Integrated 3D audiovisual threat cueing system

• US 8,902,085 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vertex Aerospace, LLC
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ray, Michael S., Negro, James A., Moore, Eric K., Lovell, Todd A., Braun, Jason J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/109,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 340944-983
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/224 Deceiving or protecting means jamming or anti-jamming of radio-wave systems in general G01S7/36, G01S7/38; defense installations in general F41H11/02; chaff dispensers F42B12/70
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/02 Anti-aircraft or anti-guided missile or anti-torpedo defence installations or systems cartridges or missiles for producing smoke or for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material F42B5/15, F42B12/48, F42B12/70; informative reference: details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00; jamming or electronic countermeasures G01S7/38, G01S7/495, H04K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An integrated audiovisual threat warning system configured to detect a threat, estimate a relative location of origin of the threat with respect to a host platform with which the system is associated, and to warn an occupant of the host platform of the threat. The system includes an audio processor configured to receive a warning tone, geo-spatial coordinate data from the host platform, and the estimated relative location of origin of the threat, and to process the warning tone based on the geo-spatial coordinate data and the direction information to generate a directional audio warning signal. The system also includes a plurality of speakers configured to audibly project the directional audio warning signal to audibly identify the estimated relative location of origin of the threat, and a display control unit configured to display the estimated relative location of origin of the threat overlaid on a map.

Claims

1. An integrated audiovisual threat warning system comprising:

a threat detection sub-system configured to detect a threat and, responsive to detection of the threat, to generate a warning tone and an estimated relative location of origin of the threat with respect to a host platform with which the threat warning system is associated;

an audio processor coupled to the threat detection sub-system and configured to receive the warning tone, geo-spatial coordinate data from the host platform, and the estimated relative location of origin of the threat, and to process the warning tone based on the geo-spatial coordinate data and the estimated relative location of origin of the threat to generate a directional audio warning signal;

a plurality of speakers coupled to the audio processor and configured to audibly project the directional audio warning signal to audibly identify the estimated relative location of origin of the threat;

a display screen; and

a video processor coupled to the threat detection sub-system and to the display screen, and configured to receive the estimated relative location of origin of the threat and to control the display screen to display the estimated relative location of origin of the threat overlaid on a map, the video processor being further configured to calculate a region of overlap between estimated relative locations of origin of successively detected threats and to control the display screen to display the region of overlap overlaid on the map and visually distinguished from the estimated relative location of origin of the threat.

2. The integrated audiovisual threat warning system of claim 1, wherein the threat detection sub-system is a missile warning system.

3. The integrated audiovisual threat warning system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of speakers is mounted in a helmet.

4. The integrated audiovisual threat warning system of claim 3, further comprising a monocle mounted to the helmet and coupled to the video processor, and wherein the video processor is configured to control the monocle to display an indication of the estimated relative location of origin of the threat.

5. The integrated audiovisual threat warning system of claim 4, further comprising a helmet tracking system coupled to the video processer and configured to track a pointing direction of the monocle and to provide the pointing direction to the video processor.

6. The integrated audiovisual threat warning system of claim 5, wherein the video processor is further configured to determine whether the pointing direction corresponds to a direction of the estimated relative location of the origin of the threat and, responsive to the determination, alter the indication of the estimated relative location of the origin of the threat displayed by the monocle.

7. A method of warning an occupant of a host platform of a threat comprising:

detecting a first threat;

generating a warning tone responsive to detection of the first threat;

determining a first estimated location of origin of the first threat relative to the host platform;

displaying the first estimated location of origin of the first threat on a map, the first estimated location of origin of the first threat being fixed to the map;

receiving geo-spatial coordinate data from the host platform;

processing the warning tone based on the geo-spatial coordinate data and the first estimated location of origin of the first threat to produce a directional audio warning signal;

audibly projecting the directional audio warning signal to provide an audible indication of a direction, relative to the host platform, of the first estimated location of origin of the first threat;

detecting a second threat;

determining a second estimated location of origin of the second threat relative to the host platform;

displaying the second estimated location of origin of the second threat on the map;

calculating a region of overlap between the first estimated location of origin of the first threat and the second estimated location of origin of the second threat; and

displaying the region of overlap on the map, visually distinguished from the first and second estimated locations of origin of the first and second threats, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

refining the first estimated location of origin of the first threat based on the region of overlap between the first and second estimated locations of origin to produce a zone-of-error corresponding to a location of origin of the first threat; and

displaying the zone-of-error on the map visually distinguished from the first estimated location of origin of the first threat.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising iteratively repeating the refining step based on subsequent detected threats.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a facing direction of a monocle configured for use by the occupant; and

determining whether the facing direction is toward the first estimated location of origin of the first threat.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying in the monocle an icon representative of the first estimated location of origin of the first threat responsive to determining that the facing direction is toward the first estimated location of origin of the first threat.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying in the monocle a signal point of interest vector line pointing in a direction of the first estimated location of origin of the first threat responsive to determining that the facing direction is not toward the first estimated location of origin of the first threat.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein audibly projecting the directional audio warning signal includes playing a sound in helmet speakers, the helmet configured for use by the occupant.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring movement of the helmet; and

updating the directional audio warning signal based on the movement of the helmet to adjust the audible identification the first estimated relative location of origin of the first threat responsive to the movement.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating the geo-spatial coordinate data based on movement of the host platform; and

processing the warning tone based on the updated geo-spatial coordinate data to update the directional audio warning signal to adjust the audible identification of the first estimated relative location of origin of the first threat responsive to the movement.

16. An integrated audiovisual threat warning system comprising:

a threat detection sub-system configured to detect threats and to determine the estimated location of origin of each threat relative to the threat warning system;

an audio tone generator configured to generate a warning tone responsive to detection of each threat;

an audio processor unit configured to receive the warning tone, geo-spatial coordinate data from a host platform with which the threat warning system is associated, and direction information indicating a direction, relative to the host platform, of an estimated location of origin of each threat, and to process the warning tone based on the geo-spatial coordinate data and the direction information to generate a directional audio warning signal;

a plurality of speakers coupled to the audio processor unit and configured to audibly output the directional audio warning signal including an audible indication of the direction, relative to the host platform, of the estimated location of origin of each threat; and

a control display unit coupled to the threat detection sub-system and configured to receive the estimated locations of origin of the threats and to display the estimated locations of origin of the threats overlaid on a map, the control unit further configured to calculate a region of overlap between an estimated location of origin of a first threat and an estimated location of origin of a subsequent threat, and to display the region of overlap visually distinguishable from the estimated locations of origin of the first and subsequent threats.

17. The integrated audiovisual threat warning system of claim 16, further comprising a helmet including a head tracking system, the plurality of speakers being mounted in the helmet;

wherein the head tracking system is configured to monitor movement of the helmet and provide a movement signal representative of the movement to the audio processor; and

wherein the audio processor is further configured to process the warning tone based on the movement signal to update the audible indication of the direction of the estimated location of origin of the threat responsive to the movement of the helmet.