Target tracking device, target tracking method, and recording medium for storing target tracking program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12568310-B2
Application number	US-202218700494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2022
Priority date	Oct 14, 2021
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

Provided are a target tracking device that efficiently tracks a target, a target tracking method, and a recording medium for storing a target tracking program. This target tracking device comprises a determination condition selector and a tracker. The determination condition selector selects a tracking mode for tracking a detected target from among a plurality of tracking modes on the basis of a group of determination conditions related to the position of the target. The tracker tracks the target in the selected tracking mode. The plurality of tracking modes include a first tracking mode that focuses on the vulnerable portion of the target and a second tracking mode that focuses on the center of gravity of the target. The target tracking device further comprises a coping device that irradiates the focused portion of the target with a laser beam to cope with the target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A target tracking device comprising:
a determination condition selector that selects a tracking mode for tracking a detected target from a plurality of tracking modes based on a determination condition group for determining based on a position of the target; and a tracker that tracks the target in the selected tracking mode, wherein the plurality of tracking modes include a first tracking mode for focusing on a vulnerable part of the target and a second tracking mode for focusing on a center-of-gravity part of the target, the target tracking device further includes a countermeasure device that performs a countermeasure by irradiating a focused part of the target with a laser beam, the determination condition selector selects the first tracking mode in a case where a first determination condition group is satisfied, the first determination condition group includes
a first condition that is satisfied in a case where a distance between the target and a ground surface is estimated to be greater than a first threshold value, and
a second condition that is satisfied in a case where a distance between the ground surface and a straight line from the countermeasure device to the target is estimated to be greater than a second threshold value, and
the determination condition selector selects the second tracking mode in a case where at least one of the first condition or the second condition is not satisfied.

2 . The target tracking device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first determination condition group further includes a third condition that is satisfied in a case where a refractive index structure constant around the target is estimated to be less than a third threshold value, and the determination condition selector selects the second tracking mode in a case where the third condition is not satisfied.

3 . The target tracking device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination condition selector selects the tracking mode again in a case where an altitude of the target has changed during the countermeasure against the target by the countermeasure device.

4 . The target tracking device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image quality condition selector that selects the tracking mode from the plurality of tracking modes based on image quality of an image in which the target is captured, wherein the determination condition selector switches between a first selection mode for selecting the tracking mode via the determination condition selector and a second selection mode for selecting the tracking mode via the image quality condition selector in accordance with the number of times of selection of the tracking mode.

5 . The target tracking device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the image quality condition selector
selects the first tracking mode in a case where the image quality is sufficient for recognizing the vulnerable part of the target using image processing, and
selects the second tracking mode in a case where the image quality is not sufficient for recognizing the vulnerable part of the target using image processing.

6 . A target tracking device comprising:
a determination condition selector that selects a tracking mode for tracking a detected target from a plurality of tracking modes based on a determination condition group for determining based on a position of the target; and a tracker that tracks the target in the selected tracking mode, wherein the plurality of tracking modes include a first tracking mode for focusing on a vulnerable part of the target and a second tracking mode for focusing on a center-of-gravity part of the target, the target tracking device further includes a countermeasure device that performs a countermeasure by irradiating a focused part of the target with a laser beam, the plurality of tracking modes further include a third tracking mode for focusing on the vulnerable part of the target in rainy weather, the determination condition selector selects the third tracking mode in a case where a second determination condition group is satisfied, the second determination condition group includes
a first condition that is satisfied in a case where a distance between the target and a ground surface is estimated to be greater than a first threshold value,
a second condition that is satisfied in a case where a distance between the ground surface and a straight line from the countermeasure device to the target is estimated to be greater than a second threshold value, and
a third condition that is satisfied in a case where an amount of rainfall around the target is greater than a third threshold value,
the determination condition selector selects the first tracking mode in a case where the first condition and the second condition are satisfied and the third condition is not satisfied, and the determination condition selector selects the second tracking mode in a case where at least one of the first condition or the second condition is not satisfied.

7 . The target tracking device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the second determination condition group further includes a fourth condition that is satisfied in a case where a refractive index structure constant around the target is estimated to be less than a fourth threshold value, the determination condition selector selects the first tracking mode in a case where the first condition, the second condition, and the fourth condition are satisfied and the third condition is not satisfied, and the determination condition selector selects the second tracking mode in a case where at least one of the first condition, the second condition, or the fourth condition is not satisfied.

8 . A target tracking device comprising:
a determination condition selector that selects a tracking mode for tracking a detected target from a plurality of tracking modes based on a determination condition group for determining based on a position of the target; and a tracker that tracks the target in the selected tracking mode, wherein the plurality of tracking modes include a first tracking mode for focusing on a vulnerable part of the target and a second tracking mode for focusing on a center-of-gravity part of the target, the target tracking device further includes a countermeasure device that performs a countermeasure by irradiating a focused part of the target with a laser beam, the target tracking device further includes an image quality condition selector that selects the tracking mode from the plurality of tracking modes based on image quality of an image in which the target is captured, and the determination condition selector switches between a first selection mode for selecting the tracking mode via the determination condition selector and a second selection mode for selecting the tracking mode via the image quality condition selector in accordance with the number of times of selection of the tracking mode.

9 . The target tracking device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the image quality condition selector
selects the first tracking mode in a case where the image quality is sufficient for recognizing the vulnerable part of the target using image processing, and
selects the second tracking mode in a case where the image quality is not sufficient for recognizing the vulnerable part of the target using image processing.

10 . A target tracking method comprising:
selecting a tracking mode for tracking a detected target from a plurality of tracking modes based on a determination condition group for determining based on a position of the target; and tracking the target in the selected tracking mode, wherein the plurality of tracking modes include a first tra

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• ARISUE Tomoya
• Hamamoto Koichi
• SUNADA Nobuhiro
• Ochiai Atsushi
• Nishikata Shingo

Classifications

• H04N23/667

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• F41H13/005

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• G01S13/883

  for missile homing, autodirectors (missile guidance systems F41G7/22) · CPC title

• G01S13/867

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