Energy Emission Event Detection

• US 20090121925A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: William E. Knight
• Original Assignee: William E. Knight
• Inventors: Sullivan, Sean, Snyder, Donald Robert III, Shulman, Alan, Scott, Miles L.
• Application Number:
  US12/267,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121925A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/195
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/147 based on detection of a firing weapon
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/18 using comparison with a reference electric value
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4257 applied to monitoring the characteristics of a beam, e.g. laser beam, headlamp beam monitoring arrangements for lasers in general H01S3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/75 Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated systems in which material is burnt in a flame or plasma G01N21/72, G01N21/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/12 Circuits of general importance; Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/785 using adjustment of orientation of directivity characteristics of a detector or detector system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that detector or detector system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

Methods and systems for detecting an energy emission event are provided. In a method for detecting an energy emission event, a reference event signal is compared with a received event signal. In some embodiments, the reference event signal is associated with radiated energy having a predetermined temporal response. A detection signal is output when the received event signal corresponds to the reference event signal. In response to outputting the detection signal, imagery of a location in proximity to where the received event signal originated is captured or processed. Using the captured imagery and the detection signal, a determination of where the received event signal originated is made.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an energy emission event, comprising:

comparing a reference event signal with a received event signal, wherein the reference event signal is associated with radiated energy having a predetermined temporal response;

outputting a detection signal when the received event signal corresponds to the reference event signal;

capturing or processing imagery of a location in proximity to where the received event signal originated in response to outputting the detection signal; and

determining where the received event signal originated based on the imagery and the detection signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiated energy comprises electromagnetic energy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temporal response comprises at least one of a rise time, a fall time, a pulse width, an amplitude, a number of peaks, or a ratio of peaks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the reference event signal with the received event signal comprises analyzing parametric data or image data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the imagery of the location in proximity to where the received event signal originated is captured when the received event signal is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining where the received event signal originated comprises identifying geo-spatial information associated with a portion of the imagery in proximity to an origin of the received event signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein geo-spatial information comprises an elevation and azimuth, a latitude and longitude, or a street address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining temporal information associated with the received event signal.

9. A method of detecting an energy emission event, comprising:

comparing a reference event signal with a received event signal, wherein the reference event signal is associated with radiated energy having a predetermined temporal response;

outputting a detection signal when the received event signal corresponds to the reference event signal;

identifying a sensor in an associated sensor array that generated the detection signal; and

determining geo-spatial information associated with where the received event signal originated based on the identification of the sensor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the radiated energy comprises electromagnetic energy.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined temporal response comprises at least one of a rise time, a fall time, a pulse width, an amplitude, a number of peaks, or a ratio of peaks.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is comprised of a sensor pixel or a sensor pixel array, each sensor pixel adapted to detect energy in a pre-defined spectrum.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of sensors located on one of a plurality of sensor arrays.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of sensor arrays is located in a different location associated with a different field of view.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining geo-spatial information comprises, identifying geo-spatial information corresponding to a field of view of the sensor that generated the detection signal.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the geo-spatial information comprises elevation and azimuth, latitude and longitude, or street address.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining temporal information associated with where the received event signal originated based on the sensor that generated the detection signal, wherein the detection signal includes a time stamp corresponding to when the received event signal was detected.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

comparing a reference event signal with a received event signal, wherein the reference event signal is associated with radiated energy having a predetermined temporal response;

outputting a detection signal when the received event signal corresponds to the reference event signal;

capturing or processing imagery of a location in proximity to where the received event signal originated in response to outputting the detection signal or a time stamp; and

determining where the received event signal originated based on the imagery associated with the detection signal.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the radiated energy comprises electromagnetic energy.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the predetermined temporal response comprises at least one of a rise time, a fall time, a pulse width, an amplitude, a number of peaks, or a ratio of peaks.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein comparing the reference event signal with the received event signal comprises analyzing parametric data or image data.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining where the received event signal originated comprises identifying geo-spatial information associated with a portion of the imagery in proximity to an origin of the received event signal.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein geo-spatial information comprises an elevation and azimuth, a latitude and longitude, or a street address.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising determining temporal information associated with the received event signal.

25. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

comparing a reference event signal with a received event signal, wherein the reference event signal is associated with radiated energy having a predetermined temporal response;

outputting a detection signal when the received event signal corresponds to the reference event signal;

identifying a sensor and an associated sensor array that generated the detection signal; and

determining geo-spatial information associated with where the received event signal originated based on the identification of the sensor.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the radiated energy comprises electromagnetic energy.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the predetermined temporal response comprises at least one of a rise time, a fall time, a pulse width, an amplitude, a number of peaks, or a ratio of peaks.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the sensor is comprised of a sensor pixel or a sensor pixel array, each sensor pixel adapted to detect energy in a pre-defined spectrum.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of sensors located on one of a plurality of sensor arrays.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of sensor arrays is located in a different location associated with a different field of view.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein determining geo-spatial information comprises, identifying geo-spatial information corresponding to a field of view of the sensor that generated the detection signal.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the geo-spatial information comprises elevation and azimuth, latitude and longitude, or street address.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising determining temporal information associated with where the received event signal originated based on the sensor that generated the detection signal, wherein the detection signal includes a time stamp corresponding to when the received event signal was detected.