SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF TRACKING AND/OR AVOIDING HARM TO CERTAIN DEVICES OR HUMANS

• US 20080221793A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shotspotter Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shotspotter Incorporated
• Inventors: Fisher, Ken S., Baxter, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US11/930,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/06 Electric or electromechanical safeties F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/147 based on detection of a firing weapon
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/18 Military applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• 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: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods of tracking and/or avoiding harm to certain devices or humans. According to one exemplary embodiment, a method of tracking individual assets may include obtaining position data of an asset via a GPS receiver in communication with a position sensor associated with the asset, processing position data and sensor data via a processing component associated with the position sensor that receives the position data from the GPS receiver, and communicating sensor data to a host device via a communication interface associated with the position sensor and configured to enable wireless communication between the position sensor and the host device.

Claims

1. A method of tracking individual military assets comprising:

obtaining position data of a military asset via a GPS receiver contained within a position sensor associated with the military asset;

processing position data and sensor data via a processing component associated with the position sensor that receives the position data from the GPS receiver;

communicating sensor data to a host device via a communication interface in the position sensor configured to enable wireless communication between the position sensor and the host device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a gunshot location sensor with each position sensor of a subset of the plurality of position sensors.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the communication interface to communicate via a layered network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating an electronic compass with each position sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the communication interface for wireless communication with higher levels of command via the host device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising configuring the communication interface to receive communications from the higher levels of command.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring each communication interface to transmit and receive communications among the plurality of position sensors.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the position sensor is associated with a UAV.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising configuring the communication interface to communicate via a layered network.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising associating an electronic compass with each position sensor.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising configuring the communication interface for wireless communication with higher levels of command via the host device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising configuring the communication interface to receive communications from the higher levels of command.

13. The method of claim 2 each communication interface is configured to transmit and receive communications among the plurality of position sensors.

14. A method of tracking individual military assets comprising:

obtaining position data of a military asset via a GPS receiver contained within a position sensor associated with the military asset;

processing the position data and sensor data via a processing component associated with the sensor that receives the position data from the GPS receiver;

communicating sensor data to a host device via a communication interface in the sensor configured to enable wireless communication between the sensor and the host device;

communicating information based on the sensor data from the host device to higher levels of command.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising associating a gunshot location sensor with each position sensor of a subset of the plurality of position sensors.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising configuring the communication interface to communicate via a layered network.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising configuring the communication interface for wireless communication with higher levels of command via the host device.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising associating an electronic compass with each position sensor.

19. A method of tracking individual military assets comprising:

obtaining position data of a military asset via a GPS receiver contained within a position sensor associated with the military asset;

processing position data and sensor data via a processing component contained in the sensor that receives the position data from the GPS receiver;

communicating sensor data to a host device via a communication interface in the sensor configured to enable wireless communication between the sensor and the host device;

obtaining gunshot location data from a gunshot location sensor associated with a position sensor;

obtaining direction data from an electronic compass in communication with the processing component; and

receiving, at the communication interface, communications from the higher levels of command.

20. A system that tracks individual military assets comprising:

a plurality of position sensors each attached to a military asset, wherein each sensor comprises;

a GPS receiver for determining a position of the military asset;

a processing component that receives position data from the GPS receiver, the processing component including a subcomponent configured for communicating sensor data; and

a communication interface configured to enable wireless communication between the position sensor and a host device.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein each member of a subset of the plurality of position sensors includes a gunshot location sensor.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the communication interface is configured to communicate via a layered network.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein each member of a subset of the plurality of position sensors includes an electronic compass.

24. The system of claim 20 further comprising a host device including a communication component configured to communicate information based on the sensor data with higher levels of command.

25. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

an electronic compass in communication with the processing component;

wherein a subset of the plurality of position sensors include gunshot location sensors; and

wherein the communication interface is configured to receive communications from higher levels of command.