System, method, and computer program product for indicating hostile fire

• US 9,146,251 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Moraites, Stephen C., McPhail, Shawn, Sobiski, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaworecki, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US13/826,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20150219426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/10 by measuring thermal variables
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30212 Military
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying hostile fire. A characteristic of a fired projectile is detected using an optical system and the projectile'"'"'s travel path in relation to a vehicle is determined. If the determined travel path of the projectile is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, it is determined that the projectile is hostile towards the vehicle and a warning is output.

Claims

1. A method for indicating hostile fire, comprising:

electronically detecting infrared radiation of a projectile in a field of view (FOV);

electronically determining a travel path of the projectile based on said electronically detecting infrared radiation of the projectile in the FOV;

electronically calculating a miss distance of the projectile based on electronically stored data for one or more projectile types, the electronically stored projectile type data including, for each type of projectile, projectile velocity data and projectile distance data; and

based on said electronically calculating, electronically outputting an indication.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output indication is an indication that the projectile is hostile.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output indication is an indication of an origination point or area of the projectile.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output indication is an indication of a portion of the projectile travel path.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the electronically stored projectile velocity data includes constant or relatively constant velocity assumptions regarding projectile types and their corresponding calibers,

wherein the electronically stored projectile distance data includes lethal or threatening ranges of projectiles, and

wherein the electronically stored projectile data is stored in at least one of caliber-dependent bins and range-dependent bins.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein electronically calculating a miss distance of the projectile includes calculating the miss distance and at least one other miss distance of the same projectile.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the miss distance is calculated based on a product of a first derivative of a detected projectile trace and a second derivative of the detected projectile trace.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in addition to being based on said electronically calculating, said electronically outputting the indication that the projectile is hostile is based on a determination that the projectile is not in its damaging or lethal trajectory stage.