Integrated airport domain awareness response system, system for ground-based transportable defense of airports against manpads, and methods

• US 8,274,424 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahrens, Frederick A., Stern, Jay A., Kirchhoff, Timothy K., Slivinski, Mark P., Wolfe, Terrence J., Mickle, Vernon A., Dilley, Arthur D., Cheeseman, Daniel F., Minahen, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US12/713,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20110030538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 342 13- 15, 342/36, 342/67, 342 52- 56
• US Class Current: 342/36
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/00 Defence installations; Defence devices constructional aspects see Section E, e.g. air-raid shelters E04H9/04; protective arrangements for buildings E04B1/92; extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire from, incendiary bombs A62C3/06; dynamic armour F41H5/007; ballistically deployed systems for restraining persons or animals F41H13/0006; electronic countermeasures G01S
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0068 the high-energy beam being of microwave type, e.g. for causing a heating effect in the target

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus and method for defending a physical zone from airborne and ground-based threats are disclosed. In the various embodiments, an apparatus includes a detection component configured to detect and track a ground-based or airborne threat proximate to the physical zone, an integration component to receive data from the detection component and process the data to determine a threat assessment. A defensive component receives the determined threat assessment and disables the ground-based and airborne threat based upon the determined threat assessment. A method includes detecting an object proximate to the physical zone to be protected, identifying the object as a hostile threat, determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the object, and actuating a defensive system in response to the hostile threat.

Claims

1. An Integrated Airport Domain Awareness and Response System (IADARS), comprising:

a ground detection component having at least one of an optical detection capability, a motion detection capability and a radar detection capability positioned proximate to the airport domain and configured to detect a ground-based threat to the airport domain;

an airspace detection component operable to determine a range and a track of a flight vehicle proximate to the airport domain and configured to detect an airborne threat to the airport domain;

an integration component configured to receive information from the ground detection component and the airspace detection component that is operable to assess the threat and determine a response;

a ground threat defense component configured to disable the ground-based threat based upon the determined response; and

an airspace threat defense component configured to disable the airborne threat based upon the determined response.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the optical detection capability comprises at least one of a video motion detection (VMD) camera, and a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera;

the motion detection capability comprises at least one of a thermal motion detection device and a vibration detection device; and

the airspace detection component comprises an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system that provides radar-based surveillance proximate to the airport domain.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground detection component is configured to detect the ground-based threat in an intrusion of a physical perimeter.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the vibration detection device is incorporated into an instrumented security fence that at least partially surrounds the airport domain.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications and control apparatus configured to receive information from an array of sensors in the airspace threat defense component and to provide direction and instructions based on the information to disable the airborne threat.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the ATC system comprises at least one of a control tower (CT) facility, a Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, a Flight Service Station (FSS) and an Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the integration component comprises a processing unit operable to determine at least one of a path, a point of origin, and a projected point of impact for the ground-based threat and the airborne threat by triangulation.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the integration component comprises a threat assessment unit operable to employ at least one of the path, the point of origin, the projected point of impact, a speed of the ground-based threat and the airborne threat in determining a threat.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground threat defense component comprises a non-lethal directed energy weapon, and the airspace threat defense component comprises a directed energy weapon configured to disable the airborne threat.

10. An apparatus for defending a physical zone from airborne and ground-based threats, comprising:

a detection component configured to detect and track a ground-based threat and an airborne threat proximate to the physical zone;

an integration component configured to receive data from the detection component and process the data to determine a threat assessment; and

a defensive component configured to receive the determined threat assessment and to disable the ground-based threat and the airborne threat proximate to the physical zone based upon the determined threat assessment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the detection component comprises at least one of an air surveillance radar system, an optical detection system, an infrared detection system and a vibration detection system.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the defensive component comprises at least one of a non-lethal directed energy weapon operable to disable the ground-based threat, and a directed energy weapon configured to disable the airborne threat.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the integration component comprises a processing unit operably coupled to a data interface configured to receive data from the detection component, wherein the processing unit is configured to compute at least one of a path, a point of origin, and a projected point of impact for the ground-based threat and the airborne threat in determining the threat assessment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is coupled to a communications interface configured receive the determined threat assessment, and to communicate an alert to a law enforcement agency based upon the determined threat assessment.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the processing unit is coupled to a display device operable to present visual information representative of the determined threat assessment to a system operator; and

the processing unit is coupled to a data storage device operable to store data received from the data interface and information received from the processing unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the physical zone comprises an airport or a military base or a nuclear facility or a sporting event.

17. A method of protecting a physical zone from airborne and ground-based hostile threats, comprising:

detecting and tracking a ground-based object proximate to the physical zone to be protected;

detecting and tracking an airborne object proximate to the physical zone to be protected;

identifying the ground-based object as a hostile threat directed to the physical zone based on data from detecting and tracking the ground-based object;

determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the ground-based object;

identifying the airborne object as the hostile threat directed to the physical zone based on data from detecting and tracking the airborne object;

determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the airborne object; and

actuating a defensive system in response to the hostile threat to disable the hostile threat.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

detecting and tracking the ground-based object comprises detecting the ground-based object using at least one of radar, an optical sensor, an infrared sensor and a motion detection device; and

detecting and tracking the airborne object comprises detecting the airborne object using at least one of radar, an optical sensor, an infrared sensor and a motion detection device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a projected point-of-impact for the ground-based object;

wherein determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the ground-based object comprises determining the path, the point-of-origin and the point-of-impact for the ground-based object by triangulation;

determining a projected point-of-impact for the airborne object; and

wherein determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the airborne object comprises determining the path, the point-of-origin and the point-of-impact for the airborne object by triangulation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein actuating a defensive system comprises directing focused energy from a directed energy weapon towards the airborne object or the ground-based object.