System for monitoring marine vessels using fractal processing of aerial imagery and related methods

• US 10,302,769 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Delay, John L., Ingersoll, Mark A., Rahmes, Mark D., Mottarella, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Worden, Thomas E
• Application Number:
  US15/407,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20180203125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/04 by terrestrial means G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/00 Geometric image transformations in the plane of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system

Abstract

A system for monitoring marine vessels using a satellite network may include a plurality of satellite payloads to be carried by respective satellites. Each satellite payload may include a communications interface configured to communicate via the satellite network, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to communicate with the plurality of marine vessels, and a controller cooperating with the communications interface and the RF transceiver. The controller may obtain automatic identification system (AIS) data including vessel position and call sign information via the RF transceiver, and communicate the AIS system data via the communications interface. The system may further include a terrestrial station configured to receive the AIS data, process aerial marine imagery using a fractal algorithm to assign respective vessel classifications to a plurality of marine vessels, and correlate the vessel classifications with AIS data.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a plurality of marine vessels using a satellite network, the system comprising:

a plurality of satellite payloads to be carried by respective satellites and configured to communicate via the satellite network, each satellite payload comprising

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to communicate with the plurality of marine vessels, and

a controller cooperating with the communications interface and the RF transceiver to

obtain automatic identification system (AIS) data including vessel position and call sign information via the RF transceiver, and

communicate the AIS system data via the satellite network; and

a terrestrial station configured to

receive the AIS data,

process aerial marine imagery collected by a plurality of imaging satellites using a fractal algorithm to determine fractal dimensions of the plurality of marine vessels from the overhead aerial marine imagery, and assign respective marine vessel classifications to a plurality of marine vessels from among a plurality of different marine vessel classifications by at least one of (a) comparing the fractal dimensions of the plurality of marine vessels to known dimension ranges of existing marine vessel classifications, and (b) comparing fractal heat maps of the plurality of marine vessels to known exhaust profiles of existing marine vessel classifications, and

correlate the marine vessel classifications with AIS data and output a report to one or more of authorities, ship owners, cargo owners, and/or intelligence enterprises based upon the correlation.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the terrestrial station is further configured to determine a marine vessel shape profile based upon the AIS data;

and wherein the terrestrial station correlates the marine vessel classification with the marine vessel shape profile.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the terrestrial station is further configured to determine a wake profile associated with respective marine vessel classifications from the aerial marine imagery based upon the fractal algorithm.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the terrestrial station is further configured to determine whether an actual course for a given marine vessel deviates from a reported course based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the terrestrial station is further configured to determine gaps in at least one of a reported course or heading for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the terrestrial station is further configured to determine a destination for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.

7. A terrestrial station comprising:

a processor and a memory cooperating therewith to

receive respective automatic identification system (AIS) data including vessel position and call sign information for a plurality of marine vessels from a plurality of satellites receiving the AIS data from the marine vessels, and receive overhead aerial marine imagery collected by a plurality of imaging satellites,

process overhead aerial marine imagery collected by a plurality of imaging satellites using a fractal algorithm to determine fractal dimensions of the plurality of marine vessels from the overhead aerial marine imagery, and assign respective marine vessel classifications to the plurality of marine vessels from among a plurality of different marine vessel classifications by comparing the fractal dimensions of the plurality of marine vessels to known dimension ranges of existing marine vessel classifications, and

correlate the marine vessel classifications with AIS data and output a report to one or more of authorities, ship owners, cargo owners, and/or intelligence enterprises based upon the correlation.

8. The terrestrial station of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a marine vessel shape profile based upon the AIS data, and correlate the marine vessel classification with the marine vessel shape profile.

9. The terrestrial station of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a wake profile associated with respective marine vessel classifications from the aerial marine imagery based upon the fractal algorithm.

10. The terrestrial station of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine an exhaust profile associated with respective marine vessel classifications from the aerial marine imagery based upon the fractal algorithm.

11. The terrestrial station of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether an actual course for a given marine vessel deviates from a reported course based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.

12. The terrestrial station of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine gaps in at least one of a reported course or heading for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data.

13. The terrestrial station of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a destination for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.

14. A marine vessel monitoring method comprising:

receiving, at a terrestrial station, respective automatic identification system (AIS) data including vessel position and call sign information for a plurality of marine vessels from a plurality of satellites receiving the AIS data from the marine vessels;

processing aerial marine imagery collected by a plurality of imaging satellites using a fractal algorithm to determine fractal dimensions of the plurality marine vessels from the overhead aerial marine imagery, and assign respective marine vessel classifications to the plurality of marine vessels from among a plurality of different marine vessel classifications by comparing the fractal dimensions of the plurality of marine vessels to known dimension ranges of existing marine vessel classifications; and

correlating the marine vessel classifications with the AIS data and outputting a report to one or more of authorities, ship owners, cargo owners, and/or intelligence enterprises based upon the correlation.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, at the terrestrial station, determining a marine vessel shape profile based upon the AIS data;

and wherein correlating comprises correlating the marine vessel classification with the marine vessel shape profile.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising, at the terrestrial station, determining a wake profile associated with respective marine vessel classifications from the aerial marine imagery based upon the fractal algorithm.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising, at the terrestrial station, determining an exhaust profile associated with respective marine vessel classifications from the aerial marine imagery based upon the fractal algorithm.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising, at the terrestrial station, determining whether an actual course for a given marine vessel deviates from a reported course based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising, at the terrestrial station, determining gaps in at least one of a reported course or heading for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data.

20. A terrestrial station comprising:

a processor and a memory cooperating therewith to

receive respective automatic identification system (AIS) data including vessel position and call sign information for a plurality of marine vessels from a plurality of satellites receiving the AIS data from the marine vessels, and receive overhead aerial marine imagery from a plurality of imaging satellites,

process overhead aerial marine imagery collected by a plurality of imaging satellites using a fractal algorithm to assign respective marine vessel classifications to the plurality of marine vessels from among a plurality of different marine vessel classifications by comparing fractal heat maps of the plurality of marine vessels to known exhaust profiles of existing marine vessel classifications, and

correlate the marine vessel classifications with AIS data and output a report to one or more of authorities, ship owners, cargo owners, and/or intelligence enterprises based upon the correlation.

21. The terrestrial station of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a marine vessel shape profile based upon the AIS data, and correlate the marine vessel classification with the marine vessel shape profile.

22. The terrestrial station of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a wake profile associated with respective marine vessel classifications from the aerial marine imagery based upon the fractal algorithm.

23. The terrestrial station of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether an actual course for a given marine vessel deviates from a reported course based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.

24. The terrestrial station of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to determine gaps in at least one of a reported course or heading for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data.

25. The terrestrial station of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a destination for the marine vessels based upon the AIS data and the aerial marine imagery.