Optical detection and location of gunfire

• US 7,409,899 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2004
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Inventors: Beekman, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US10/997,007
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 89/410.6, 89/410.8, 89/11.1
• US Class Current: 89/1.11
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/147 based on detection of a firing weapon
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/8083 determining direction of source
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/28 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical gunfire detection system comprising an image-capturing device operable for detecting light; a narrowband Fraunhofer line filter connected to the image-capturing device, and operable for partially restricting transmission of the light; a convex parabolic reflector operable for transmitting images to the image-capturing device; a lens system; an image storage device connected to the image-capturing device, wherein the image storage device comprises a solid-state digital memory unit operable to store multiple seconds of video imagery; a real-time computer-implemented mechanism connected to the image storage device, the computer-implemented mechanism operable for detecting locations and classifications of gunfire associated with the images; an acoustic device in communication with the computer-implemented mechanism, and operable for verifying the classifications of the gunfire; a position laser operable for identifying the locations of the gunfire; and a defense mechanism comprising the laser pointer and operable to defend against a source of the gunfire.

Claims

1. A method of detecting sniper gunfire, said method comprising:

observing images in a field-of-view using a quadric reflector;

transmitting said images to an image-capturing device;

storing said images in an image-storage device;

using a real-time computer-implemented mechanism connected to said image storage device to detect locations and classifications of gunfire associated with said images;

verifying said classifications of the gunfire using an acoustic device in communication with said computer-implemented mechanism; and

identifying said locations of the gunfire using a position laser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said image-capturing device detects light, wherein the light comprises any of visible light, near-infrared light, and short-wave infrared light.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising partially restricting transmission of said light using a narrowband Fraunhofer line filter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said image storage device comprises a solid-state digital memory unit operable to store multiple seconds of video imagery.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a 360 degree azimuthal field-of-view using said quadric reflector, wherein said quadric reflector is a convex parabolic reflector.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising defending against a source of the gunfire using a defense mechanism.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing an axial field-of-view using a lens system, wherein said lens system is positioned along the symmetry axis of said quadric reflector.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the resolution of said images using a mirror, wherein said mirror is positioned along an axis of said quadric reflector.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising increasing a magnification and resolution of said images using a zoom lens positioned in between said mirror and said image-capturing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said real-time computer-implemented mechanism comprises a program storage device readable by computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer to perform a method of weapon identification, said method comprising:

identifying a potential gunfire event;

determining optical signatures of the gunfire event, wherein said optical signatures comprise spectral, spatial, and temporal optical signatures;

comparing said optical signatures with known signatures of known gunfire events; and

correlating optical gunfire event detection, classification, and identification with acoustic gunfire event detection, classification, and identification to identify a weapon producing the gunfire.