SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR INTEGRATION OF SENSOR AND WEAPON SYSTEMS WITH A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20090290019A1
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AAI Corporation (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: AAI Corporation (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: McNelis, Niall B., Tang, William M.
• Application Number:
  US12/392,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/22 for vehicle-borne armament, e.g. on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1652 with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product provides for integrating a sensor system data and a weapon system data with a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. An area surrounding the mobile object on the GUI system is displayed. The respective locations of one or more sensed objects sensed by the sensor system in the area may be determined in response to a user selected sensor system input. The one or more sensed objects on the GUI system may be displayed. The weapon system may be targeted upon the one or more sensed objects in response to a user selected weapon system input.

Claims

1. A system for integrating sensory data and weaponry data with a graphical user interface (GUI) system of a mobile object, comprising:

a camera system capturing an area surrounding the mobile object;

a sensor system capturing the respective locations of one or more sensed objects in the area surrounding the mobile object in response to a user selected sensor system input;

a weapon system targeting the one or more sensed objects in response to a user selected weapon system input; and

the GUI system displaying the area surrounding the mobile object and the one or more sensed objects in the area surrounding the mobile object.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile object comprises a military vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the military vehicle comprises any one of:

a high mobility multipurpose vehicle (HMMWV);

a tank; and

an eight-wheeled all-wheel-drive armored combat vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the camera system comprises a first camera system assembly displaying a front portion of the surrounding area of the mobile object, and a second camera system assembly displaying a rear portion of the surrounding area of the mobile object.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises at least one of:

an acoustic detection system;

an infrared (IR) detection system;

a visible light detection system;

a radar detection system;

a microwave detection system; and

a chemical detection system.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the weapon system comprises a lethal force producing weapon system.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the weapon system comprises a non-lethal force producing weapon system, comprising any one of:

a non-lethal laser system;

a non-lethal radar system; and

a non-lethal acoustic system.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensed objects comprise enemy combatants.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the GUI system is responsive to any one of:

the user selected sensor system input and the user selected weapon system input.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein any one of:

the user selected sensor system input, and the user selected weapon system input, comprises any one of;

a touch-screen input, a mouse input, and a keyboard input.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an inertial navigation system for providing a location of the mobile object.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) based navigation system for providing a location of the mobile object.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the GUI system displays the coordinates of the mobile object.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the GUI system displays the coordinates of the one or more sensed objects.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a video recording system recording a video of the one or more sensed objects.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the video recording system rewinds the video recording and the GUI system displays the one or more sensed objects during a replay of a segment of the video recording.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the area surrounding the mobile object comprises any one of:

a 180 degree panoramic view of the front of the mobile object;

a 180 degree panoramic view of the rear of the mobile object; and

a 360 degree panoramic view of the surroundings of the mobile object.

17. A method for integrating a sensor system data and a weapon system data with a graphical user interface (GUI) system of a mobile object, comprising:

displaying an area surrounding the mobile object on the GUI system;

determining the respective locations of one or more sensed objects sensed by the sensor system in the area in response to a user selected sensor system input;

displaying the one or more sensed objects on the GUI system; and

targeting the weapon system upon the one or more sensed objects in response to a user selected weapon system input.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the area surrounding the mobile object is sensed by a camera system.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sensor system detects at least one of:

an acoustic signal associated with the sensed objects;

an infrared (IR) signal associated with the sensed objects;

a visible light signal associated with the sensed objects;

a radar signal associated with the sensed objects;

a microwave signal associated with the sensed objects; and

a chemical signal associated with the sensed objects.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the weapon system produces a lethal force.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the weapon system produces a non-lethal force, comprising any one of:

a non-lethal laser signal;

a non-lethal radar signal; and

a non-lethal acoustic signal.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more sensed objects comprise enemy combatants.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the GUI system is responsive to any one of:

the user selected sensor system input and the user selected weapon system input.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein any one of:

the user selected sensor system input, and the user selected weapon system input, comprises any one of;

a touch-screen input, a mouse input, and a keyboard input.

26. The method according to claim 17, using an inertial navigation system for providing a location of the mobile object.

27. The method according to claim 17, further comprising using a global positioning system (GPS) based navigation system for providing a location of the mobile object.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein the GUI system displays the coordinates of the mobile object.

29. The method according to claim 17, wherein the GUI system displays the coordinates of the one or more sensed objects.

30. The method according to claim 17, further comprising recording a video of the one or more sensed objects.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the video recording is rewound and the GUI system displays the one or more sensed objects during a replay of a segment of the video recording.

32. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computing platform, causes the computing platform to perform operations comprising a method for integrating a sensor system data and a weapon system data with a graphical user interface (GUI) system of a mobile object, the method comprising:

displaying an area surrounding the mobile object on the GUI system;

determining the respective locations of one or more sensed objects sensed by the sensor system in the area in response to a user selected sensor system input;

displaying the one or more sensed objects on the GUI system; and

targeting the weapon system upon the one or more sensed objects in response to a user selected weapon system input.