EVENT DETECTION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A REMOTE SENSOR OR PROJECTILE SYSTEM

• US 20120191376A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Soles, Alexander M., Walsh, Matthew R., Scott, Eric B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/38
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/56 Arrangements for adjusting the gun platform in the vertical or horizontal position F41A17/10, F41A17/12 take precedence ; ground engaging vehicle fittings for lifting or supporting it B60S9/04; supports for mobile cranes B66C23/78
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/007 Reactive armour; Dynamic armour
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/24 for stationary use, e.g. fortifications ; Shelters; Guard Booths air-raid shelters E04H9/04
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/02 Land vehicles with enclosing armour, e.g. tanks endless-track vehicles, steering thereof B62D ; vehicles for placing portable or sectional bridges E01D15/127; vehicles carrying floating bridges E01D15/22
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/04 Electric hit-indicating systems; Detecting hits by actuation of electric contacts or switches
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/041 Targets comprising two sets of electric contacts forming a coordinate system grid
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0091 by using electromagnetic excitation or detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/20 Investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/04 Analysing solids using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A damage detection and remediation system includes a sensing device for detecting damage events related to a structure of interest. Such damage events may include impact from a ballistic object, a tamper event, a physical impact, or other events that may affect structural integrity or cause failure. Illustratively, the sensing device is in communication with a measurement system to determine damage criteria, and a processing system which is configured to use the damage criteria to determine, for example, a direction of the initiation point of a ballistic causing the damage event.

Claims

1. A damage detection and remediation system comprising:

a sensing device configured to be operably coupled to a structure of interest and to sense damage events, the sensing device including a layer, a plurality of measuring portions supported by the layer, each of the measuring portions including an input coupling point and an output coupling point and adapted to conduct an electrical signal from the input coupling point to the output coupling point;

a measurement system in electrical communication with the measuring portions of the sensing device, the measurement system configured to provide electrical signal inputs to the input coupling points of the sensing device, and configured to measure electrical signal outputs at the output coupling points of the sensing device;

a damage detection processing system operably coupled to the measurement system, the processing system configured to determine data on a damage event from the sensed damage event based on changes between the electrical signal inputs at the input coupling points and the electrical signal outputs at the output coupling points, the data including a location of the damage event on the sensing device and a damage event origination axis approximately oriented upon point of origin of an object associated with said damage event; and

a targeting device operably coupled to the measurement system.

2. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 1, wherein the targeting device comprises an electronic marker emitting an electromagnetic signal.

3. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 2, wherein the targeting device comprises a light source emitting a light for identifying a target

4. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 1, wherein the targeting device comprises a slewing mechanism.

5. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 4, wherein the slewing mechanism comprises an actuator operably coupled to a weapon supported by a vehicle, the actuator in communication with the damage detection processing system and configured to move the weapon in the direction of the damage event origination axis in response to the data from the damage detection processing system.

6. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 5, wherein the actuator includes a first actuator to rotate a turret about a vertical axis, and a second actuator to pivot a weapon mount about a horizontal axis.

7. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the damage detection processing system and configured to provide a visual display of the damage data including a representation of a damage alert, the damage event location and the damage event origination axis.

8. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 7, wherein the visual display includes a plurality of light sources selectively illuminated in alignment with the damage event origination axis.

9. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic sensor supported by the vehicle and in communication with the damage detection processing system, the acoustic sensor configured to detect soundwaves generated by the firing of a projectile.

10. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 1, further comprising at least one camera supported by the vehicle and in communication with the damage detection processing system, the at least one camera configured to detect weapon fire flash events which are cross-checked by the processing system with the data from the sensing device.

11. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 1, wherein said data on a damage event further comprises one or more additional locations of the damage event in said sensing device based on said measurement system.

12. The damage detection and remediation system of claim 11, wherein said damage event orientation axis is determined by said damage event processing system at least in part based on spatial relationships of said locations of said damage events.

13. An impact detection and remediation system comprising:

a sensing device configured to be operably coupled to a structure of interest and to sense impacts;

a processor in communication with the sensing device for determining an origination axis directed to the point of origin of the object creating the impact sensed by the sensing device; and

a targeting device operably coupled to the sensing device, the targeting device including a slewing mechanism configured to adjust the elevation and the azimuth of a targeting member for alignment with the origination axis.

14. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 13, wherein the targeting member comprises a weapon.

15. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 13, wherein the slewing mechanism comprises an actuator operably coupled to a weapon supported by a vehicle, the actuator in communication with the damage detection processing system and configured to move the weapon in the direction of the damage event origination axis in response to the data from the damage detection processing system.

16. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 15, wherein the actuator includes a first actuator to rotate a turret about a vertical axis, and a second actuator to pivot a weapon mount about a horizontal axis.

17. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 13, further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the damage detection processing system and configured to provide a visual display of the damage data including a representation of a damage alert, the damage event location and the damage event origination axis.

18. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 17, wherein the visual display includes a plurality of light sources selectively illuminated in alignment with the damage event origination axis.

19. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 13, further comprising an acoustic sensor supported by the vehicle and in communication with the damage detection processing system, the acoustic sensor configured to detect soundwaves generated by the firing of a projectile.

20. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 13, further comprising at least one camera supported by the vehicle and in communication with the damage detection processing system, the at least one camera configured to detect weapon fire flash events which are cross-checked by the processing system with the data from the impact sensing devices.

21. The impact detection and remediation system of claim 13, wherein:

the sensing device includes a layer, a plurality of measuring portions supported by the layer, each of the measuring portions including an input coupling point and an output coupling point and adapted to conduct an electrical signal from the input coupling point to the output coupling point;

a measurement system is in electrical communication with the measuring portions of the sensing device, the measurement system configured to provide electrical signal inputs to the input coupling points of the sensing device, and configured to measure electrical signal outputs at the output coupling points of the sensing device;

the processor includes a damage detection processing system operably coupled to the measurement system, the processing system configured to determine data on a damage event from the sensed impact based on changes between the electrical signal inputs at the input coupling points and the electrical signal outputs at the output coupling points, the data including a location of the damage event on the sensing device and an damage event origination axis directed to the point of origin of the ballistic impact; and

the targeting device is operably coupled to the measurement system.

22. A method of detecting a damage event associated with a structure of interest, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a sensing device including a plurality of measuring portions;

providing input electrical signals to input coupling points of each of the measuring portions;

measuring output electrical signals from output coupling points of each of the measuring portions;

determining data on a damage event based on changes between the electrical signal inputs at each of the input coupling points and the electrical signal outputs at each of the output coupling points; and

adjusting a targeting device in response to the data on the damage event.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the adjusting step includes adjusting a targeting member in elevation about a horizontal axis, and adjusting the targeting member in azimuth about a vertical axis for alignment with an event origination axis directed to the point of origin of the object creating the impact sensed by the sensing device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a first actuator rotates a turret about a vertical axis, and a second actuator pivots a weapon mount about a horizontal axis.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of providing a visual display of the damage data including a representation of a damage alert, the damage event location and the damage event origination axis.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the visual display includes a plurality of light sources selectively illuminated in alignment with the damage event origination axis.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of detecting soundwaves generated by the source of the damage event.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of detecting flash events from the source of the damage event.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of correlating the damage event origination axis with time offsets from the soundwaves at the plurality of microphones of the acoustic detection system, and the flash events from the imaging system.