Method and apparatus for analyzing surveillance systems using a total surveillance time metric

• US 7,436,295 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Harvey, David F., Collipi, Thomas Tilden
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/455,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20080086341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/438, 340/439, 340/870.1, 340/945, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 701/29, 701/30, 701/3, 701/14, 342/357.06, 342/37, 455/431
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis

Abstract

A method comprises the steps of receiving information concerning the operation of surveillance assets, and using the information in a Monte Carlo simulation to produce an estimate of total surveillance time. An apparatus that is used to perform the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving information concerning the operation of surveillance assets; and

using the information in a Monte Carlo simulation to produce an estimate of total surveillance time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information concerning the operation of surveillance assets comprises:

reliability information; and

maintainability information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reliability information includes one or more of:

mean time between failures;

failure distributions;

redundancies; and

acceptable performance level.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the maintainability information includes one or more of:

maintenance concept;

mean time to repair estimates; and

repair distributions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the information in a Monte Carlo simulation to produce an estimate of total surveillance time comprises the steps of:

producing a family of system level Monte Carlo simulations, each including specific component level reliability, maintainability and support system parameters; and

running the system level Monte Carlo simulations to develop a database of random events.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

constructing a mission timeline based on user-supplied mission profiles containing Taxi, Ingress, Coverage, Egress, and Repair/Turnaround times;

constructing an overlay of post-processed missions to span a period of interest; and

calculating total coverage achieved over the period of interest.

7. An apparatus for providing an indication of the utility of an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, the apparatus comprising:

a computer programmed to process information about the operation of assets in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system to produce an indication of a total surveillance time for various operating scenarios of the assets; and

a user interface operatively coupled to the computer system for inputting data into the computer system and for receiving the indication of a total surveillance time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer uses a Monte Carlo simulation to produce the indication of a total surveillance time.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information concerning the operation of surveillance assets comprises:

reliability information; and

maintainability information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reliability information includes one or more of:

mean time between failures;

failure distributions;

redundancies; and

acceptable performance level.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the maintainability information includes one or more of:

maintenance concept;

mean time to repair estimates; and

repair distributions.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

produce a family of system level Monte Carlo simulations, each including specific component level reliability, maintainability and support system parameters; and

run the system level Monte Carlo simulations to develop a database of random events.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

construct a mission timeline based on user-supplied mission profiles containing Taxi, Ingress, Coverage, Egress, and Repair/Turnaround times;

construct an overlay of post-processed missions to span a period of interest; and

calculate total coverage achieved over the period of interest.