Threat Detection System

• US 20080191926A1
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rafael - Armament Development Authority Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Rafael - Armament Development Authority Ltd.
• Inventors: Benayahu, Yair, Voskoboinik, Asher
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/52
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/02 Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile or anti-torpedo defence installations or systems cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/00 Armoured or armed vehicles general vehicle aspects B60; armoured or armed ships B63G; armoured or armed aircraft B64D; mounting guns, e.g. machine guns, on vehicles F41A23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/18 Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An optical detection system for detecting launch of an offensive projectile. The detection system includes an image detector array, an optical arrangement for focusing on to the image detector array, and a processing system associated with the image detector array. The processing system is configured to derive a series of frames from the image detector, to process the series of frames to identify a flash event and to generate and output that indicates a direction of the flash event.

Claims

1. An optical detection system for detecting launch of an offensive projectile, the detection system comprising:

(a) an image detector array sensitive to radiation in at least one range of wavelengths of near-infrared, visible or near-ultraviolet radiation;

(b) an optical arrangement for focusing on to said image detector array a substantially panoramic field of view; and

(c) a processing system associated with said image detector array and configured;

(i) to derive a series of frames from said image detector array at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second;

(ii) to process said series of frames to identify a flash event; and

(iii) to generate an output indicative of a direction in which the flash event occurred.

2. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said image detector array and said optical arrangement are configured such that said frames have an angular pixel resolution such that each pixel corresponds to no more than 5 milliradians.

3. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said image detector array is integrally formed as part of a silicon chip.

4. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said image detector array is selected from the group consisting of:

a CCD detector and a CMOS detector.

5. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said image detector array is implemented as a CMOS detector.

6. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said processing system is further configured to determine whether said flash event satisfies at least one temporal flash signature criterion.

7. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said optical arrangement includes a band-pass spectral filter for selectively focusing on to said image detector array incident radiation in a first band of wavelengths.

8. The optical detection system of claim 7, further comprising a flash illumination arrangement for generating an illumination flash in at least the direction in which the flash event occurred, said illumination flash lying within said first band of wavelengths.

9. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said optical arrangement is configured to focus on to said image detector array a substantially panoramic field of view having an elevation range of at least 20°

.

10. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said optical arrangement is configured to focus on to said image detector array a substantially panoramic field of view having an elevation range of at least 30°

.

11. The optical detection system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional imaging arrangement associated with said processing system and spaced apart from said optical arrangement, said processing system being further configured to co-process data derived from said additional imaging arrangement and said frames from said image detector array to derive range information for the flash event.

12. The optical detection system of claim 1, wherein said image detector array and said optical arrangement form part of an optical detection subsystem having a maximum effective detection range, the detection system further comprising a substantially panoramic radar arrangement deployed for detecting approaching offensive projectiles at a range greater than said maximum effective detection range of said optical detection subsystem.

13. An active protection system comprising:

(a) the optical detection system of claim 1; and

(b) a countermeasure system responsive to detection of a flash event by said optical detection system to deploy at least one countermeasure for neutralizing or reducing the efficacy of the offensive projectile.

14. The active protection system of claim 13, wherein said countermeasure system includes a narrow-field-of-view gimbaled radar, said countermeasure system being configured to direct said gimbaled radar towards said direction in which the flash event occurred.

15. A method for protecting a platform from offensive projectiles, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) deploying an optical detection subsystem to detect flash events corresponding to the launch of offensive projectiles within a maximum effective detection range from said platform;

(b) deploying a radar detection subsystem including a substantially panoramic radar arrangement to detect approaching offensive projectiles at a range greater than said maximum effective detection range of said optical detection subsystem; and

(c) actuating at least one anti-projectile countermeasure responsively to each of said optical detection subsystem and said radar detection subsystem so as to neutralize or reduce the efficacy of an offensive projectile.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said optical detection subsystem includes a CCD image detector array.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said optical detector subsystem includes a CMOS image detector array.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said optical detection subsystem includes:

(a) an image detector array selected from the group consisting of;

a CCD detector and a CMOS detector; and

(b) an optical arrangement for focusing on to said image detector array a substantially panoramic field of view.

19. An optical detection system for detecting launch of an offensive projectile, the detection system comprising:

(a) an image detector array selected from the group consisting of a CCD detector and a CMOS detector;

(b) an optical arrangement for focusing on to said image detector array a given field of view; and

(c) a processing system associated with said image detector array and configured;

(i) to derive a series of frames from said image detector array at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second;

(ii) to process said series of frames to identify a flash event; and

(iii) to generate an output indicative of a direction in which the flash event occurred.