JP4869175B2 - Orientation radar equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an orientation radar apparatus that captures a target such as a bullet that traverses the ball at high speed, and locates the position where the target is fired from the captured information.

  A beam curtain was formed by scanning the radar beam, and the target ballistic path was estimated from the position information when a target such as a bullet flying at high speed passed through the beam curtain, and the target was fired. 2. Description of the Related Art An orientation radar device that calculates a position or a landing position (hereinafter referred to as an orientation position) is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the orientation radar apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a radar beam that is wide in the elevation direction is used, and this beam is directed toward the target search area and is repeatedly scanned in the azimuth direction at a predetermined speed to thereby change the beam curtain. A plurality of points of capture information including position information and time information of the target are acquired while a target such as a bullet is passing through the beam curtain. Then, the orientation position is calculated based on the acquired capture information. When calculating the orientation position, first, after calculating the trajectory to estimate the trajectory of the target in the section where the captured information of multiple points was obtained, calculate the orientation position by tracing the obtained trajectory back and forth. is doing.
JP-A-9-101363 (page 4, FIG. 1)

  By the way, in locating a target launch position by this type of orientation radar apparatus, the target range to be monitored may be limited to some extent, for example, a predetermined azimuth range based on foresight information or the like is targeted. On the other hand, depending on the operating environment, there are many cases in which the target flight direction cannot be specified in advance. That is, it is desirable to monitor as wide a range as possible in both the distance direction and the azimuth direction. In addition, in order to acquire the orientation position with good accuracy in a short time, it is necessary to secure a sufficient opportunity to capture the target within a short time when the target flies at high speed. .

  However, when the monitoring target is expanded both in the distance direction and in the azimuth direction, the search range for scanning the beam is expanded accordingly, and in order to ensure sufficient capture opportunities, the target range is also set in the elevation direction. The area where the beam curtain is formed is also widened. For this reason, the capture rate for the captured target is not sufficiently secured, and the update rate of the captured information is lowered, which affects the accuracy of position location.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an orientation radar apparatus that monitors a wider range and performs target location while maintaining accuracy with respect to location. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the positioning radar apparatus according to the present invention transmits and receives radar signals while scanning a pencil-shaped radar beam based on beam mapping in which predetermined azimuth and elevation ranges as a monitoring target area are set in advance. In the orientation radar device that captures the flying target and locates the position where the target is fired from the captured information, the elevation angle range of the monitoring target region is adjacent to each other based on the elevation angle value, and the low elevation angle region and the high An initial detection acquisition unit that divides an elevation angle region, scans the radar beam in the low elevation angle region, transmits and receives a radar signal, acquires a target and acquires the acquisition information, and capture information from the initial detection unit The observation direction in the high elevation angle area after the target enters the high elevation angle area based on the Prediction means for predicting in association with the timing, radar beam selection means for selecting a radar beam matching the predicted observation direction of the target in association with the beam mapping, and transmission timing of the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus. A path observing means for transmitting and receiving a radar signal using a radar beam from the beam selecting means associated with the target, and acquiring captured information of the target in the high elevation angle region, the initial detecting means and the course The target is fired based on the captured information acquired by the observation means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a positioning radar apparatus that can perform positioning of a target by monitoring a wider range while maintaining accuracy with respect to the positioning.

  The best mode for carrying out the orientation radar apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the orientation radar apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram modeling an example of beam mapping of a radar beam in the monitoring region of this orientation radar apparatus. First, beam mapping will be described with reference to FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the radar beam of the orientation radar apparatus 10 uses a pencil-shaped beam as a beam shape, and m × x so as to be directed to the azimuth angle and the elevation angle range of the monitoring target area in equiangular steps. It is assumed that beam mapping is performed on n spots. The beam-mapped monitoring target region is divided into a low elevation angle region (lower three steps shown by a solid line in FIG. 2) and a high elevation angle region (upper side shown by a broken line in FIG. 2). It is divided into two adjacent areas (three stages). The low elevation angle area is an initial detection area, which will be described later. A radar beam is scanned in this area in accordance with beam mapping to form a beam curtain, and a target is captured. On the other hand, the high elevation angle area is a course observation area, which will be described later, but a beam curtain is not formed in this area, and a radar beam in a predetermined directivity direction is selected from the radar beams mapped in this area. Get target capture information.

  Next, the configuration of this orientation radar apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The orientation radar apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an antenna unit 11, a transmission unit 12, a reception unit 13, a target detection unit 14, an orientation processing unit 15, a target direction prediction unit 16, a beam selection unit 17, and a scanning control unit 18. It is composed of

  The antenna unit 11 radiates the transmission signal from the transmission unit 12 while controlling the radar beam by the beam control signal from the scanning control unit 18, receives the reflected wave, and sends it to the reception unit 13 as a reception signal. The transmission unit 12 generates a transmission signal according to the transmission timing of the own radar device, and sends it to the antenna unit 11. The receiving unit 13 receives the reception signal from the antenna unit 11, performs various reception processes such as low noise amplification, frequency conversion, and filtering, and sends the received video signal to the target detection unit 14. The target detection unit 14 detects a target from the received video signal, and acquires target capture information including distance information, angle information, and detected time information. The orientation processing unit 15 performs an orientation process of the target launch position based on the target capture information acquired by the target detection unit 14 to obtain the orientation position.

  Based on the target acquisition information acquired in the initial detection area that is the low elevation angle range of the monitoring area, the target direction prediction unit 16 performs observation after the target enters the course observation area that is the high elevation angle range of the monitoring area. The direction is predicted in association with the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus. In this embodiment, the observation direction is predicted for a plurality of continuous transmission timings. Based on the prediction result, the beam selection unit 17 selects a radar beam that matches the target observation direction at each transmission timing in association with the beam mapping in the course observation region illustrated in FIG. 18 is notified.

  The scanning control unit 18 generates a beam control signal for controlling the direction of the radar beam according to a preset radar beam control schedule, and sends the beam control signal to the antenna unit 11. An example of a radar beam control schedule in this embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, when controlling the radar beam, two periods having different control methods, that is, an initial detection period and a course observation period are provided, and both of the periods T1 and T2 set in advance are set as one cycle. . The scanning control unit 18 selects a control signal for scanning the radar beam so as to form a beam curtain in the initial detection region during the initial detection period, and is selected by the beam selection unit 17 during the course observation period. A control signal for generating the corresponding radar beam in association with the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus is generated and sent to the antenna unit 11.

  Further, the scanning control unit 18 controls the execution repetition of the initial detection period and the course observation period as follows. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, when the target acquisition information is not acquired during one cycle of the initial detection period, the next initial detection period is continuously repeated. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, when target acquisition information is acquired during one cycle of the initial detection period, the course observation period is executed immediately after that and then the initial detection period is further performed. Control to repeat.

  Next, the operation of the orientation radar apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the above-described FIGS. 1 to 3, the flowchart of FIG. 4, and the explanatory diagram of FIG. 5. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the orientation radar apparatus according to the present invention illustrated in FIG. In the following description, as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the radar beam is mapped in a monitoring area having a predetermined azimuth angle and elevation angle range, and is divided into an initial detection area and a course observation area by the elevation angle range. .

  First, an initial detection period with a preset period T1 as one cycle is started (ST401). In the initial detection period, the transmission signal from the transmission unit 12 is radiated while being scanned from the antenna unit 11 to the initial detection region based on the control of the scanning control unit 18. As a result, a beam curtain is formed in the initial detection area (ST402). The reflected wave is received by the antenna unit 11, and after receiving processing by the receiving unit 13, target detection processing is performed by the target detecting unit 14. When a target is detected in this detection process, target capture information including distance information, angle information, and detected time information is acquired and held in the target detection unit 14 (ST403). These operations are continued for one cycle of the initial detection period (ST404).

  When the initial detection period ends, it is determined whether or not captured information is acquired during this period. If not, the initial detection period is repeated again as illustrated in FIG. 3A (ST405). N). On the other hand, when the captured information is acquired (Y in ST405), these target detection units are used to start the course observation period as in the case immediately after the initial detection period # 2 illustrated in FIG. Based on the captured information held in 14, the target direction prediction unit 16 predicts the observation direction after the target has entered the course observation area at a plurality of points in association with the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus. The situation at this time will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a model of the relationship between capturing and prediction of a moving target in the monitoring area, and radar beam mapping. The example of FIG. 5 shows a case where three pieces of captured information indicated by black circles in the figure are sequentially acquired along the course direction for a target that has passed the beam curtain during the initial detection period. The target direction predicting unit 16 predicts the following course as a course illustrated by a broken line in FIG. 5 based on, for example, the speed vector obtained from the captured information. Then, based on the predicted course, a plurality of target observation directions at the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus after the target enters the course observation area are predicted in the order of the transmission timing. As a result, for example, FIG. Three observation directions indicated by black triangles are obtained. These prediction results are sent to the beam selector 17 (ST406).

  The beam selection unit 17 receives these prediction results and selects a radar beam that matches the predicted observation direction in association with the beam mapping of the course observation region. That is, in the case of FIG. 5, the i-beam, j-beam, and k-beam indicated by the solid line are selected during beam mapping along the target path for each of the three observation directions indicated by the black triangle in the figure. Is done. This result is notified to the scanning control unit 18 (ST407).

  Thereafter, a course observation period is started with a period T2 set in advance as one cycle. During this course observation period, the radar beam is directed based on the observation direction in the target course observation area obtained in the steps up to ST407, and new acquisition information following the target acquisition information acquired in the initial detection area is used for course observation. It is acquired in the area (ST408).

  When the course observation period starts, radar transmission / reception is performed while the i-beam, j-beam, and k-beam illustrated in FIG. 5 are sequentially selected based on the control from the scanning control unit 18 at the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus. The target acquisition information is acquired. A series of operations from radar transmission / reception to acquisition of target acquisition information at this time are the same as those in steps ST402 to ST403, and the acquired acquisition information is held in the target detection unit 14 (ST409). . In the example of FIG. 5, the captured information is acquired for each of the i-beam, j-beam, and k-beam, and the course observation period ends with these three radar transmission opportunities as one cycle (ST410).

  Subsequently, the orientation processing unit 15 performs orientation processing of the target firing position based on the target acquisition information acquired in the initial detection period and the subsequent course observation period. In this orientation process, the acquisition information of these series of targets held in the target detection unit 14 is received, and the target trajectory is derived from the distance, angle, time, etc. of each acquisition point using, for example, a ballistic equation. And locate the fired position. The orientation result is sent to a subsequent device or the like, and is further subjected to subsequent processing (ST411). Thereafter, the above-described series of steps is repeated until an operation end is instructed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the monitoring target region is divided into a low elevation angle initial detection region and a high elevation angle course observation region, and a beam curtain for target detection is formed in the initial detection region, For the target detected in this area, the captured information is acquired and the course after entering the course observation area is predicted. After the target enters the course observation area, the target acquisition information is continuously acquired by the radar beam directed in the predicted course direction, and then the target launch position is based on the series of acquisition information. The orientation of

  That is, the beam curtain for target detection is not formed for the entire monitoring target area, but is formed for the initial detection area with a low elevation angle. As a result, in the same time distribution as in the prior art, a beam curtain can be formed for a wider range with respect to the azimuth angle direction and the distance direction by the amount of time that does not target the high elevation angle region. The target position can be determined by monitoring a wide range.

  Also, target acquisition information can be acquired and updated at a rate corresponding to the transmission timing of the own radar device in the course observation area after being acquired by the beam curtain formed in the initial detection area. Can be sufficiently secured, and the accuracy with respect to positioning can be maintained. Furthermore, targets such as shells fly while being affected by air resistance, wind, etc., but the target capture information acquired in the initial detection area is for a period when there is relatively little influence from these, followed by course observation. Since the target position is determined together with the captured information acquired at a high update rate in the region, stable position determination with fewer fluctuation factors can be performed. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a positioning radar device that can perform positioning of a target by monitoring a wider range while maintaining accuracy with respect to the positioning.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

The block diagram which shows one Example of the orientation radar apparatus which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing which models and shows an example of beam mapping. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the control schedule of a radar beam. The flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of one Example of the orientation radar apparatus which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing which modeled and showed the capture | acquisition and prediction of the moving target in a monitoring area | region, and the relationship with a radar beam.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Orientation radar apparatus 11 Aerial part 12 Transmission part 13 Reception part 14 Target detection part 15 Orientation processing part 16 Target direction prediction part 17 Beam selection part 18 Scan control part

Claims (3)

A radar object is transmitted and received while scanning a pencil-shaped radar beam based on a predetermined beam mapping of a predetermined azimuth and elevation angle range as a monitoring target area, and the target is captured from the captured information. In the orientation radar device that locates the fired position,
Based on the elevation angle value, the elevation angle range of the monitored region is divided into a low elevation angle region and a high elevation angle region, and a radar signal is transmitted and received while scanning the radar beam in this low elevation angle region to capture the target. And an initial detection acquisition means for acquiring the captured information,
Prediction means for predicting the observation direction in the high elevation angle area after the target has entered the high elevation angle area based on the captured information from the initial detection means in association with the transmission timing of the own radar device;
Radar beam selection means for selecting a radar beam that matches the predicted target observation direction in association with the beam mapping;
A course observing means for transmitting and receiving a radar signal by using a radar beam from the beam selecting means corresponding to the transmission timing at the transmission timing of the own radar apparatus and acquiring captured information in the high elevation angle region of the target. And
An orientation radar apparatus characterized by locating a position where the target is fired based on captured information acquired by the initial detection means and the course observation means. The prediction means predicts the observation direction for each of the transmission timings of the plurality of continuous radar devices.
2. The orientation radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the course observation unit acquires a plurality of pieces of captured information corresponding to each of the series of transmission timings whose observation directions are predicted. Further, the initial detection means and the course observation means acquire the capture information for each period with a preset period as one period,
When the acquisition information is not acquired during one period in the initial detection means, the initial detection means is repeated, and when the acquisition information is acquired during one period in the initial detection means, the course observation means is immediately after. 3. The orientation radar apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to perform control so that the initial detection unit is repeatedly executed with a period of 1.

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