Infrared sniper detection enhancement
First Claim
1. A method for reducing the false alarm rate of an infrared detection system comprising:
- detecting infrared radiation in a first field of view and producing a first signal indicative thereof;
detecting humanly visible light in a second field of view and producing a second signal indicative thereof;
comparing the first signal to the second signal;
anddeclaring a positive detection, if the first signal is large compared to the second signal.
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Abstract
Firing of small arms results in a muzzle flash that produces a distinctiveignature conducive to automated or machine-aided detection with an IR (infrared) imager. The muzzle flash is intense and abrupt in the 3 to 5 μm band. A sniper detection system operating in the 3 to 5 μm region must deal with the potential problem of false alarms from solar clutter. The invention reduces the false alarm rate of an IR based muzzle flash or bullet tracking system (during day time) by adding a visible light (standard video) camera. The standard video camera helps detect (and then discount) potential sources of false alarm caused by solar clutter. If a flash is detected in both the IR and the visible spectrum at the same time, then the flash is most probably the result of solar clutter from a moving object. If a flash is detected only in the IR, then it is most probably a true weapon firing event.
95 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for reducing the false alarm rate of an infrared detection system comprising:
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detecting infrared radiation in a first field of view and producing a first signal indicative thereof; detecting humanly visible light in a second field of view and producing a second signal indicative thereof; comparing the first signal to the second signal;
anddeclaring a positive detection, if the first signal is large compared to the second signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for reducing the false alarm rate of an infrared detection system comprising:
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an infrared detector for producing a first signal; a humanly visible light detector for producing a second signal; means for comparing the first signal to the second signal;
andmeans for declaring a positive detection, if the first signal is large compared to the second signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for reducing the false alarm rate of an infrared detection system comprising:
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an infrared detector for producing a first signal; a humanly visible light detector for producing a second signal;
anda host computer which includes a video processing card connected to the infrared detector and the humanly visible light detector, for comparing the first signal to the second signal and for declaring a positive detection, if the first signal is large compared to the second signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification