SYNCHRONIZED INFRARED BEACON / INFRARED DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20150263806A1
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: PUSCASU, Irina, Poirier, Bruce Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,887,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/00 Personal protection gear shields for personal use F41H5/08; footwear for use in minefields A43B3/0026; for protection against chemical warfare A62B
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/08 Infrared hit-indicating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/74 Systems using reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum

Abstract

A synchronized infrared beacon/infrared detector system. The system may include (A) an infrared beacon module configured to generate a time-varying encoded infrared signal, (B) an infrared detector module configured to capture the encoded infrared signal generated by the beacon module, (C) a synchronizer configured to generate a synchronization signal that controls timing of the beacon module and the detector module, and (D) a processor, in communication with the detector module, configured to analyze the infrared signal captured by the detector module. The infrared signal may be modulated at frequencies undetectable by human vision. The synchronizer signal may be produced independent of the capture of, and without input from, the infrared signal.

Claims

1. A synchronized infrared beacon/infrared detection system, comprising:

an infrared beacon module configured to generate a time-varying encoded infrared signal;

an infrared detector module configured to capture the infrared signal;

a synchronizer configured to generate a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is used to control the timing of the beacon module and/or the detector module; and

a processor configured to analyze the infrared signal captured by the detector module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is generated independently of capture of the infrared signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronizer is configured to allow the detector module to acquire images when the beacon module is selectively on or off.

4. The system of claim 5, wherein the detector module further includes a non-imaging detector configured to capture the infrared signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared signal is characterized by a frequency that is above the human flicker fusion threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared signal is in the MWIR and/or LWIR wavebands.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronizer includes a temporal and/or spatial signal pattern recognition to recognize the beacon and synchronize to it, other than through the means of using a clock.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared signal is characterized by a defined frequency that is a fraction of, or an integer multiple of, a frame rate of the detector.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor can analyze, recognize and decode the beacon signal even when synchronization is not established, to provide data communication.

10. The system of claim 1, the infrared signal being at least partially non-periodic, wherein the non-periodic signal is encoded to provide data communication.

11. The system of claim 1, the detector module having a frame rate at which it acquires images, wherein the frame rate and/or the frequency of the emitter can be adjusted to be proportional to each other.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter appears as a continuous object unless the beacon and detector modules are synchronized.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector module includes a filter configured to filter out signals having a flashing frequency profile insufficiently correlated to a predetermined signature.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to extract a flashing frequency profile from the infrared signal, compare the extracted profile to a desired profile, and transmit the activation signal to the detector module only if the extracted profile matches the desired profile when the beacon and the detector modules are synchronized or not.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon module only generates an infrared signal after being triggered by the detector module and/or synchronizer.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, in communication with the beacon module, configured to provide information to the beacon module that can be encoded in the infrared signal and thereby transmitted to the detector module.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of infrared beacon modules, each configured to generate a distinct time-varying encoded infrared signal, wherein the infrared detector module, the synchronizer, and the processor are configured to function with each beacon module.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein there is a phase delay between the synchronizer and at least some of the plurality of beacon modules.

19. A method, comprising:

providing a beacon module, a detector module, a synchronizer, and a processor;

generating an encoded infrared signal using the beacon module;

detecting the signal using the detector module; and

synchronizing the beacon and detector modules, using a synchronization signal, so that there is a defined and predetermined relationship between the emission of radiation by the beacon and the detection of the radiation by the detector module.

20. The method of claim 19, the method being a method of tracking a beacon module, further comprising tracking the beacon module using the processor.

21. The method of claim 19, the method being a method of communication, further comprising providing communication between the beacon module and the detector module via the processor.

22. A method, comprising:

providing a beacon module, a detector module, and a processor;

generating an encoded infrared signal using the beacon module;

detecting the signal using the detector module; and

analyzing and decoding the signal using the processor.

23. The method of claim 22, the method being a method of tracking a beacon module, further comprising tracking the beacon module using the processor.

24. The method of claim 22, the method being a method of communication, further comprising providing communication between the beacon module and the detector module via the processor.