Controlled interlace for TOW missiles using medium wave infrared sensor or TV sensor

In a weapon systems for use in a battlefield environment to locate and destroy enemy vehicles, apparatus for detecting an object located within a defined field of view comprising:

• search means defining the field of view in which the object may be located, said search means including an array of individual elements each of which comprises one pixel of an observed display of the field of view, said field of view being in the visible portion of the light spectrum thereby to be displayable to an observer, and said pixel array being comprised of a plurality of diodes each of which has a unique address within the array;
• sensing means for repetitively scanning the field of view and for detecting the presence of an object therein, said scanning means including means for detecting the object by a characteristic thereof which occurs in either the visible or infrared portion of the spectrum and driver means for repetitively moving the detecting means through the field of view, said detecting means being capable of detecting the object regardless of which area of the spectrum in which the characteristic occurs, and said detecting means is an infrared detector adapted to detect an object having characteristics in both the infrared and visible portions of the spectrum;
• conversion means responsive to the scanning means for activating pixels in the array in response to a scan of the field of view;
• and,
• processing means for searching all the pixels within the array to identify a signature which matches a predetermined characteristic of the object, identification of such signature, being by a single pixel and signifying the presence of the vehicle in the field of view whereby the object is identifiable at a distance from the weapons system, said processing means including means responsive to the presence of the object by defining a set of pixels within the array which includes said pixel, and focusing on said set during subsequent scans thereby to track the object.

A method of detecting objects at a distance comprising:

• displaying for observation a field of view in which the object may be located, said display of said field of view being comprised of an array of individual elements each of which comprises one pixel of an observable display;
• repetitively scanning the field of view for detecting the presence of an object therein including detecting the object by a characteristic thereof which occurs in either the visible or infrared portion of the spectrum, means for detecting the object being capable of detecting it regardless of which area of the spectrum in which the characteristic occurs, including repetitively moving the detecting means through the field of view, detecting the object including use of an infrared detector adapted to detect objects having characteristics in both the infrared and visible portions of the spectrum;
• activating pixels in the array in response to a scan of the field of view;
• searching all the pixels within the array to identify a signature which matches a predetermined characteristic of the object, identification of such signature being by a single pixel and signifying the presence of the object in the field of view;
• responding to the presence of the object by defining a set of pixels within the array which includes said pixel;
• and,
• focusing on said set during subsequent scans thereby to track the object.