Systems and methods with improved three-dimensional source location processing including constraint of location solutions to a two-dimensional plane
First Claim
1. A method of determining/solving an origin location of a source of an acoustic weapon fire signal or event by use of two or more sensing elements or receivers, the method comprising:
- processing information, via one or more computer processing components of a weapon fire location system that is associated with one or more acoustic receivers, including;
obtaining a plane of constraint characterized as a two-dimensional plane defining a surface on which a perpetrator of the weapon fire incident is located and in which the source is likely to exist/occur, the plane of constraint being a bounded region within which a subject weapon fire incident was detected;
creating one or more virtual receiver(s) each associated with a respective real receiver, each virtual receiver being constructed as having the same signal arrival time as its respective real receiver but at a virtual position determined by reflecting the respective real receiver around the two-dimensional plane of constraint;
processing signals calculated as coming from one or more virtual sensing elements each characterized as being located on a first side of the plane of constraint in a symmetrical position that is a mirror image position, across from a corresponding real sensing element on an opposite side of the plane;
constraining possible origin locations of the acoustic signal or event to be located in the plane of constraint; and
determining the origin location as a function of positions of the real sensing elements and the virtual sensing elements, time-of-arrival information of acoustic energy from the source to the real sensing elements, and virtual time-of-arrival information provided by the one or more processing components as representative of signals calculated as between the source and the virtual sensing elements, via three-dimensional trilateration of relative time-of-arrival data from the sensing elements.
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed associated with processing origin/location information of a source or event. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a method of performing improved three-dimensional source location processing including constraint of location solutions to a two-dimensional plane. Moreover, the method includes obtaining a plane of constraint characterized as a plane in which the source is likely to occur, providing one or more virtual sensing elements each characterized as being located on a first side of the plane of constraint in a mirror image/symmetrical position across from a corresponding actual sensing element on an opposite side of the plane, and constraining possible origin locations to be located in the plane of constraint. Other exemplary implementations may include determining the origin location as a function of positions of the sensing elements and the virtual sensing elements as well as time-of-arrival and/or angle-of-arrival information.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of determining/solving an origin location of a source of an acoustic weapon fire signal or event by use of two or more sensing elements or receivers, the method comprising:
processing information, via one or more computer processing components of a weapon fire location system that is associated with one or more acoustic receivers, including; obtaining a plane of constraint characterized as a two-dimensional plane defining a surface on which a perpetrator of the weapon fire incident is located and in which the source is likely to exist/occur, the plane of constraint being a bounded region within which a subject weapon fire incident was detected; creating one or more virtual receiver(s) each associated with a respective real receiver, each virtual receiver being constructed as having the same signal arrival time as its respective real receiver but at a virtual position determined by reflecting the respective real receiver around the two-dimensional plane of constraint; processing signals calculated as coming from one or more virtual sensing elements each characterized as being located on a first side of the plane of constraint in a symmetrical position that is a mirror image position, across from a corresponding real sensing element on an opposite side of the plane; constraining possible origin locations of the acoustic signal or event to be located in the plane of constraint; and determining the origin location as a function of positions of the real sensing elements and the virtual sensing elements, time-of-arrival information of acoustic energy from the source to the real sensing elements, and virtual time-of-arrival information provided by the one or more processing components as representative of signals calculated as between the source and the virtual sensing elements, via three-dimensional trilateration of relative time-of-arrival data from the sensing elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19)
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14. A system for determining the location of an acoustic source comprising:
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a computer in communication with two or more acoustic sensors or receivers; the sensors or receivers being placed at known positions in three-dimensional space and configured to detect acoustic signals; wherein the computer is configured to; receive and process signals from the two or more acoustic sensors or receivers; measure an arrival time of acoustic signals with respect to a common time base; utilize an estimate for a plane of constraint of the three-dimensional search space most likely to contain the acoustic source, the plane of constraint characterized as a two-dimensional plane defining a surface on which a perpetrator of the weapon fire incident is located and in which the source is likely to exist/occur, the plane of constraint being a bounded region within which a subject weapon fire incident was detected; determine a best-fit location for the acoustic source including constraining possible origin location(s) to be located in the two-dimensional plane of constraint; create one or more virtual receiver(s) each associated with a respective real receiver, each virtual receiver being constructed as having the same signal arrival time as its respective real receiver but at a virtual position determined by reflecting the respective real receiver around the two-dimensional plane of constraint; and process data from real and virtual receivers together to determine a best-fit location solution for the source, the process of data including three-dimensional trilateration of the measured arrival times of the acoustic signals at the receivers. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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21. A system for determining the location of an acoustic source using an array of acoustic sensors or receivers, the system comprising:
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a) two or more sensors, sensing devices or receivers at known positions in three-dimensional space, each receiver being configured to detect acoustic signals and to measure arrival times of the acoustic signals with respect to a common time base; and b) one or more processing components configured to accept and process measurements made by the two or more sensors, sensing devices or receivers; wherein the one or more processing components are configured to process an estimate for a two-dimensional plane of constraint of the three-dimensional space most likely to contain the acoustic source, the plane of constraint characterized as a two-dimensional plane defining a surface on which a perpetrator of the weapon fire incident is located and in which the source is likely to exist/occur, the lane of constraint being a bounded region within which a subject weapon fire incident was detected; wherein the one or more processing components are configured to determine the best-fitting location for the acoustic source as constrained by the two-dimensional plane of constraint via; a) creating create one or more virtual receiver(s) each associated with a respective real receiver, each virtual receiver being constructed as having the same signal arrival time as its respective real receiver but at a virtual position determined by reflecting the respective real receiver around the two-dimensional plane of constraint; and b) processing data from real and virtual receivers together, including constraining possible location(s) of the source to the plane of constraint, to determine the best-fitting location solution for the source, the processing of data including three-dimensional trilateration of measured arrival times at the sensors, sensing devices or receivers.
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Specification