SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND TARGET CUEING

• US 20130057698A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/162
• 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 an imagery for situational awareness and target cueing comprising:

determining threshold of a thermal sensor using a scene statistics;

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 thermal sensor for situation awareness; and

fusing information from said low level sensor and said thermal sensor to obtain said imagery in which situational awareness never drops below the native resolution of the thermal sensor.

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

3. The method of claim 2 wherein processing information comprises non uniformity correction, noise reduction and local area contrast enhancement.

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

5. The method of claim 1 wherein reliability of said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor for situational awareness are determined by utilizing signal to noise ratio metrics.

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

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.

10. A system for providing an imagery for situational awareness and target cueing comprising:

a thermal sensor for obtaining target cueing information;

a low light level sensor for obtaining situational awareness information;

a processing unit for processing said target cueing and situational awareness information; and

a fusion device for fusing said target cueing and situational awareness information from said processing unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein information from said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor are utilized for situation awareness at low light levels.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said thermal sensor is utilized to obtain target cueing information at both low and high light conditions.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein information from said low light level sensor is utilized to obtain situational awareness information at high light condition.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said fusion device provides an imagery in which situational awareness never drops below the native resolution of said thermal sensor.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein reliability of said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor for situational awareness are determined by utilizing signal to noise ratio metrics.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein spatial frequency based histogram thresholding is used to mask potential threats from a background.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said processing unit comprises non uniformity correction unit, noise reduction unit and local area contrast enhancement unit.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein information from said low light level sensor is utilized to obtain situational awareness information at high light condition.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein said fusion device provides an imagery in which situational awareness never drops below the native resolution of said thermal sensor.

18. A system for providing an imagery for situational awareness and target cueing comprising:

a thermal sensor for obtaining target cueing information at both low and high light levels;

a low light level sensor for obtaining situational awareness information;

a processing unit for processing said target cueing and situational awareness information; and

a fusion device for fusing said target cueing and situational awareness information from said processing unit, wherein information from said low light level sensor and said thermal sensor are utilized for situation awareness at low light levels.