Simulation system and method for determining the compass bearing of directing means of a virtual projectile/missile firing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944821-B2
Application number	US-81247307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2007
Priority date	Jun 19, 2006
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A simulation system including at least one virtual projectile/missile firing device associated to a determined position and having a movable director arranged to direct a virtual projectile/missile towards a target and an image capturer arranged to capture at least one image of a scene in front of the director. The simulation system includes a terrain database with the positions of landmarks marked, a processor arranged to process the image of the scene so as to identify at least one landmark of the terrain database in the image and the processor is further arranged to determine a compass bearing of the director based on at least the position of the virtual projectile/missile and the position of the identified at least one landmark.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A simulation system, comprising:
at least one virtual projectile/missile firing device associated to a determined geographical position,
a movable directing element arranged to direct a virtual projectile/missile from the at least one virtual projectile/missile firing device towards a target,
an image capturing unit arranged to capture at least one image of an actual scene in front of the directing element, wherein the image capturing unit is mounted in a fixed and known position in relation to the movable directing element,
a terrain database comprising landmarks each associated with a geographical position, and
a processing unit arranged to process the image of the scene so as to identify at least one landmark of the terrain database in the image, wherein said processing unit is configured to identify the landmark and determine the geographical position associated with the landmark by correlating topographic data extracted from the image with data of the terrain database, and wherein said processing unit is further arranged to determine a compass bearing of the directing element based on at least the determined geographical position of the virtual projectile/missile firing device and the geographical position associated with the identified at least one landmark.

2. The simulation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a compass configured to provide a preliminary indication of the compass bearing of the directing element.

3. The simulation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a laser range finder arranged to determine a distance to at least one of the identified landmarks, wherein the processing unit is arranged to determine the compass bearing of said directing element based on the determined at least one distance.

4. The simulation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a position determining unit configured to determine the geographical position of the target, wherein if the target is visible in the image of the scene the processing unit is arranged to determine the compass bearing of the directing element also on the geographical position of the target.

5. The simulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturing unit comprises at least one optic or infrared camera.

6. The simulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturing unit is mounted on the movable directing element.

7. The simulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual projectile/missile firing device comprises a position determining module configured to determine a position of the movable directing element.

8. The simulation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a central network configured to receive/send/store and/or communicate information concerning the position of said at least one virtual projectile/missile firing device and/or the compass bearing of the directing element to any, or all, participants in a simulation exercise and optionally to a third party.

9. The simulation system according to claim 7 , wherein the position determining module utilizes signals from a global positioning system or differential global positioning system.

10. The simulation system, according to claim 1 , wherein the movable directing element comprises a barrel.

11. A method for determining a compass bearing of directing element of a virtual projectile/missile firing device, the method comprising:
determining a geographical position of the virtual projectile/missile firing device via a geographic positioning element,
capturing with an image capturing unit at least one image of an actual scene in front of the directing element, wherein the image capturing unit is mounted in a fixed and known position in relation to the movable directing element,
processing the at least one image with a processor in order to identify at least one landmark,
associating with the processor said at least one landmark with a geographical position using data in a terrain database by correlating topographic data extracted from the image with data of the terrain database, and
determining with the processor a compass bearing of the directing element using information concerning the determined geographical position of at least one landmark in the, or each, image and the geographical position associated with the virtual projectile/missile firing device.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
identifying the landmark by correlating topographic data extracted from the image with data of the terrain database.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
obtaining a preliminary indication of the compass bearing of the directing element, and determining a relevant geographic area of the terrain database to be searched, based on the preliminary indication, in the determination of the geographical position of the landmark.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
emitting a laser beam from the virtual projectile/missile firing device towards at least one identified landmark,
receiving at least a part of said laser beam reflected in the landmark at the virtual projectile/missile firing device,
determining the distance to said landmark based on a time of flight of said reflected laser beam, and
using said determined distance in the determination of the compass bearing.

15. The method according to claim 11 ,
wherein said geographical positioning element is a global positioning system or differential global positioning system.

16. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
computer program instruction recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for determining a geographical position of a virtual projectile/missile firing device via a geographic positioning element, capturing with an image capturing unit at least one image of an actual scene in front of a movable directing element, wherein the image capturing unit is mounted in a fixed and known position in relation to the movable directing element, image processing of the at least one image of the actual scene in order to identify at least one landmark and associate said at least one landmark with a geographical position using data in a terrain database by correlating topographic data extracted from the at least one image with data of the terrain database to determine a compass bearing of a directing element of a virtual projectile/missile firing device using information concerning the determined geographical position of at least one landmark in the at least one image and the geographical position associated with the virtual projectile/missile firing device.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein an effect of any projectile/missile fired from a fixed or moving virtual projectile/missile firing device is simulated.

Assignees

• Tengblad Adam
• Saab Ab

Inventors

• Tengblad Adam

Classifications

• F41G3/2644 Primary

  Displaying the trajectory or the impact point of a simulated projectile in the gunner's sight · CPC title

• F41G3/2611

  coacting with a TV-monitor · CPC title