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

• US 9,569,849 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• 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): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/789,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 235/404, 235/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/00 Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/80 for gunlaying; for bomb aiming; for guiding missiles
• 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 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A network for indicating and communicating detection of hostile fire, and systems, methods, and computer program products thereof. Hostile fire is optically detected and identified at a first vehicle and such identification is transmitted from the first vehicle to one or more other vehicles in the network. Data regarding hostile fire directed at the first vehicle can be stored at one or more of the other vehicles and even retransmitted to other vehicles or base stations.

Claims

1. A system for detecting hostile fire, the system comprising:

a first system located at a first position, the first system comprising;

an infrared (IR) camera having a field of view (FOV) and a sensitivity sufficient to capture a heat signature of a fired unguided energetic projectile, the heat signature being an image pixel trail representing a portion of a trail of energy of the projectile;

an image processor configured to;

receive pixel data from the IR camera, the pixel data corresponding to the captured portion of the trail of energy,

calculate, based on the pixel data, a vertical velocity and a vertical acceleration of the pixel data and a horizontal velocity and a horizontal acceleration of the pixel data,

calculate an estimated vertical miss distance of the fired projectile based on the vertical velocity and vertical acceleration of the pixel data,

calculate an estimated horizontal miss distance of the fired projectile based on the horizontal velocity and horizontal acceleration of the pixel data, and

make a determination as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the fired projectile by analyzing calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the fired projectile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the IR camera is mounted on a moving object, the object being a person or vehicle, and wherein calculating the vertical and horizontal velocities is further based on the velocity of the object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second system further comprises:

a data storage unit to electronically store moving object data from the first system regarding the moving object, the data including one or more of a travel path, velocity or speed of the moving object, a velocity or speed of the moving object versus time, an altitude, an orientation, a time, a location of the moving object in relation to the fired unguided energetic projectile, a location of the fired unguided energetic projectile, hit/likely hit data, and damage assessment data.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second system located at a second position having the same features of the first system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first system further comprises a transmitter and wherein the second system further comprises as receiver, wherein the first system communicates to the second system via the transmitter the determination made as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the fired projectile.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processor of the first system is configured to receive pixel data according to at least a second fired unguided energetic projectile and make a determination with respect to each fired unguided energetic projectile as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the at least second fired projectile by analyzing calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of each fired projectile.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first system is configured to represent the captured portion of the trail of energy as a two-dimensional representation over time.

8. A method for detecting hostile fire, comprising:

capturing, at an infrared (IR) camera at a first position having a field of view (FOV) and a sensitivity, a heat signature of a fired unguided energetic projectile image, the heat signature being an image pixel trail representing a portion of a trail of energy of the projectile;

receiving pixel data, the pixel data corresponding to the captured portion of the trail of energy;

calculating, based on the pixel data, a vertical velocity and a vertical acceleration of the pixel data and a horizontal velocity and a horizontal acceleration of the pixel data;

calculating an estimated vertical miss distance of the fired projectile based on the vertical velocity and vertical acceleration of the pixel data;

calculating an estimated horizontal miss distance of the fired projectile based on the horizontal velocity and horizontal acceleration of the pixel data; and

determining the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the fired projectile by analyzing calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the fired projectile.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the IR camera is mounted on a moving object, the object being a person or vehicle, and wherein calculating the vertical and horizontal velocities is further based on the velocity of the object.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing at an electronic data storage unit moving object data from the first system regarding the moving object, the data including one or more of a travel path, velocity or speed of the moving object, a velocity or speed of the moving object versus time, an altitude, an orientation, a time, a location of the moving object in relation to the fired unguided energetic projectile, a location of the fired unguided energetic projectile, hit/likely hit data, and damage assessment data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising capturing, at an infrared (IR) camera at a second position having a field of view (FOV) and a sensitivity, a heat signature of the fired unguided energetic projectile image, the heat signature being an image pixel trail representing a portion of a trail of energy of the projectile;

and

determining the likelihood of whether the second position will be hit by the fired projectile by analyzing second position calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the fired projectile.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting to the second position the determination made as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the fired projectile.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving pixel data according to at least a second fired unguided energetic projectile; and

making a determination with respect to the at least second fired projectile as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the at least second fired projectile by analyzing calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the at least second fired projectile.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

representing the captured portion of the trail of energy as a two-dimensional representation over time.

15. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, to detect hostile fire, the detecting comprising:

capturing, at an infrared (IR) camera at a first position having a field of view (FOV) and a sensitivity, a heat signature of a fired unguided energetic projectile image, the heat signature being an image pixel trail representing a portion of a trail of energy of the projectile;

receiving pixel data, the pixel data corresponding to the captured portion of the trail of energy;

calculating, based on the pixel data, a vertical velocity and a vertical acceleration of the pixel data and a horizontal velocity and a horizontal acceleration of the pixel data;

calculating an estimated vertical miss distance of the fired projectile based on the vertical velocity and vertical acceleration of the pixel data;

calculating an estimated horizontal miss distance of the fired projectile based on the horizontal velocity and horizontal acceleration of the pixel data; and

determining the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the fired projectile by analyzing calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the fired projectile.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the IR camera is mounted on a moving object, the object being a person or vehicle, and wherein calculating the vertical and horizontal velocities is further based on the velocity of the object.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the detecting further comprises:

capturing, at an infrared (IR) camera at a second position having a field of view (FOV) and a sensitivity, a heat signature of the fired unguided energetic projectile image, the heat signature being an image pixel trail representing a portion of a trail of energy of the projectile; and

determining the likelihood of whether the second position will be hit by the fired projectile by analyzing second position calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the fired projectile.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the detecting further comprises:

transmitting to the second position the determination made as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the fired projectile.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the detecting further comprises:

receiving pixel data according to at least a second fired unguided energetic projectile; and

making a determination with respect to the at least second fired projectile as to the likelihood of whether the first position will be hit by the at least second fired projectile by analyzing calculated estimated vertical and horizontal miss distances of the at least second fired projectile.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the detecting further comprises:

storing at an electronic data storage unit moving object data from the first system regarding the moving object, the data including one or more of a travel path, velocity or speed of the moving object, a velocity or speed of the moving object versus time, an altitude, an orientation, a time, a location of the moving object in relation to the fired unguided energetic projectile, a location of the fired unguided energetic projectile, hit/likely hit data, and damage assessment data.