Reconnaissance system for detecting targets and target movements

The invention relates to a reconnaissance system for determining targets and target movements, in particular vehicle movements, in a target area.

The lack of information on target movements in areas difficult to access makes effective and precise control of these goals often impossible.

It is already known, for the elucidation of target movements in a relevant field missiles, including reconnaissance drones to use, take pictures of the monitoring at the field or this scan with radar systems, and transmit the data to a ground control station by radio. In the ground control station, the images are then evaluated by an evaluation with appropriately powerful computer.

A disadvantage of such a conventional reconnaissance system, however, include the high costs of those missiles, especially since they can be easily located and shot down by the enemy. In addition, the radar systems can be disturbed by appropriate anti-radar weapons. Finally, in these known reconnaissance systems, the renewal rate of the target to be determined the relevant data by the missile movement is severely restricted.

The <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US6380889B1"><text>US 6380.889 B1</text></patcit> describes a reconnaissance probe with several acoustic sensors and a GPS navigation system, a magnetic field sensor, two tilt sensors and a seismic sensor. Further, located within the housing, an electronic evaluation unit. The reconnaissance probe works autonomously and is equipped with batteries. You can communicate with a fire control or directly to the guided projectile.

From the <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="DE4104800A1"><text>DE 41 04 800 A1</text></patcit> is a device for real-time terrain reconnaissance, in which the results of the area below to verschießenden real sharp projectile is scanned spirally by the presence and distribution of potential targets in decline. Transmission is also here by means of a communication link.

With the <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="FR2726643"><text>FR 2726643</text></patcit> is a reconnaissance system is disclosed which consists of two hanging parachute probes, a probe with optical viewfinder communicates with the other probe, which in turn communicatively communicates with a base station.

A reconnaissance system with multiple probes is in the <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="EP0173001A2"><text>EP 0173001 A2</text></patcit> published. The probe devices have at least one sensor for recognizing objects. If an object is detected, the prober or a station is rocketed this probe device, then being emitted via an antenna on the fly detection signals that are received by a remote receiver.

With the <patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="EP0743535A1"><text>EP 0743535 A1</text></patcit> is described in a large geographical area, a monitoring system for monitoring and the possibility of action, having a plurality of in-field monitoring cells. It is au-ßerhalb the target area a stationary information center, which is connected via a wireless connection with the respective probe. All cells have at their laying its own identification tag and are combined into groups, each group of cells has a group identification, which can be found in every cell and all cells belonging to the same group / system is the same, the grouping is predetermined.

The invention has the object of providing an over comparable Aufklärungssysten cheaper reconnaissance system for determining targets and target movements, particularly in a hard to reach target area, specify.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Further, particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention disclosed in the subclaims.

The invention is essentially based on the idea to spend a number of relatively simple and therefore cost-effective autonomous working probes in the corresponding target area, for example by means of an artillery carrier projectile, which subsequently determine target-relevant data and position data and can be arranged at an outside of the target area stationary evaluation forward, where they are evaluated by a powerful computer.

Depending on the locations to be determined and the nature of the target area may be the sensors are acoustic sensors, seismic sensors, magnetic sensors, infrared sensors and / or radar systems.

Unless it is probes which are verbringbar by dropping into the target area, they have both a braking device and an up-ending.

Especially advantageous has been found if it is in the communication device is a satellite radio system, since these systems also at greater distances between the evaluation and the target areas in a simple manner the transmission of large amounts of data can be ensured by the probes to the evaluation.

In the sensor for determining the position of each probe is expediently to a Global Position System (GPS) sensor.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following explained with reference to FIGS embodiments. Show it:<ul><li>1 shows the schematic plan view of a to be monitored target area with an inventive reconnaissance system, comprising a plurality of probes, and</li><li>Fig.2 shows the schematic structure of a probe of the reconnaissance system.</li></ul>

In Fig. 1 at 1 is a target area designated by which an enemy tank 2 travels along a road 100, the movement of which changes should be continually monitored.

For this purpose, located in the target area 1, a plurality of distributed probes arranged 3 (one of which is shown in Fig. 1, only nine) of radar systems. The probes 3 are wirelessly via a satellite 4 wirelessly with a computer 5 comprehensive evaluation 6 in conjunction.

2 schematically shows a single remote in the target area 1 probe 3 of the reconnaissance system of the invention. The probe 3 comprises a housing 7, to which there was a parachute device, not shown, which has been separated from the housing 7 by means of a release lock shortly before the landing of the probe third

On the housing 7 also the erecting mechanical 8 is provided which comprises a plurality of paddle-shaped lifting elements 9 which are opened after the landing of the probe 3 of a Aufrichtmechanik and bring the probe 3 in a predetermined position.

Further, located on or in the housing 7 of the probe 3, a power supply device 10, control electronics 11, a sensor 12 with an antenna for accurately positioning the probe 3 (GPS) sensor and an acoustic sensor (microphone) 13, which extended in its illustrated position and housed before the erection of the probe 3 in a corresponding storage 14th

For transmission of the measured data further comprises a messaging device 15 is provided with a satellite modem 16 and a telescopically extensible antenna 17th

Once a cargo projectile, the respective probe 3 spent and thrown in the corresponding target area 1, this is decelerated by the opening parachute device. After separating the parachute device and landing in the predetermined target area 1, the probe 3 is raised by means of erecting the antenna 8 and 17 and the acoustic sensor 13 is pushed out.

After a self-test of the electronic units of the probe 3, the acoustic sensor 13 is switched to receive.

now exceeds the signal received by the acoustic sensor 13 signal of a sound source a certain threshold or is it sufficient another predetermined specific criterion, then by all probes 3 that received this signal, a corresponding signal value at regular time intervals (eg per minute during a time period of 10 seconds) sent together with the GPS position of the respective probe 3 and a precise time-stamp (GPS time) via the satellite 4 to the evaluation 6th

Because of the known GPS positions of the probes 3 sets the evaluation device 6 then for accurate positioning of the tank 2 more Peilgruppen 18, 19 and 20 and determines from the measured values ​​of the probes 3, the direction and speed of the carapace. 2

In addition, a classification of the respective target 2 can be carried out in the evaluation. 6 For this purpose, the received signals from the probes 3 with 6 stored in a memory of the evaluation target characteristic setpoint values ​​can be compared.

The invention is of course not limited to the embodiment described above. Thus, the inventive sensor device can for example be manually placed in each target area by means of a remote-controlled autonomous vehicle or. In this case, can be omitted, the parachute device.

Further, the present in the target area probes can also be arranged such that substantially more than three Peilgruppen be formed. In particular, with respect Peilgruppen may vary on different arranged goals, so that at the same time also more objective movements can be monitored.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

<dl id="dl0001" compact="compact"><dt>1</dt><dd>target area</dd><dt>2</dt><dd>Aim armor</dd><dt>3</dt><dd>probe</dd><dt>4</dt><dd>satellite</dd><dt>5</dt><dd>calculator</dd><dt>6</dt><dd>evaluation</dd><dt>7</dt><dd>housing</dd><dt>8th</dt><dd>erecting</dd><dt>9</dt><dd>righting</dd><dt>10</dt><dd>Power supply means</dd><dt>11</dt><dd>control electronics</dd><dt>12</dt><dd>Sensor, GPS sensor</dd><dt>13</dt><dd>(Acoustic) sensor</dd><dt>14</dt><dd>storage space</dd><dt>15</dt><dd>Messaging device</dd><dt>16</dt><dd>satellite modem</dd><dt>17</dt><dd>antenna</dd><dt>18-20</dt><dd>Peilgruppen</dd></dl><dl id="dl0002" compact="compact"><dt>100</dt><dd>road</dd><dt>101</dt><dd>Aufrichtmechanik</dd></dl>