Method and apparatus for shooting simulation of ballistic ammunition _with movable targets

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of determining position related data of the target comprises the steps of: (a) emitting from the weapon, laser pulses which scan a solid angle having a reference line therethrough; (b) reflecting the laser pulses from the target back to the weapon; (c) determining from the reflected laser pulses, the target distance and the target off-aim from the sighting axis of the weapon, said sighting axis of the weapon being aligned with the reference line; and (d) determining from the target distanoe and off-aim position, the target position related data including the time-of-flight interval for the particular ammunition to be simulated and the actual elevation and lead angles of the weapon relative to the target.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the required elevation and lead angle of the weapon includes the steps of: (a) continuously measuring the tilt of the sighting axis of the weapon with respect to the vertical; (b) repeatedly determining from the target off-aim position the effective angle of elevation and lead angle relative to the vertical; (c) storing the last determined effective angle of elevation and lead angle; and (d) transmitting to the target at the time of a shot simulation the most recently stored elevation and lead angles.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2 wherein the reference line of the solid angle is the sighting axis of the weapon, and wherein the divergence of the solid angle horizontally and vertically at least equal to the maximum values for the angle of elevation and the lead angle under practical conditions are within the solid angle divergence, with allowance for the tilt of the sighting axis.

Claim 8

Apparatus for simulating shooting with ballistic ammunition from a weapon having a sighting axis onto a moving target using laser pulses transmitted from a weapon-side laser transmitter, the target including target-side retroreflectors for reflecting the laser pulses back to a weapon-side laser receiver, the apparatus comprising: (a) a control means in said laser transmitter for controlling the transmitted pulses to repeatedly scan through a scanning pattern which defines a solid angle, the solid angle having a reference line therethrough corresponding to the sighting axis of the weapon; (b) a weapon-side plotting means responsive to the weapon-side laser receiver for determining target position related data including the target distance from the transit time of the laser pulses from the transmitter back to the weapon-side receiver, and the off-aim position of the target relative to the reference line from the direction of incidence of the target reflected laser pulses relative to the sighting axis of the weapon, said means for determining the target distance and off-aim position including a first memory for storing the last determined values for the target position related data; (c) a weapon-side coding means for controlling said control means at the time of each shot simulation to superimpose on the laser pulses a code representative of the last stored values for the target position related data, the target position related data including the time-of-flight for the projectile to reach the target and an elevation and lead angle which defines a predicted position for the target at the end of the flight time; (d) a target-side measurement means including sensors for determining the direction of incidence of the transmitted laser pulses, for receiving.the coded position related data, and for determining the travel speed of the target and the direction of travel relative to the measured direction of incidence; and (e) a target-side plotting means responsive to said measurement means for determining actual target position related data at the end of the projectile flight time on the basis of the travel speed relative to the direction of incidence, said target-side plotting means including a comparison means for comparing the transmitted target position related data to the actual target position related data determined at the end of the flight time and for indicating a hit if they correspond.

Claim 9

Apparatus for simulating shooting with ballistic ammunition from a weapon having a sighting axis onto a moving target using laser pulses transmitted from a weapon-side laser transmitter, the target including target-side retroreflectors for reflecting the laser pulses back to a weapon-side laser receiver, the apparatus comprising: (a) a control means in said laser transmitter for controlling the transmitted pulses to repeatedly scan through a scanning pattern which defines a solid angle, the solid angle having a reference line therethrough corresponding to the sighting axis of the weapon; (b) a weapon-side plotting means responsive to the weapon-side laser receiver for determining target position related data including the target distance from the transit time of the laser pulses from the transmitter back to the weapon-side receiver, and the off-aim position of the target relative to the reference line from the direction of incidence of the target reflected laser pulses relative to the sighting axis of the weapon, said means for determining the target distance and off-aim position including a first memory for storing the last determined values for the target position related data; (c) a weapon-side coding means for controlling said control means at the time of each shot simulation to superimpose on the laser pulses a code representative of the last stored values for the target position related data, the target position related data including the time-of-flight for the projectile to reach the target and an elevation and lead angle which defines a predicted position for the target at the end of the flight time; (d) a target-side measurement means including sensors for determining the direction of incidence of the transmitted laser pulses, for receiving.the coded position related data, and for determining the travel speed of the target and the direction of travel relative to the measured direction of incidence; and (e) a target-side plotting means responsive to said measurement means for determining actual target position related data at the end of the projectile flight time on the basis of the travel speed relative to the direction of incidence, said target-side plotting means including a comparison means for comparing the transmitted target position related data to the actual target position related data determined at the end of the flight time and for indicating a hit if they correspond.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said control means of said laser transmitter is connected to the weapon-side plotting means in such a way that after identification of a laser pulse-reflecting target, said control means regulates the laser pulse transmission into a smaller scanning pattern that covers only the immediate vicinity of the identified target.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 7 further including an instrument connected to the laser transmitter for measuring tilt of the sighting axis relative to the vertical, said weapon-side plotting means taking into account the location of the scanning pattern with respect to the vertical.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the weapon-side plotting means comprises: (a) a means to convert the measured target deviation into values for the actual angle of elevation and lead angle relative to the vertical; (b) a means for calculating the required angle of elevation and lead angle for the given type of ammunition and the measured target distance; (c) a means for calculating the difference between the required and actual values for the angle of elevation and the lead angle; and (d) a means for storing this difference.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said weapon-side means includes a second memory for storing data of the ammunition type and the ammunition supply, said second memory erased each time the simulation apparatus is switched off, and where the data is inputted into said second memory by means of a special coding device.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the data to be stored in said second memory is input by means of laser pulses that are coded with a special input code and are received by the weapon-side receiver.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the weapon-side plotting means has a data output for input of the target distance, as determined in the weapon simulation equipment, into the weapon's fire control computer which controls the elevation and azimuth adjustments of the weapon.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said control means comprises: (a) a plurality of cyclically energized laser transmitting diodes to produce the lateral deflection of the laser pulses; and (b) a deflector lens system for producing the vertical deflection of the laser pulses.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said deflector lens system consists of two continuously counter-rotating deflector prisms.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein a target-side travel speed measurement means consists of a sensor which optically scans a rotating part of the travel gear with a pulse generator.

Claim 19

The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said sensor scans the revolutions of a chain or the tank thread of an armored vehicle.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said target-side measurement means determines the travel speed from the vibration spectrum of the vehicle.

Claim 21

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said target-side meansurement means determines the travel speed by means of an optical correlator.

Claim 23

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said target is an armored vehicle having an undercarriage and a turret and wherein said target-side measurement means for determining the direction of travel of the target has an optical reference transmitter on the target undercarriage and a plurality of sensors on the turret for optical determination of the turret position relative to the undercarriage.

Claim 24

The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second sensors are provided around the turret for receiving and determining the direction of the laser pulses as well as the optical reference transmitter, said reference transmitter controlled by the target-side travel speed measurement means for the purpose of pulse coding.