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A deployable stationary device includes a device support, rate gyros supported by the device support, the rate gyros being oriented along different axes, and a controller supported by the device support. The controller is arranged to receive rate gyro signals from the rate gyros. Each rate gyro sign

A deployable stationary device includes a device support, rate gyros supported by the device support, the rate gyros being oriented along different axes, and a controller supported by the device support. The controller is arranged to receive rate gyro signals from the rate gyros. Each rate gyro signal indicates a rate of rotation about a respective axis associated with a particular rate gyro. The controller is further arranged to perform a vector sum operation based on the rate gyro signals, and generate a direction signal which identifies a direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation. Such a deployable stationary device is capable of operating as one of a network of such devices in a surveillance system to enable detection and precise location of suspicious activity.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A surveillance system, comprising: a set of deployable stationary devices, each deployable stationary device including (i) a device support, (ii) rate gyros supported by the device support, the rate gyros being oriented along different axes, and (iii) a controller supported b

What is claimed is: 1. A surveillance system, comprising: a set of deployable stationary devices, each deployable stationary device including (i) a device support, (ii) rate gyros supported by the device support, the rate gyros being oriented along different axes, and (iii) a controller supported by the device support, the controller being arranged to: receive rate gyro signals from the rate gyros, each rate gyro signal indicating a rate of rotation about a respective axis associated with a particular rate gyro, perform a vector sum operation based on the rate gyro signals, and generate a direction signal which identifies a direction resulting from performance of the vector sum operation; and a base station arranged to (i) acquire, from each deployable stationary device, a device signal which includes the direction signal generated by the controller of that deployable stationary device, and (ii) identify a location of interest based on the device signal from each deployable stationary device. 2. A surveillance system as in claim 1 wherein the different axes include an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis; wherein the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are substantially orthogonal to each other; and wherein the controller of each deployable stationary device, when receiving the rate gyro signals from the rate gyros, is arranged to obtain (i) an X-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the X-axis, (ii) a Y-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the Y-axis, and (iii) a Z-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the Z-axis. 3. A surveillance system as in claim 2 wherein the controller of each deployable stationary device, when generating the direction signal which identifies the direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation, is arranged to: provide a True North vector signal which identifies a direction of the North-South earth axis relative to that deployable stationary device. 4. A surveillance system as in claim 3 wherein, for each deployable stationary device: that deployable stationary device further includes a sensor supported by the device support of that deployable stationary device, the sensor being arranged to output a sensor signal; and the controller of that deployable stationary device is further arranged to output a respective device signal based on (i) the direction signal identifying the direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation and (ii) the sensor signal. 5. A surveillance system as in claim 4 wherein the device signal outputted by the controller of each deployable stationary device identifies a bearing of a particular location of interest, the bearing being an angular displacement between the particular location of interest and the North-South earth axis. 6. A surveillance system as in claim 5 wherein the device signal outputted by the controller of each deployable stationary device further identifies a location of the deployable stationary device identified via a Global Positioning System (GPS). 7. A surveillance system as in claim 5 wherein the base station is arranged to communicate wirelessly with a first deployable stationary device when the first deployable stationary device resides at a first ground location and a second deployable stationary device when the second deployable stationary device resides at a second ground location which is distal from the first ground location. 8. A surveillance system as in claim 5 wherein each rate gyro is a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology angular rate sensor. 9. A surveillance system as in claim 5 wherein each rate gyro is a fiber optic technology angular rate sensor. 10. A deployable stationary device, comprising: a device support; rate gyros supported by the device support, the rate gyros being oriented along different axes; and a controller supported by the device support, the controller being arranged to: receive rate gyro signals from the rate gyros, each rate gyro signal indicating a rate of rotation about a respective axis associated with a particular rate gyro, perform a vector sum operation based on the rate gyro signals, and generate a direction signal which identifies a direction resulting from performance of the vector sum operation. 11. A deployable stationary device as in claim 10 wherein the different axes include an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis; wherein the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are substantially orthogonal to each other; and wherein the controller, when receiving the rate gyro signals from the rate gyros, is arranged to obtain (i) an X-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the X-axis, (ii) a Y-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the Y-axis, and (iii) a Z-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the Z-axis. 12. A deployable stationary device as in claim 11 wherein the controller, when generating the direction signal which identifies the direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation, is arranged to: provide a True North vector signal which identifies a direction of the North-South earth axis relative to the deployable stationary device. 13. A deployable stationary device as in claim 12, further comprising a sensor supported by the device support, the sensor being arranged to output a sensor signal; and wherein the controller is further arranged to output a device signal based on (i) the direction signal identifying the direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation and (ii) the sensor signal. 14. A deployable stationary device as in claim 13 wherein the device signal identifies a bearing of a particular location of interest, the bearing being an angular displacement between the particular location of interest and the North-South earth axis. 15. A deployable stationary device as in claim 14 wherein the device signal further identifies a location of the deployable stationary device identified via a Global Positioning System (GPS). 16. A deployable stationary device as in claim 14 wherein each rate gyro is a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology angular rate sensor. 17. A deployable stationary device as in claim 14 wherein each rate gyro is a fiber optic technology angular rate sensor. 18. In a deployable stationary device having rate gyros oriented along different axes, a method of identifying a directional reference, the method comprising: receiving rate gyro signals from the rate gyros, each rate gyro signal indicating a rate of rotation about a respective axis associated with a particular rate gyro; performing a vector sum operation based on the rate gyro signals; and providing a direction signal which identifies a direction resulting from performance of the vector sum operation. 19. A method as in claim 18 wherein the different axes include an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis; wherein the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are substantially orthogonal to each other; and wherein receiving the rate gyro signals from the rate gyros includes obtaining (i) an X-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the X-axis, (ii) a Y-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the Y-axis, and (iii) a Z-axis signal indicating a rate of rotation about the Z-axis. 20. A method as in claim 19 wherein providing the direction signal which identifies the direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation includes: generating a True North vector signal which identifies a direction of the North-South earth axis relative to the deployable stationary device.