Method for detecting and combating forest and surface fires

• US 7,337,156 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Wippich, Heinz-Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwu; Davis D.
• Application Number:
  US11/049,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 169/53, 169/43, 169/45, 169/46, 169/52, 169/24, 169/54, 340/577, 340/578, 706/44, 706/60
• US Class Current: 706/44
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0271 Detection of area conflagration fires fire alarms for forest fires G08B17/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/005 for forest fires, e.g. detecting fires spread over a large or outdoors area fire fighting forest fires A62C3/02

Abstract

A method for the detection and combating of forest and surface fires includes the steps of observing and detecting fires using an infrared camera on board an observation aircraft; georeferencing image obtained by the infrared camera pixel-wise using location data of the observation aircraft as obtained by a satellite navigation system; testing the georeferenced infrared image for hot points caused by a fire, and transmitting coordinates of the hot points via a data link to a central data processing system on the ground; automatically generating deployment plans for available firefighting vehicles in the central data processing system taking into consideration data relating to the terrain and data on available firefighting equipment; transferring the deployment plans generated in the central data processing system to on-board management systems of deployed vehicles; representing deployment data and coordinates corresponding to the deployment plans with output apparatus by the on-board management systems of the deployed vehicles; and carrying out fire-fighting by the deployed vehicles in accordance with the data displayed by the on-board management systems.

Claims

1. A method for the detection and combating of forest and surface fires, comprising:

observing and detecting fires using an infrared camera on board an observation aircraft;

georeferencing images obtained by the infrared camera pixel-wise using location data of the observation aircraft obtained by a navigation system;

testing the georeferenced infrared image for hot points caused by a fire, and transmitting coordinates of the hot points via a data link to a central data processing system on the ground;

automatically generating deployment plans for available firefighting vehicles in the central data processing system, taking into consideration data relating to the terrain and data on available firefighting equipment;

transferring the deployment plans generated in the central data processing system to on-board management systems of deployed vehicles;

representing deployment data and coordinates corresponding to the deployment plans via output apparatus of the on-board management systems of the deployed vehicles;

the deployed vehicles carrying out fire-fighting based on the data displayed by the on-board management systems;

detecting actual deployment results and evaluating the effectiveness of the deployment in the central data processing system;

said central data processing system computing simulated results of the generated deployment plans and their effects; and

comparing effectiveness of the detected deployment results with the computed simulated results.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the central data processing apparatus to reproduce the positions of the hot points on a deployment map to show the overall situation.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of generating deployment plans takes into consideration coordinated participation of airborne and earth-bound deployment vehicles.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising conveying deployment-relative data and locations of the deployment vehicles by the on-board management system via data link to the central data processing apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising obtaining the locations of the deployment vehicles using location data of a satellite navigation system.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of detecting deployment outcome is performed using the infrared camera in the observation aircraft, and the detected deployment outcome is conveyed to the central data processing system.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the central data processing apparatus to automatically generate changes in plans to optimize the fire-fighting on the basis of evaluation of the effectiveness of the deployment.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising analyzing a deployment by transferring data recorded on board the deployed vehicles after the deployment is completed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating deployment plans takes into consideration coordinated participation of airborne and earth-bound deployment vehicles.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising conveying deployment-relative data and locations of the deployment vehicles by the on-board management system via data link to the central data processing apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising obtaining the locations of the deployment vehicles using location data of a satellite navigation system.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of detecting deployment outcome is performed using the infrared camera in the observation aircraft, and the detected deployment outcome is conveyed to the central data processing system.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising using the central data processing apparatus to automatically generate changes in plans to optimize the fire-fighting on the basis of evaluation of the effectiveness of the deployment.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising analyzing a deployment by transferring data recorded on board the deployed vehicles after the deployment is completed.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said deployment plans include:

optimized starting and running plans, specification of fire fighting materials, and deployment instructions for direct fire fighting, for deployed land vehicles; and

deployment altitudes, routes for flying to fire fighting points and optimal locations for dumping extinguishing materials, for deployed air vehicles.