Patent ID: 7304283

Claim:
Target tracking device ( 2 ) for a flight vehicle ( 10 ), having a position-sensitive photodiode ( 4 ) facilitating spatial detection of an illuminated point imaged on the photodiode and in the absence of any non-detecting points being arranged in the illuminated area of the photodiode, with at least two signal outputs (A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 ) which are each connected to a respective readout electronics ( 6 ), a control unit ( 8 ) which is connected to both said readout electronics ( 6 ), and an optical lens unit ( 12 ) for imaging from the outside of the target tracking device by a marker laser ( 18 ) an illuminated point ( 15 ) of an object scene ( 14 ) on the photodiode ( 4 ), the readout electronics ( 6 ) each respectively having an integration element for integrating a signal of the photodiode ( 4 ), said control unit ( 8 ) detecting a phase angle of pulses (P) of a pulse frequency (F) of the signal of the photodiode ( 4 ), and said control unit ( 8 ) prescribing an integration starting instant (t 1 , t 3 ) and an integration terminating instant (t 2 , t 4 ) as a function of the phase angle.