Area denial communication latency compensation

• US 10,054,404 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Orbital ATK Inc.
• Inventors: Balk, Michael J., Linde, Larry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/838,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/15 for conventional or electronic warfare
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/06 Electric or electromechanical safeties F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/08 for inhibiting firing in a specified direction, e.g. at a friendly person or at a protected area F41A27/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/32 Devices for testing or checking
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/00 Systems for controlling missiles or projectiles, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/08 Barbed-wire obstacles; Barricades; Stanchions; Tank traps; Vehicle-impeding devices; Caltrops making barbed wire B21F25/00; barbed-wire fencing E04H17/04; road barricades, obstructing passage of vehicles or pedestrians E01F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 22/24 Arrangement of mines in fields or barriers net barriers for harbour defence F41H11/05
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 23/00 Land mines ; Land torpedoesF42B12/00 takes precedence; for practice or training F42B8/28
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 23/24 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/40 wherein the safety or arming action is effected electrically
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/42 from a remote location, e.g. for controlled mines or mine fields
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

An area denial system may be operationally placed with communication latency compensation. The area denial system may include a plurality of munitions, one or more sensor devices, and a command and control unit, networked together and having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system. Latency compensation may include determining a first target position, determining a first predicted position area for the target using the command and control latency and the first target position, receiving an authorization to arm one or more of the munitions, determining a second target position, and determining that the second target position is outside a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorizing the first authorized munition.

Claims

1. A method for communication latency compensation in an area denial system deployed in a region, the area denial system including a plurality of munitions defining an obstacle field, one or more sensor devices, and a command and control unit, networked together, via one or more gateway devices, in an area denial network having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system, the method comprising:

detecting, using the one or more sensor devices, a target for the area denial system, the detecting including determining a first target position relative to the obstacle field;

determining a first predicted position area for the target, the first predicted position area indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using the first target position;

determining one or more recommended munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using the first predicted position area for the target;

notifying one or more human operators, via the command control unit, of the one or more recommended munitions;

receiving, from at least one of the one or more human operators, via the command and control unit, authorization to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more authorized munitions at least partially selected from the one or more recommended munitions;

determining a second target position relative to the obstacle field, the second target position detected using the one or more sensor devices; and

determining that the second target position is outside of a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorizing the first authorized munition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying, using the command and control unit, the one or more human operators of the first predicted position area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second target position is determined using the one or more gateway devices and determined subsequent to receiving authorization to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein de-authorizing the authorized munition is executed automatically using at least one of the one or more gateway devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second target position is determined without communication to the command and control unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predicted position area for the target is determined using the command and control unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more recommended munitions are further determined by using an engagement range of each of the plurality of munitions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second target position is within a threshold distance from a second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, maintaining the authorization of the second authorized munition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization to arm one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions is received at the one or more gateway devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second target position is within a threshold distance of a second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, transmitting the authorization to the second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions from the one or more gateway devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the command and control latency is in a range between and including 0.2 seconds to 5 seconds.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the command and control unit is positioned away from the obstacle field a distance substantially in a range between 10 kilometers to 200 kilometers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predicted position area for the target further indicates a position for the target compensated for a two way data latency.

14. A computer program product for communication latency compensation in an area denial system deployed in a region, the area denial system including a plurality of munitions defining an obstacle field, one or more sensor devices, and a command and control unit, networked together, via one or more gateway devices, in an area denial network having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising;

authorization filter means to receive authorization messages to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions;

authorization filter means to receive target sensor data from the one or more sensor devices;

authorization filter means to determine a predicted position area for the target, the predicted position area using the target sensor data; and

authorization filter means to determine that the predicted position area is outside a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorize the first authorized munition.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

authorization filter means to determine that the predicted position area is within a threshold distance of a second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, transmit the authorization to the second authorized munition.

16. An area denial system for deployment in a region, the area denial system comprising:

a plurality of munitions;

one or more sensor devices;

a command and control unit; and

one or more gateway devices;

wherein the plurality of munitions, the one or more sensor devices and the command and control unit are configured to be networked together via the one or more gateway devices in an area denial network having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system;

wherein the command and control unit, and the one or more gateway devices, each include a processor and a computer readable storage medium communicatively connected to the processor, the computer readable storage mediums having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein each of the computer readable storage mediums is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by the respective processors to cause the respective processors to;

detect, using the one or more sensor devices, a target for the area denial system, the detecting including determining a first target position relative to the obstacle field;

determine a first predicted position area for the target, the first predicted position area indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using the first target position;

determine one or more recommended munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using the first predicted position area for the target;

notify one or more human operators, via the command and control unit, of the one or more recommended munitions;

receive from at least one of the one or more human operators, via the command and control unit, authorization to arm one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions;

determine a second predicted position area for the target, the second predicted position area using a second detected target position; and

determine that the second predicted location area is outside a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorizing the first authorized munition.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first predicted position area for the target further indicates a position for the target compensated for a two way data latency.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the command and control latency is substantially in a range between 0.2 seconds to 5 seconds.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of munitions, the one or more sensor devices, the command and control unit, the one or more gateway devices, and the target for the area denial system are represented by a design structure encoded on a second computer readable storage medium, the design structure comprising elements that are accessible by a computing device for an area denial simulation.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the design structure elements comprise:

program instruction means to simulate detecting the target for the area denial system, using the one or more sensor devices, the detecting including determining a first target position relative to the obstacle field;

program instruction means to simulate determining a first predicted position area for the target, the first predicted position area indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using the first target position;

program instruction means to simulate receiving from a human operator via the command and control unit, authorization to arm one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions;

program instruction means to simulate determining a second predicted position area for the target, the second predicted position area using a second detected target position; and

program instruction means to simulate determining that the second predicted location area is outside a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorizing the first authorized munition.