Systems and methods of identifying/locating weapon fire including return fire, targeting, laser sighting, and/or guided weapon features

• US 20080165621A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shotspotter Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shotspotter Incorporated
• Inventors: Fisher, Ken S., Baxter, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,586,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/118
• 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: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/906 Airborne shock-wave detection

Abstract

A system and method for detecting, identifying, and fixing the location of the source of an acoustic event. The inventive system includes: a plurality of sensors dispersed at somewhat regular intervals throughout a monitored area; a communication network adapted to deliver information from the sensors to a host processor; and a process within the host processor for determining, from the absolute times of arrival of an event at two or more sensors, a position of the source of the event. Acoustic events are detected and analyzed at each sensor so that the sensor transmits over the network: an identifier for the sensor; an identifier for the type of event; and a precise absolute time of arrival of the event at the sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the system also identifies the type of weapon firing a gunshot.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method of processing instructions associated with directing weapon fire towards the location of an acoustic event, the method comprising:

networking at least three sensors across an area to be monitored, wherein each of the at least three sensors comprises a microphone for detecting the acoustic event, and wherein the location of each of the at least three sensors is known;

performing time of arrival processing of the acoustic event;

determining an approximate location of a source of the acoustic event as a function of arrival time and sensor location data; and

processing instructions associated with providing information for directing return fire as a function of the approximate location.