System and method for situational awareness and target cueing

• US 9,311,551 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Hayes, Hilary L., Koltookian, John H., Robison, Derek T., Rencs, Erik, Chan, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Christine
• Application Number:
  US13/698,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/00 Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 ; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/251 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/803 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/181 using active radiation detection systems
• 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

A system and method for situational awareness and target cueing for use in military applications is disclosed. In extreme low light situations where the LLL sensor cannot provide SA information, the system allocates thermal information to the green SA channel to maintain the supply of contextual information to the user and thus situational awareness (SA) never drops below the native resolution of the thermal sensor. This improved SA capability, surpasses any existing LLL sensor technology in a single channel (stand-alone) application in overcast star light and below conditions.

Claims

1. A method for providing imagery for situational awareness and target cueing comprising:

determining a threshold of a thermal sensor using a scene statistics;

establishing a dark light level of a surrounding;

mapping information from said thermal sensor for target cueing;

allocating information from said thermal sensor for situational awareness;

mapping information from a low light level sensor and said allocated information from said thermal sensor for situational awareness; and

fusing information from said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor to obtain said imagery in which situational awareness (SA) never drops below a native resolution of said thermal sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said imagery is conducted at low light levels.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein reliability of said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor for the SA are determined by utilizing signal to noise ratio metrics.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein spatial frequency based histogram thresholding is used to mask potential threats from a background.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing information from said thermal and low light sensor before fusing information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein processing information comprises non uniformity correction, noise reduction and local area contrast enhancement.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said thermal sensor is utilized to obtain target cueing information at both low and high light conditions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein information from said low light level sensor is utilized to obtain situational awareness information at high light condition.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein information from said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor are utilized to obtain situational awareness information at low light condition.