Method for detecting and combating forest and surface fires

• US 20050189122A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Wippich, Heinz-Georg
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 169/43
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0271 Detection of area conflagration fires fire alarms for forest fires G08B17/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/005 for forest fires, e.g. detecting fires spread over a large or outdoors area fire fighting forest fires A62C3/02

Abstract

A method for the detection and combating of forest and surface fires includes the steps of observing and detecting fires using an infrared camera on board an observation aircraft; georeferencing image obtained by the infrared camera pixel-wise using location data of the observation aircraft as obtained by a satellite navigation system; testing the georeferenced infrared image for hot points caused by a fire, and transmitting coordinates of the hot points via a data link to a central data processing system on the ground; automatically generating deployment plans for available firefighting vehicles in the central data processing system taking into consideration data relating to the terrain and data on available firefighting equipment; transferring the deployment plans generated in the central data processing system to on-board management systems of deployed vehicles; representing deployment data and coordinates corresponding to the deployment plans with output apparatus by the on-board management systems of the deployed vehicles; and carrying out fire-fighting by the deployed vehicles in accordance with the data displayed by the on-board management systems.

Claims

1. A method for the detection and combating of forest and surface fires, comprising:

observing and detecting fires using an infrared camera on board an observation aircraft;

georeferencing image obtained by the infrared camera pixel-wise using location data of the observation aircraft as obtained by a satellite navigation system,

testing the georeferenced infrared image for hot points caused by a fire, and transmitting coordinates of the hot points via a data link to a central data processing system on the ground;

automatically generating deployment plans for available firefighting vehicles in the central data processing system taking into consideration data relating to the terrain and data on available firefighting equipment,

transferring the deployment plans generated in the central data processing system to on-board management systems of deployed vehicles;

representing deployment data and coordinates corresponding to the deployment plans with output apparatus by the on-board management systems of the deployed vehicles; and

carrying out fire-fighting by the deployed vehicles in accordance with the data displayed by the on-board management systems.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the central data processing apparatus to reproduce the positions of the hot points on a deployment map to show the overall situation.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising generating the deployment plans taking into consideration coordinated participation of airborne and earth-bound deployment vehicles.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising conveying deployment-relative data and locations of the deployment vehicles by the on-board management system via data link to the central data processing apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising obtaining the locations of the deployment vehicles using location data of a satellite navigation system.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising directly detecting deployment outcome using the infrared camera in the observation aircraft and conveying the detected deployment outcome to the central data processing system.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising evaluating the effectiveness of the deployment directly in the central data processing apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising using the central data processing apparatus to automatically generate changes in plans to optimize the fire-fighting on the basis of evaluation of the effectiveness of the deployment.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising simulating the generated deployment plans and their effects in the central data processing system.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising analyzing a deployment by transferring data recorded on board the deployed vehicles after the deployment is completed.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating the deployment plans taking into consideration coordinated participation of airborne and earth-bound deployment vehicles.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising conveying deployment-relative data and locations of the deployment vehicles by the on-board management system via data link to the central data processing apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising obtaining the locations of the deployment vehicles using location data of a satellite navigation system.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directly detecting deployment outcome using the infrared camera in the observation aircraft and conveying the detected deployment outcome to the central data processing system.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising evaluating the effectiveness of the deployment directly in the central data processing apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising using the central data processing apparatus to automatically generate changes in plans to optimize the fire-fighting on the basis of evaluation of the effectiveness of the deployment.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising simulating the generated deployment plans and their effects in the central data processing system.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising analyzing a deployment by transferring data recorded on board the deployed vehicles after the deployment is completed.