JP5832115B2 - Directional energy system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a directed energy system that irradiates a target with an energy bundle such as a laser beam.

  The directed energy system irradiates the energy flux toward the target. For example, in the case of a laser system, a target is irradiated with a laser beam output from a laser light source. Here, when only a single laser light source is used, it is difficult to realize a high-power laser beam. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a plurality of laser light sources in order to realize a high-power laser beam.

  Patent Document 1 (US Publication No. 2010/0148033) describes a control method after a laser beam hits a target in a laser system using a plurality of laser light sources. More specifically, a beam discriminator module monitors the parameters of the laser beam generated by each laser light source. Further, a position sensor determines whether any laser beam has missed the target based on the parameters monitored by the beam identification unit.

US Publication 2010/0148033

  One object of the present invention is to provide a suitable control technique for directing an energy flux output from each energy radiation source to a target in a directed energy system using a plurality of energy radiation sources.

  [Means for Solving the Problems] will be described below using the numbers and symbols used in [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]. These numbers and symbols are added with parentheses in order to clarify the correspondence between the description of [Claims] and [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]. However, these numbers and symbols should not be used for the interpretation of the technical scope of the invention described in [Claims].

  In one aspect of the present invention, the directional energy system (1) includes a plurality of laser light sources (10), a plurality of directional devices (20), a target information acquisition device (30), and a control device (40). Prepare. The plurality of directing devices (20) change the irradiation direction of the laser beam (11) output from each of the plurality of laser light sources (10). The target information acquisition device (30) acquires target information (TAR) including information for specifying the direction of the target (100). The control device (40) has a plurality of directional devices (TAR) based on the target information (TAR) so that the target (100) is irradiated with the laser beam (11) output from each of the plurality of laser light sources (10). 20) is controlled.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the directional energy system (1) includes a plurality of energy radiation sources (110), a plurality of directional devices (20), a target information acquisition device (30), and a control device (40). Is provided. The plurality of directing devices (20) change the irradiation direction of the energy flux (111) output from each of the plurality of energy radiation sources (110). The target information acquisition device (30) acquires target information (TAR) including information for specifying the direction of the target (100). The control device (40) includes a plurality of directional devices based on the target information (TAR) so that the energy flux (111) output from each of the plurality of energy radiation sources (110) is irradiated to the target (100). (20) is controlled.

  According to the present invention, in a directional energy system using a plurality of energy radiation sources, suitable control for applying an energy flux output from each energy radiation source to a target is realized.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a directional energy system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth example of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a first modification of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a first modification of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a second modification of the directional energy system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1. Directional energy system 1-1. Configuration FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of a directional energy system 1 according to the present embodiment. The directional energy system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of laser light sources 10 and irradiates at least one target 100 with a laser beam 11 output from each laser light source 10. More specifically, the directional energy system 1 includes a plurality of laser light sources 10, a plurality of directional devices 20, a target information acquisition device 30, and a control device 40.

  The plurality of laser light sources 10 each output a laser beam 11 independently. In the example of FIG. 1, three laser light sources 10-1 to 10-3 are provided, and these laser light sources 10-1 to 10-3 output laser beams 11-1 to 11-3, respectively, independently. .

  Each directing device 20 is configured to be able to change the irradiation direction of the laser beam 11 in accordance with an external control signal CON. For example, each directing device 20 includes a movable mirror that reflects the laser beam 11 and a mirror control device that moves the movable mirror in response to the control signal CON. In the present embodiment, the directing device 20 is provided for each laser light source 10. In the example of FIG. 1, three directing devices 20-1 to 20-3 are provided, and these directing devices 20-1 to 20-3 are independently irradiated with laser beams 11-1 to 11-3. Change direction.

  The target information acquisition apparatus 30 acquires “target information TAR” regarding at least one target 100. Here, the target information TAR is information necessary for specifying the direction of the target 100. For example, the target information TAR may be radar data that captures the target 100 or a captured image of the target 100. Further, the target information TAR may indicate the position coordinates of the target 100 itself. The target information acquisition device 30 sends the acquired target information TAR to the control device 40. “Radar data” means the distance and position of the target 100 obtained when the radar captures the target 100, or the coordinates of the target 100 obtained therefrom.

  The control device 40 is typically a computer. The control device 40 controls the operations of the laser light source 10, the directing device 20, and the target information acquisition device 30. A signal for controlling these operations is a control signal CON. For example, the control device 40 outputs a control signal CON to the laser light source 10 to control ON / OFF of the laser light source 10 and various parameters of the laser beam 11. Further, the control device 40 outputs a control signal CON to the pointing device 20 to control ON / OFF of the pointing device 20 and the pointing direction. In addition, the control device 40 outputs a control signal CON to the target information acquisition device 30 to control ON / OFF of the target information acquisition device 30 and device characteristics.

  In particular, the control device 40 refers to the target information TAR sent from the target information acquisition device 30 when controlling the pointing direction of the pointing device 20. Then, the control device 40 independently controls the plurality of directing devices 20 based on the target information TAR so that at least one target 100 is irradiated with the laser beam 11 output from each of the plurality of laser light sources 10. To do.

  By using the position vector s of the target information acquisition device 30, the position vector m of the pointing device 20, and the position vector t of the target 100, the direction vector u to the pointing device 20 viewed from the target information acquisition device 30 is “u = Ms ". In addition, the direction vector v toward the target 100 as viewed from the target information acquisition apparatus 30 is represented by “v = ts”. At this time, a direction vector toward the target 100 as viewed from the pointing device 20, that is, a desired pointing direction by the pointing device 20, is represented by “tm = v−u”. The direction vector u is determined by the positional relationship between the pointing device 20 and the target information acquisition device 30. On the other hand, the direction vector v is obtained from the target information TAR. Therefore, the control device 40 can control the pointing device 20 so that the pointing direction becomes “vu” by referring to the target information TAR.

  The number of targets 100 is not limited to one and may be plural. FIG. 2 shows a case where a plurality of targets 100-A and 100-B are irradiated with the laser beam 11. In the present embodiment, since a plurality of directing devices 20-1 to 20-3 are provided for each of the plurality of laser beams 11-1 to 11-3, the plurality of laser beams 11-1 to 11-11. -3 irradiation directions can be controlled independently. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously irradiate a plurality of different targets 100-A and 100-B with a plurality of laser beams 11-1 to 11-3. In addition, it is also possible to irradiate the plurality of laser beams 11-1 to 11-3 to the plurality of targets 100 one by one in order.

1-2. Effect According to the present embodiment, since a plurality of laser light sources 10 are used, it is possible to apply a larger amount of energy to the target 100 as compared with the case where only a single laser light source is used, which is preferable. is there.

  Here, as a comparative example, consider a case where a plurality of laser beams output from each of a plurality of laser light sources are bundled into one laser beam by using a coupler. In this case, although a high-power laser beam can be obtained, the system configuration is complicated. In addition, it is necessary to pass a laser beam through the coupler, which restricts the arrangement of a plurality of laser light sources. That is, the degree of freedom in system design deteriorates.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of directional devices 20 are provided for each of the plurality of laser beams 11, and the plurality of laser beams 11 are controlled to the target 100 by controlling the plurality of directional devices 20. Can be irradiated. That is, it is possible to irradiate the target 100 with a high-power laser beam without using a coupler to bundle a plurality of laser beams. Since no coupler is required, restrictions on the arrangement of the plurality of laser light sources 10 are relaxed. That is, the degree of freedom in system design is improved.

  Further, the provision of a plurality of directing devices 20 for each of the plurality of laser beams 11 means that the irradiation directions of the plurality of laser beams 11 can be controlled independently. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to simultaneously irradiate a plurality of different targets 100 with a plurality of laser beams 11.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the control device 40 refers to the target information TAR sent from the target information acquisition device 30 when controlling the pointing direction of the pointing device 20. Then, the control device 40 controls the plurality of directing devices 20 based on the target information TAR so that at least one target 100 is irradiated with the laser beam 11 output from each of the plurality of laser light sources 10. As a result, the irradiation accuracy of the laser beam 11 with respect to the target 100 is remarkably improved.

  Note that, although the above-described Patent Document 1 describes a control method after the laser beam hits the target, it does not describe how to apply the laser beam to the target.

  The directional energy system 1 according to the present embodiment is applied to, for example, a laser weapon or a laser energy transmission system.

2. Target Information Acquisition Device Various examples of the target information acquisition device 30 used in the directional energy system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below.

2-1. First Embodiment FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the target information acquisition device 30 includes a radar 31 and an optical camera 32.

  The radar 31 searches for the target 100. Information obtained as a result of the radar search becomes at least part of the target information TAR.

  The optical camera 32 captures an area including at least a part of the target 100. Information obtained as a result of the photographing becomes at least a part of the target information TAR. More specifically, the optical camera 32 observes natural light reflected, scattered or emitted from the target 100. Alternatively, the optical camera 32 may observe reflected light or scattered light of the laser beam 11 irradiated on the target 100. Alternatively, the optical camera 32 may observe natural light reflected, scattered or radiated from the target 100 and reflected light or scattered light of the laser beam 11 irradiated on the target 100. The optical camera 32 can generate the target information TAR based on the observed light.

  For example, the target information TAR can be generated by performing signal processing on the observed image data. More specifically, the light from the target 100 is observed as an image, the coordinates of the target 100 are obtained from the luminance distribution of the image, and the target information TAR can be generated. Further, by processing an image obtained by observing the target 100 at a plurality of wavelengths, the coordinates of the target 100 can be obtained and the target information TAR can be generated.

  The radar 31 has a characteristic that the search range is wide but the target observation accuracy is low. On the other hand, the optical camera 32 has a characteristic that the search range is narrow but the target observation accuracy is high. Therefore, by combining the radar 31 and the optical camera 32, more precise control is possible.

  For example, the radar 31 first searches for the target 100. The control device 40 controls the plurality of pointing devices 20 based on the target information TAR acquired by the radar 31. As a result, the target 100 is irradiated with the laser beam 11. Thereafter, the control device 40 further receives the highly accurate target information TAR generated by the optical camera 32. Then, the control device 40 controls the plurality of directing devices 20 based on the highly accurate target information TAR, and finely adjusts the directing directions thereof. In this way, precise directivity control is possible. When precise control based on the optical camera 32 is started, the radar 31 may start searching for another target 100.

  Each of the plurality of laser beams 11 can also be distinguished. Specifically, the control device 40 changes the output state (ON / OFF, pulse period, etc.) of the target laser beam 11. The observation pattern of the laser beam 11 observed by the optical camera 32 changes before and after the change of the output state of the target laser beam 11. Therefore, the control device 40 can calculate the irradiation position of the target laser beam 11 on the target 100 based on the target information TAR generated by the optical camera 32. The control device 40 may control the directivity direction of the corresponding directivity device 20 in order to finely adjust the irradiation position of the target laser beam 11.

2-2. Second Embodiment FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the target information acquisition device 30 includes an optical camera 32. The optical camera 32 is the same as that in the first embodiment. For example, first, the optical camera 32 observes natural light reflected, scattered, or emitted from the target 100. Based on the target information TAR indicating the observation result, the control device 40 controls the plurality of pointing devices 20. As a result, the target 100 is irradiated with the laser beam 11. Thereafter, observation results of reflected light and scattered light of the laser beam 11 irradiated on the target 100 may be used for control.

2-3. Third Embodiment FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the target information acquisition device 30 includes a radar 31. Control based on the radar 31 is the same as in the first embodiment.

2-4. Fourth Embodiment FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the target information acquisition device 30 includes a communication device 33. The communication device 33 receives the target information TAR from the outside and sends the target information TAR to the control device 40. For example, the target information TAR may indicate the position coordinates of the target 100 itself. Such target information TAR is generated and provided by the target 100 itself, for example. The fourth embodiment can be applied to a laser energy transmission system, for example.

3. Modification 3-1. First Modification FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a first modification of the directional energy system 1. In the first modification, a beam adjuster 50 is provided for each laser light source 10 (laser beam 11). The beam adjuster 50 adjusts the propagation method (expansion etc.) of the laser beam 11 according to the control signal CON from the control device 40. As a result, the laser beam 11 can be used for purposes other than energy irradiation with respect to the target 100. For example, the laser beam 11 can be used for communication and searching for the target 100. As shown in FIG. 8, only a part of the plurality of laser beams 11 may be used for communication or searching for the target 100.

3-2. Second Modification Example FIG. 9 shows a second modification example of the directional energy system 1. The target 100 is not limited to the laser beam 11 as described above, and may be a radio wave, for example. More generally, the target 100 is irradiated with an energy flux 111. As shown in FIG. 9, the directional energy system 1 includes a plurality of energy radiation sources 110, a plurality of directional devices 20 that change the irradiation direction of the energy flux 111 output from each of the plurality of energy radiation sources 110, a target An information acquisition device 30 and a control device 40 are provided. The target information acquisition device 30 and the control device 40 are the same as those described above.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Directional energy system 10 Laser light source 11 Laser beam 20 Directional device 30 Target information acquisition device 31 Radar 32 Optical camera 33 Communication device 40 Control device 50 Beam adjuster 100 Target 110 Energy radiation source 111 Energy flux TAR Target information CON Control signal

Claims (11)

A plurality of laser light sources including a first laser light source and a second laser light source;
A target information acquisition device for acquiring target information including information for specifying the direction of the target;
Wherein as the plurality of output from the respective laser light sources Relais Zabimu is irradiated to the target, and a control unit for outputting a control signal based on the target information,
A plurality of directional devices that change the irradiation direction of the laser beam output from each of the plurality of laser light sources in response to the control signal, and include a first directional device and a second directional device. It equipped with a door,
The first directing device responds to the control signal from the first laser light source without changing an irradiation direction of a laser beam output from a light source other than the first laser light source among the plurality of laser light sources. Change the irradiation direction of the output laser beam,
The second directing device responds to the control signal from the second laser light source without changing an irradiation direction of a laser beam output from a light source other than the second laser light source among the plurality of laser light sources. Directed energy system that changes the direction of laser beam output . The directional energy system according to claim 1,
The target information acquisition device includes an optical camera that observes light reflected, scattered or emitted from the target,
The optical camera generates the target information based on the observed light. The directional energy system according to claim 2,
Directed energy systems wherein light including natural light reflected, scattered or emitted from said target to said optical camera the observation. A directional energy system according to claim 2 or 3,
The light is directed energy systems including reflected and scattered light of the laser beam irradiated to the target of the optical camera the observation. A directional energy system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The target information acquisition device includes a radar that searches for the target. The directional energy system according to claim 5,
The target information acquisition device further includes an optical camera for observing light reflected, scattered or emitted from the target,
The optical camera generates the target information based on the observed light;
The control device first controls the plurality of directional devices based on the target information acquired by the radar,
After the laser beam is irradiated onto the target, the control device further controls the plurality of pointing devices based on the target information generated by the optical camera. A directional energy system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The target information acquisition device includes a communication device that receives the target information from the outside. A directional energy system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The number of the targets is plural,
The laser beam is directed energy system to be irradiated simultaneously to a plurality of said target. A plurality of energy radiation sources including a first energy radiation source and a second energy radiation source ;
A target information acquisition device for acquiring target information including information for specifying the direction of the target;
Wherein As Rue energy beam output from each of the plurality of energy emitting source are irradiated to the target, and a control unit for outputting a control signal based on the target information,
A plurality of directional devices that change the irradiation direction of the energy flux output from each of the plurality of energy radiation sources in response to the control signal, the plurality of directional devices including a first directional device and a second directional device. It equipped with a door,
The first directing device responds to the control signal without changing an irradiation direction of an energy flux output from a radiation source other than the first energy radiation source among the plurality of energy radiation sources. Change the irradiation direction of the energy flux output from the energy radiation source,
The second directing device responds to the control signal without changing the irradiation direction of the energy flux output from a radiation source other than the second energy radiation source among the plurality of energy radiation sources. A directed energy system that changes the direction of irradiation of the energy flux output from the energy radiation source . The directional energy system according to claim 1,
The control device includes:
Controlling the plurality of directing devices to irradiate a laser beam output from each of the plurality of laser light sources toward one target;
Controlling the plurality of directing devices to simultaneously irradiate the plurality of targets with laser beams output from the plurality of laser light sources;
Can be selectively executed
Directional energy system . A first laser light source and a second laser light source;
A target information acquisition device for acquiring target information including information for specifying the direction of the target;
A control device that outputs a control signal based on the target information so that a laser beam output from each of the first laser light source and the second laser light source is irradiated to the target;
A first directing device that changes an irradiation direction of a laser beam output from the first laser light source in response to the control signal;
A second directing device that changes an irradiation direction of a laser beam output from the second laser light source in response to the control signal;
With
In response to the control signal, the first directing device changes the irradiation direction of the laser beam output from the first laser light source without changing the irradiation direction of the laser beam output from the second laser light source. ,
The second directing device changes the irradiation direction of the laser beam output from the second laser light source without changing the irradiation direction of the laser beam output from the first laser light source in response to the control signal.
Directional energy system.

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