vehicle 1 in the real world are determined. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a moving unit A 7 for moving the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 acquired by the ray axis acquisition unit 6 to the horizontal and vertical angles between the anti-tank weapon and the vehicle 1 determined from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit 4.

[0019] Since the vertical angle of the anti-tank weapon with respect to the vehicle 1 determined by the coordinate recording unit 4 of the vehicle 1 needs to be corrected considering the vertical inclination of the vehicle 1 and the distance between the vehicle 1 and the anti-tank weapon, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an angle detection unit 8 for detecting the vertical inclination of the vehicle 1, and a distance estimation unit 9 for estimating the distance between the vehicle 1 and the anti-tank weapon from the size of the anti-tank weapon in the image identified by the image identification unit 3. Based on the inclination of the vehicle 1 detected by the angle detection unit 10 and the distance between the vehicle 1 and the anti-tank weapon estimated by the distance estimation unit 9, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an angle correction unit 10 for determining the accurate vertical angle between the vehicle 1 and the anti-tank weapon from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit 4. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a moving unit B 11 for moving the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 acquired by the ray axis acquisition unit 6 to the vertical angle between the vehicle 1 and the anti-tank weapon determined by the angle correction unit 10.

[0020] In the method described above, there may be an error in the vertical angle between the vehicle 1 and the anti-vehicle weapon. However, since the active defense system using the RWS is assumed to be used in combination with an active defense system of the type that intercepts projectiles, the target is a soft target that is sufficiently close to the vehicle, and it is considered that sufficient effects can be obtained by using a laser sight or tracer ammunition.

[0021] When the vehicle 1 advances to a location where many buildings (shelters) remain, it is considered that an attempt is made to increase the success rate of the attack by performing attacks simultaneously from multiple directions. For this reason, the vehicle 1 is provided with a communication unit 12 that communicates between vehicles and shares the position coordinates of the vehicle 1 and the horizontal angle of the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 acquired by the ray axis acquisition unit 6. For the entire circumference of the vehicle group in which the communication unit 12 shares information, a ray axis determination unit 13 is provided that determines the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 in the seaman direction so that the movement time of the horizontal ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 is averaged.

[0022] Since the shooting instruction needs to be performed as quickly as possible by a human, the vehicle 1 is provided with a display 14 that displays the image captured by the camera 2. When the image identification unit 3 identifies an anti-vehicle weapon, a threat display unit 15 is provided that highlights the anti-vehicle weapon on the display 14, assigns an identification number to the identified anti-vehicle weapon, and displays it. The threat display unit 15 is provided with a voice input unit 16 that can input the identification number displayed on the display 14 and the shooting instruction by voice.

[0023] The above is the description of the configuration of the active defense system 100. Below, based on the flowchart of FIG. 2, the operation of the active defense system 100 will be described.

[0024] In step S1, the camera 2 of the vehicle 1 captures the situation around the vehicle 1.

[0025] In step S2, the image identification unit 3 identifies anti-tank weapons in the image captured by the camera 2. If no anti-tank weapon is identified in the image, the process proceeds to step S1. If an anti-tank weapon is identified in the image, the process proceeds to steps S3 and S6.

[0026] In step S3, based on the coordinates of the anti-tank weapon identified by the image identification unit 3 within the image, from the information recorded by the coordinate recording unit 4, the horizontal and vertical angles between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon in the real world are determined. The moving unit A7 moves the horizontal and vertical angles of the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 obtained by the ray axis acquisition unit 6 to the horizontal and vertical angles determined from the information recorded by the coordinate recording unit 4.

[0027] In step S4, the angle correction unit 10 corrects the vertical angle of the anti-tank weapon with respect to the vehicle 1 based on the vertical inclination of the vehicle 1 detected by the angle detection unit 8, the distance between the vehicle 1 and the anti-tank weapon estimated by the distance estimation unit 9 from the size of the anti-tank weapon in the image, and the distance and vertical angle information of the target recorded by the coordinate recording unit 4.

[0028] In step S5, the moving unit B11 moves the vertical angle of the ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 obtained by the ray axis acquisition unit 6 to the vertical angle of the anti-tank weapon with respect to the vehicle 1 corrected by the angle correction unit 10.

[0029] In step S6, the threat display unit 15 highlights the anti-tank weapon identified by the image identification unit 3 on the display 14, assigns an identification number, and displays it.

[0030] In step S7, the voice input unit 16 receives, by voice input, the identification number assigned by the threat display unit 15 and displayed on the display 14 and a shooting instruction.

[0031] In step S8, the angles in the horizontal and vertical directions of the radiation axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 are determined by the moving part A7 and the moving part B11 based on the coordinates of the anti-tank weapon on the image captured by the camera 2 and the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit 4, and are moved to the horizontal and vertical angles corrected by the angle correction unit 10. Shooting is performed when an identification number and a shooting instruction are input to the voice input unit 16.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a process of determining the horizontal and vertical angles between the coordinates on the image captured by the camera 2 of the active defense system 100 and the vehicle 1 in the real world.

[0033] If the image captured by the camera 2 is replaced with a plane, the image can be managed in X-Y coordinates. By assigning the horizontal angle with respect to the vehicle to the X coordinate and the vertical angle with respect to the vehicle to the Y coordinate of the image managed in X-Y coordinates and recording them in the coordinate recording unit 4, the system can process the position of the target with respect to the vehicle 1 in the real world.

[0034] Since the image is not provided with the information of the depth (Z-axis) and the distance to the target cannot be grasped, there must be a range of variation in the vertical angle between the vehicle in the real world and the target object recorded in the coordinate recording unit 4. Based on the distance estimated by the distance estimation unit 9, the angle correction unit 10 corrects the vertical angle.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a process of determining the radiation axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 by the radiation axis determination unit 13 of the active defense system 100.

[0036] When communication is performed by the communication units 12 provided in vehicle A and vehicle B and they function as a single vehicle group, when the radiation axes of the Remote Weapon Stations 5 of vehicle A and vehicle B move horizontally in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions respectively, let the times until the radiation axes of the respective Remote Weapon Stations intersect be ΔTa1, ΔTa2, ΔTb1, and ΔTb2. The radiation axis determination unit 13 determines the horizontal angle of the radiation axis of the Remote Weapon Station 5 of vehicle 1 constituting the vehicle group so that ΔTa1 = ΔTa2 = ΔTb1 = ΔTb2.

Industrial Applicability

[0037] According to the active defense system using the RWS according to the present invention, it is suitable for protecting a vehicle from an ambush by infantry equipped with anti-tank weapons.

Explanation of Signs

[0038] 1 Vehicle 2 Camera 3 Image Identification Unit 4 Coordinate Recording Unit 5 Remote Weapon Station 6 Radiation Axis Acquisition Unit 7 Moving Unit A 8 Angle Detection Unit 9 Distance Estimation Unit 10 Angle Correction Unit 11 Moving Unit B 12 Communication Unit 13 Radiation Axis Determination Unit 14 Display 15 Threat Display Unit 16 Voice Input Unit

Claims

1. Equipped with vehicles, The vehicle is equipped with a camera that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, an image identification unit for identifying an anti-tank weapon from an image captured by the camera; A coordinate recording unit is provided in which a horizontal angle between the vehicle in the real world and the coordinates on the image captured by the camera and a vertical angle according to the distance between the vehicle and the real world are recorded. An active defense system that features

2. the vehicle is equipped with a Remote Weapon Station; a ray axis acquisition unit that acquires a ray axis of the Remote Weapon Station as a horizontal angle and a vertical angle based on the vehicle; When the image identification unit identifies an anti-tank weapon, the horizontal and vertical angles with respect to the vehicle in the real world are calculated based on the coordinates in the image of the anti-tank weapon identified by the image identification unit from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit; A moving unit A moves the line of fire of the Remote Weapon Station acquired by the line of fire axis acquisition unit to the horizontal and vertical angles between the anti-tank weapon and the vehicle calculated from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit.

2. The active defense system of claim 1 .

3. the vehicle includes an angle detection unit that detects a vertical inclination of the vehicle, and a distance estimation unit that estimates a distance between the vehicle and an anti-tank weapon from a size of the anti-tank weapon in the image identified by the image identification unit, an angle correction unit that calculates an accurate angle between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon in a vertical direction from the information recorded in the coordinate recording unit based on the inclination of the vehicle detected by the angle detection unit and the distance between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon estimated by the distance estimation unit, A moving unit B is provided for moving the line of fire of the Remote Weapon Station acquired by the line of fire axis acquisition unit to the vertical angle between the vehicle and the anti-tank weapon determined by the angle correction unit.

3. The active defense system of claim 2.

4. The vehicles are provided with a communication unit that communicates between vehicles and shares position coordinates of the vehicles and a horizontal angle of the line of sight axis of the Remote Weapon Station acquired by the line of sight axis acquisition unit, and a line of sight determining unit that determines the line of sight of the Remote Weapon Station in the direction of the sailor so that the movement time of the horizontal line of sight of the Remote Weapon Station is averaged for the entire circumference of the group of vehicles about which the communication unit shares information.

3. The active defense system of claim 2.

5. The vehicle includes a display that displays an image captured by the camera. a threat display unit that, when the image identification unit identifies an anti-tank weapon, highlights the anti-tank weapon on the display and assigns an identification number to the identified anti-tank weapon and displays it; The threat display unit includes a voice input unit capable of inputting the identification number displayed on the display and a shooting command by voice.

2. The active defense system of claim 1 .

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