초록 ▼

An electro-optical imaging sensors system is disclosed for detecting and locating a blast, including muzzle flash, created by the launch of a projectile from a gun barrel, rocket tube or similar device, generally associated with weapons fire. The system is used in conjunction with detection algorith

An electro-optical imaging sensors system is disclosed for detecting and locating a blast, including muzzle flash, created by the launch of a projectile from a gun barrel, rocket tube or similar device, generally associated with weapons fire. The system is used in conjunction with detection algorithms and provides the azimuth and elevation from the detecting sensor to the location of the blast (the launch location) and also provides the weapon classification.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A weapon fire detection and localization system, comprising: a weapon fire detection imaging sensor system based on three imaging detection sensors, each of which is based on a respective focal plane array which images in a different spectral range to, produce a video output to provide spectrally

1. A weapon fire detection and localization system, comprising: a weapon fire detection imaging sensor system based on three imaging detection sensors, each of which is based on a respective focal plane array which images in a different spectral range to, produce a video output to provide spectrally distinct signatures of weapon fire events;a global positioning system and accelerometer module based on a global positioning system capable of providing longitude position, latitude position, global date and time, and an accelerometer capable of determining a three axis orientation;a processor to computer process said video outputs using a weapon fire detection and localization algorithm to compute intensity, shape, and duration measurements from multiple temporally and spatially aligned spectral signatures and derive weapon fire detection and localization results, said weapon fire detection and localization algorithm comprising the following steps: video outputs from said three imaging detection sensors are provided to the processor as sensor outputs;a data input containing time, position, and orientation of said global positioning system and accelerometer module is provided to the processor;weapon fire detections are independently determined from the video output of each imaging detection sensor in the weapon fire detection sensor system, wherein signal intensity, duration, and shape characteristics are used to determine detections;said weapon fire detections are analyzed to determine if saturation occurs in the detected signal of all three detection sensors, wherein if all three imaging detection sensors are determined to be saturated, then the following steps are taken: the data input containing time, position, and orientation is processed to calculate a position of the sun, orientation data is used to determine a field of view of the detection imaging sensor system, relative to a position of the detection imaging sensor system, locations of detected saturated signals are compared with the calculated position of the sun, saturated events not co-located with the sun are declared as weapon fire, and saturated events declared as weapon fire are classified against known threat signatures as a resulting detection;if multiple detections are found to be associated, have been generated by a single hostile fire event, and at least one detection sensor was not saturated, a single detection is created as a resulting detection;for the resulting detection, features are calculated from temporal and intensity profiles of detection and used to classify the created detection as either weapons fire or false alarm, where weapon fire can be subdivided into ATGM, RR, and RPG; andassociated detections, or the resulting detection, which have been classified as a weapon fire is declared as a weapon fire, wherein for each declared weapon fire event, azimuth location, elevation location, weapon classification, and time of firing are reported; anda messaging system to provide an alert message based on the weapon fire detection and localization results. 2. The weapon fire detection and localization system recited in claim 1, wherein the messaging system distributes the results of the weapon fire detection and localization algorithm to other connected systems, such as a weapon fire tracking system and a user alert system, providing an alert message. 3. The weapon fire detection and localization system recited in claim 1, wherein the weapon fire detection imaging sensor system is based on one LWIR sensor which images in the long-wavelength infrared band, and two MWIR sensors which image in the mid-wavelength infrared band, wherein the output of the LWIR sensor is processed for potential detections, whereas the output of each MWIR imaging sensor is processed to determine detections. 4. The weapon fire detection and localization system recited in claim 3, wherein detections from each of the two MWIR sensor are analyzed against detections from the LWIR sensor to determine whether the detections were generated from the same weapons fire event, wherein if the detection in the LWIR sensor and the detections in the two MWIR sensors are associated as generated from the same weapon fire event, a single detection is generated to represent associated detections, which single detection contains signature information from both the LWIR detection and the two MWIR detections. 5. The weapon fire detection and localization system recited in claim 1, wherein said weapon fire detection and localization algorithm is comprised of the following steps: video outputs from said three imaging detection sensors are provided to the processor as sensor outputs;weapon fire detections are determined independently from the video output of each imaging detection sensor in the weapon fire detection sensor system, wherein signal intensity, duration, and shape characteristics are used to determine detections;detections from multiple sensor outputs are compared, and if multiple detections are associated and found to have been generated by a single hostile fire event, then a single detection is created;features are calculated frons a temporal and intensity profile of a detection and used to classify the detection as either weapons fire or false alarm, where weapon fire can be subdivided into ATGM, RR, and RPG; andassociated detections Which have been classified as weapon fire are declared as a weapon fire, wherein for each declared weapon tine event, azimuth location, elevation location, weapon classification, and time of firing are reported. 6. The weapon fire detection and localization system recited, in claim 5, wherein detection locations, detection event time, and characteristics of detected signatures are used to determine whether multiple detections are associated and generated by the same weapons fire event. 7. A weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor, comprising: a weapon fire detection imaging sensor system comprising one imaging detection sensor which images in the long-wavelength infrared band, two imaging detection sensors which image in the mid-wavelength infrared band, and an imaging saturation sensor which images to a sensor focal plane in the mid-wavelength infrared band for detected saturated signals, said imaging saturation sensor being capable of preventing saturation from an anticipated weapons fire, each providing a video output as input to the processor;a weapon fire detection processor to computer process said video outputs using a weapon fire detection and localization algorithm to compute intensity, shape, and duration measurements from multiple temporally and spatially aligned spectral signatures and output weapon fire detection and localization results; anda messaging system to provide an alert message based on the weapon fire detection and localization results. 8. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 7, wherein the messaging system provides the output of the weapon fire detection processor to a weapon fire tracking system and a user alert system, providing an alert message. 9. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 7, wherein said imaging saturation sensor prevents saturation from anticipated weapons fire by at least one of limiting energy reaching its sensor focal plane and reducing sensitivity of the imaging saturation sensor. 10. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 7, wherein detections across multiple detection sensors are analyzed to determine whether the multiple detections across multiple sensors were generated by a single hostile fire event based on detection locations, detection event time, and characteristics of detected signatures. 11. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 7, Wherein said weapon fire detection and localization algorithm is comprised of the following steps: video outputs from each imaging detection sensor and a saturation sensor video output of the imaging saturation sensor are provided to the processor as sensor outputs;weapon fire detections are determined independently from the video output of each imaging detection sensor in the weapon fire detection sensor system, wherein signal intensity, duration, and shape characteristics are used to determine detections;said weapon fire detections are analyzed to determine if saturation occurs in the detected signal of all three detection sensors;if all three imaging detection sensors are saturated, a weapon fire detection is determined from the saturation sensor video output, wherein if a detection occurs, a single detection is created as a resulting detection;if multiple imaging detection sensor detections are found to be associated and generated by a single hostile fire event, a single detection is created as a resulting detection,features are calculated from the temporal and intensity profile of the resulting detection and used to classify the detection as either weapons fire or false alarm, where weapon fire can be subdivided into ATOM, RR, and RPG; andassociated detections, or the resulting detection, which have been classified as a weapon fire is declared as a weapon fire, wherein for each declared weapon fire event, the azimuth location, elevation location, weapon classification, and time of firing are reported. 12. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 7, wherein the one imaging detection sensor which images in the long-wavelength infrared band is an LWIR detection sensor, and the two imaging detection sensors which image in the mid-wavelength infrared band are MWIR detection sensors. 13. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 12, wherein the output of the LWIR detection sensor is processed for potential detections, the output of each MWIR detection sensors is processed to determine detections, and the output of the image saturation sensor is processed for potential detections if all three imaging detection sensors are saturated, returning a single detection as a resulting detection for each weapon fire event. 14. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing a saturation sensor as recited in claim 12, wherein detections from each of the two MWIR detection sensors are analyzed against detections from the LW IR detection sensor to determine whether the detections were generated from the same weapons fire event, wherein if the detections in the LWIR sensor and the detections in the two MWIR sensors are associated, and were generated from the same weapons fire event, a single detection is generated as a resulting detection to represent the associated detections, which resulting detection contains signature information from both the LWIR detection and the two MWIR detections. 15. A weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing an acoustic sensor, comprising: a weapon fire detection imaging sensor system based on three imaging detection sensors, each of which images in a different spectral range to produce a video output to provide spectrally distinct signatures of weapon fire events;a weapon fire detection acoustic sensor system based on an audio microphone saturation sensor and an analog to digital converter to detect saturated signals;a processor to computer process said video outputs of the imaging detection sensors and a digital audio output of the audio microphone saturation sensor using a weapon fire detection and localization algorithm to compute intensity, shape, and duration measurements from multiple temporally and spatially aligned spectral signatures and derive weapon fire detection and localization results, wherein video outputs from each imaging detection sensor in the weapon fire detection imaging sensor system are provided to the processor as image sensor outputs, and the digital audio output of the audio microphone saturation sensor in the weapon fire acoustic sensor system is provided to the processor as a saturation acoustic sensor output, and wherein said weapon fire detection and localization algorithm is comprised of the following steps: weapon fire detections are independently determined from the video output of each imaging detection sensor in the weapon fire detection sensor system,the weapon fire detections are analyzed to determine if saturation occurs in the detected signal of all three imaging detection sensors,if all three imaging detection sensors are saturated, the saturation acoustic sensor output is processed to determine if a detection occurred, and if so, a single detection is created as a resulting detection,if multiple detections are found to be associated and generated by a single hostile fire event and at least one imaging detection sensor was not saturated, a single detection is created as a resulting detection,features are calculated from the temporal and intensity profiles of the resulting detection and used to classify the detection as either weapons fire or false alarm, where weapon fire can be subdivided into ATGM, RR, and RPG, andassociated detections, or the resulting detection, which has been classified as a weapon fire is declared as a weapon fire, wherein for each declared weapon fire event, the azimuth location, elevation location, weapon classification, and time of firing are reported; anda messaging system to distribute the output results of the weapon fire detection and localization algorithm to other connected systems and provide an alert message. 16. The weapon fire detection and localization system utilizing an acoustic sensor as recited in claim 15, wherein the weapon fire detection imaging sensor system is based on one LWIR sensor which images in the long wavelength infrared band and two MWIR sensors which image in the mid-wavelength infrared band our imaging sensors, wherein if the detection in the LWIR sensor and the detections in the two MWIR sensors were found to be associated and generated from the same weapons fire event, a single resulting detection is generated to represent the associated detections, which resulting detection contains signature information from both the LWIR detection and the two MWIR detections.