UNAUTHORIZED ELECTRO-OPTICS (EO) DEVICE DETECTION AND RESPONSE SYSTEM

• US 20150341139A1
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• 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: Bradley, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 10,880,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/147 based on detection of a firing weapon
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/224 Deceiving or protecting means jamming or anti-jamming of radio-wave systems in general G01S7/36, G01S7/38; defense installations in general F41H11/02; chaff dispensers F42B12/70
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/005 the high-energy beam being a laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0062 causing structural damage to the target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/28 with jamming and anti-jamming mechanisms both included in a same device or system, e.g. wherein anti-jamming includes prevention of undesired self-jamming resulting from jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/62 by exposing communication, processing or storing systems to electromagnetic wave radiation, e.g. causing disturbance, disruption or damage of electronic circuits, or causing external injection of faults in the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/80 Jamming or countermeasure characterized by its function
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/822 by detecting the presence of a surveillance, interception or detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A system is disclosed to identify authorized EO devices and unauthorized EO devices within a scene. The system responds with a variety of response actions including sending warning messages of the unauthorized EO devices, recording images and position of the unauthorized EO device. The system can further be configured to hamper the operation of the unauthorized EO devices detected within the scene.

Claims

1. A method of identifying unauthorized electro-optic devices and taking one or more response actions, the method comprising the steps of:

interrogating an area with optical energy from at least one optical source;

receiving a reflection from a first electro-optic device;

storing optically detectable characteristics for a plurality of authorized electro-optic devices;

comparing an optically detectable characteristic of the received reflection of the first electro-optic device to the stored optically detectable characteristics of authorized devices to determine if the first electro-optic device is an authorized device; and

if the first electro-optic device is an unauthorized device, activating a tracking system that determines a point of origin or axis of travel said received reflection, activating a surveillance system that orients towards the point of origin or traverses along the axis of travel, captures images of the unauthorized EO device at the point of origin or images along the axis of travel, activating a messaging system to send a warning message to a plurality of recipients comprising a plurality of data elements including a warning identifier of unauthorized EO device usage, images, date/time stamp of when the images were taken, and location of the point of origin or the axis of travel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device, the step of hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device includes the steps of:

increasing a power level of the optical energy from the at least one optical source;

directing the optical energy with the increased power at the first electro-optic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing step includes the steps of:

determining a Fourier transform of the received reflection from the first electro-optic device; and

comparing at least a portion of the Fourier transform to the stored optically detectable characteristics to determine if the portion of the Fourier transform matches the stored optically detectable characteristics.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing and activating a mobile device network system or cell phone tower emulator configured to send a message to one or more mobile devices within an area that includes the point origin or the axis of travel to respond with a device registration number;

triangulating on the one or more mobile devices to determine mobile device locations based on an electromagnetic signal from said one or more mobile devices;

determining the mobile device locations correlated within a predetermined distance from the point of origin or the axis of travel; and

saving the device registration number associated with correlated mobile device location or locations.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising orienting an identifier system comprising an infrared (IR) spotlight or designator device on the point of origin or along the axis of travel and using an identifier viewing system to view the spotlight or designator device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a step of hampering operation of the first EO device comprising jamming or distorting recordings of the EO device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device includes a step of blinding the first electro-optic device with optical energy.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device includes the step of jamming an operation of the first electro-optic device with optical energy.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device includes the step of permanently disabling an operation of the first electro-optic device with optical energy.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device includes the step of destroying the first electro-optic device with optical energy.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of hampering the operation of the first electro-optic device includes the step of sending out high power optical energy in a direction towards the first electro-optic device and the method further comprising the steps of:

prior to sending out high power optical energy in a direction towards the first electro-optic device, broadcasting a signal which when received by an authorized electro-optic device causes the authorized electro-optic device to protect its sensors from the high power optical energy.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the authorized electro-optic device shields its sensors from the high power optical energy.

13. An apparatus for interacting with an EO device in an environment, the apparatus comprising:

at least one optical source emitting optical energy into the environment towards the EO device;

at least one detector detecting the optical energy retro-reflected from the EO device;

a tracking system;

a surveillance system;

an imaging system;

a messaging system; and

a controller operatively coupled to the at least one optical source and the at least one detector, the controller analyzing the detected optical energy to determine whether the EO device is an authorized EO device or an unauthorized device, the controller is further configured to activate the tracking system that determines a point of origin or axis of travel the optical energy retro-reflected from the EO device, activating the surveillance system that orients towards the point of origin or traverses along the axis of travel, captures images of the unauthorized EO device at the point of origin or images along the axis of travel, activating the messaging system to send a warning message to a plurality of recipients comprising a plurality of data elements including the images, date/time stamp of when the images were taken, and location of the point of origin or the axis of travel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein if the EO device is an unauthorized EO device the controller causes the at least one optical source to emit optical energy which hampers an operation of the EO device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further including a mobile device identification system comprising a mobile device network system or cell tower emulator or configured with a control system for activating the mobile device network system or the cell phone tower emulator and sending a message to one or more mobile devices including within an area that includes the point origin or the axis of travel to respond with a device registration number, triangulating on the one or more mobile devices to determine mobile device locations, determining of the mobile device locations correlate within a predetermined distance from the point of origin or the axis of travel, and saving the device registration number associated with correlated mobile device location or locations.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein if the EO device is an unauthorized EO device the controller causes a high power optical source to emit optical energy which hampers an operation of the EO device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said controller is further configured for orienting an identifier system comprising an infrared (IR) spotlight or designator device on the point of origin or along the axis of travel, said apparatus further comprising an identifier viewing system configured to display the spotlight or designator device.

18. An apparatus of claim 17 wherein said identifier viewing system comprises a near IR vision device.