Rotorcraft threat detection system

• US 8,965,044 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Owechko, Yuri, Medasani, Swarup S., Kim, Kyungnam
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, JULIAN D
• Application Number:
  US13/160,959
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/104, 382/224, 382/226, 382/227
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2111 by using evolutionary computational techniques, e.g. genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/771 Feature selection, e.g. selecting representative features from a multi-dimensional feature space
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/242 Division of the character sequences into groups prior to recognition; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for detecting objects. Members of a general class of objects are searched for in a number of images. Members of a specific class of objects are searched for in a number of regions in the number of images where the number of regions contains at least a portion of the members of the general class. A member in the members of the specific class is a potential threat to a rotorcraft.

Claims

1. A method for detecting objects, the method comprises:

searching for members of a general class of objects in a number of images; and

searching for members of a specific class of objects in a number of regions in the number of images where the number of regions contains at least a portion of the members of the general class, wherein a member in the members of the specific class is a potential threat to a rotorcraft, wherein the searching steps are performed using a cognitive swarm.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the number of images from a sensor associated with the rotorcraft.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor is selected from one of an optical sensor, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, and a light detection and ranging unit.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating an action when the member is present from searching for the members of the specific class.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises at least one of illuminating the member, displaying an alert, projecting a light on the member, generating a sound directed at the member, obscuring a vision of the member, indicating a location of the member, sending a message to a ground unit, displaying a location of the member on a personal head-worn display, and displaying the location of the member on a display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the general class of objects is humans and the specific class of objects is a pose that is a threat to the rotorcraft.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the pose is aiming a weapon selected from one of a rocket propelled grenade, a missile launcher, and a gun.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the specific class of objects is selected from one of a weapon controlled by a human and the weapon positioned in an orientation that is threatening to the rotorcraft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for the members of the general class of objects in the number of images comprises:

searching for the members of the general class of objects in the number of images using agents configured to search the number of images for the members of the general class of objects.

10. A method for detecting threats against a rotorcraft, the method comprises:

receiving a number of images from a sensor associated with the rotorcraft,

searching for humans in the number of images using agents configured to search the number of images for the humans;

searching for a pose that is a potential threat to the rotorcraft in a number of regions in the number of images where the number of regions contains at least a portion of the humans; and

initiating an action when the pose that is the potential threat to the rotorcraft is detected.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the searching steps are performed using a cognitive swarm.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the pose that is the potential threat to the rotorcraft indicates that a human is aiming a weapon at the rotorcraft.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor is selected from one of an optical sensor, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, and a light detection and ranging unit;

wherein the action comprises at least one of illuminating the human, displaying an alert, projecting a light on the human, generating a sound directed at an object, obscuring a vision of the human, indicating a location of the human, sending a message to a ground unit, displaying a location of the human on a personal head-worn display, and displaying the location of the human on a display device; and

wherein the pose is aiming a weapon selected from one of a rocket propelled grenade, a missile launcher, and a gun.

14. A threat detection system comprising:

a computer system configured to receive a number of images from a sensor;

search for members of a general class of objects in the number of images; and

search for members of a specific class of objects in a number of regions in the number of images where the number of regions contains at least a portion of the members of the general class, wherein a member in the members of the specific class is a potential threat to a rotorcraft, wherein the computer system is configured to use a cognitive swarm to search for the members of the general class of objects in the number of images.

15. The threat detection system of claim 14 further comprising:

the sensor, wherein the sensor is selected from one of an optical sensor, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, and a light detection and ranging unit.

16. The threat detection system of claim 14 further comprising:

the rotorcraft, wherein the sensor and the computer system are connected to the rotorcraft.

17. The threat detection system of claim 14, wherein the computer system is further configured to initiate an action when at least one member is present from searching for the members of the specific class.

18. The threat detection system of claim 14, wherein the general class of objects is humans and the specific class of objects is a pose that is a threat to the rotorcraft, and wherein the pose is aiming a weapon selected from one of a rocket propelled grenade, a missile launcher, and a gun.

19. The threat detection system of claim 14, wherein the computer system is configured to search for the members of the general class of objects in the number of images using agents configured to search the number of images for the members of the general class of objects.

20. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage media;

first program code for searching for members of a general class of objects in a number of images, the searching using a cognitive swarm; and

second program code for searching for members of a specific class of objects in a number of regions in the number of images where the number of regions contains at least a portion of the members of the general class, wherein a member in the members of the specific class is a potential threat to a rotorcraft and the first program code and the second program code are stored on the computer readable storage media.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising:

third program code for initiating an action when the member is present from searching for the members of the specific class, wherein the action comprises at least one of illuminating the member, displaying an alert, projecting a light on the member, generating a sound directed at the member, obscuring a vision of the member, indicating a location of the member, sending a message to a ground unit,

displaying a location of the member on a personal head-worn display, and display the location of the member on a display device.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the general class of objects is humans and the specific class of objects is a pose that is a threat to the rotorcraft and wherein the specific class of objects is selected from one of a weapon controlled by a human and the weapon positioned in an orientation that is threatening to the rotorcraft.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the first program code for searching for the members of the general class of objects in the number of images comprises:

program code for searching for members of the general class of objects in the number of images using agents configured to search the number of images for the members of the general class of objects.