TV Tracker Fits Gate To Target And Reads V-Angle

Albert L. Thomas Jr.; Robert H. Collins III; William J. Steele

doi:10.1117/12.956104

11 September 1978 TV Tracker Fits Gate To Target And Reads V-Angle

Albert L. Thomas Jr., Robert H. Collins III, William J. Steele

Proceedings Volume 0134, Photo- and Electro-Optics in Range Instrumentation; (1978) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.956104
Event: Photo and Electro-Optics in Range Instrumentation, 1978, Fort Walton Beach, United States

Abstract

TV trackers began evolving from RADAR track-while-scan systems in the late 50's. One of the first was built by Norden, a "boresight Error Measuring Device" for ADTC in 1960. The width and height of its rectangular gate were each adjustable. Detection bias was also manually set. It was reported to track when the target was large enough or strong enough, but its tracking integrators suffered from drift. The operator had to continuously adjust the detection bias. If the contrast of the target changed polarity, the operator had to throw a polarity switch. In 1963, Southern Research Institute delivered to MICOM a TV tracker with a gate that discriminated against background by fitting itself to the contrast contour of the target. After three generations of improvements, the SRI Adaptive Gate Tracker was selected as the baseline concept for the Maverick missile guidance unit. We are now four designs later and still no single tracker incorporates all of the functions known to be desirable in a TV tracker. A general review of Automatic TV Trackers was presented by F. J. Thomas and C. A. Winsor in 1976(1). The present paper discusses problems of pictorial tracking and an approach to their solution.

Citation Download Citation

Albert L. Thomas Jr., Robert H. Collins III, and William J. Steele "TV Tracker Fits Gate To Target And Reads V-Angle", Proc. SPIE 0134, Photo- and Electro-Optics in Range Instrumentation, (11 September 1978); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.956104

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