Intrusion Detection System

• US 20130110455A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Scholes, Dallas Steven, Oman, Eric Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction

Abstract

A method and apparatus for surveillance. A signal is sent to sensors on a ground in an area. The sensors are configured to generate electromagnetic radiation in response to the signal to activate the sensors. The current positions of the sensors are detected from the electromagnetic radiation generated by the sensors in response to the signal.

Claims

1. A method for surveillance, the method comprising:

sending a signal to sensors on a ground in an area, wherein the sensors are configured to generate electromagnetic radiation in response to the signal to activate the sensors; and

detecting current positions of the sensors from the electromagnetic radiation generated by the sensors in response to the signal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deploying the sensors in the area.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the current positions of the sensors with a set of prior positions of the sensors to form a comparison; and

determining whether an intrusion has occurred in the area using the comparison.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the intrusion has occurred in the area using the comparison comprises:

identifying terrain in the area;

identifying a number of environmental conditions that effect movement of the sensors; and

determining whether the intrusion has occurred based on the terrain, the number of environmental conditions, and the comparison.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of environmental conditions is selected from at least one of wind, snow, and rain.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the intrusion has occurred in the area using the comparison comprises:

predicting expected movement of people; and

determining whether the intrusion has occurred in the area using the comparison and the expected movement of people or vehicles or disturbance of ground.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises light and detecting the current positions of the sensors from the light generated by the sensors in response to the signal comprises:

detecting the current positions of the sensors from the light generated by the sensors in response to the signal using a sensor system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors are deployed by at least one of a number of stationary platforms and a number of mobile platforms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is an electromagnetic frequency signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors are configured to blend with terrain in the area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the current positions comprise at least one of locations of the sensors and orientations of the sensors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is light with a wavelength that is invisible to a human eye.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the sensors generates the electromagnetic radiation having a first wavelength and a second portion of the sensors generates the electromagnetic radiation having a second wavelength.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the sensors is deployed at a first time and the second portion of the sensors is deployed at a second time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a sensor in the sensors has a shape and size configured to be moved in response to movement in the area by at least one of a living organism and a vehicle or a disturbance of ground.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a sensor in the sensors is configured to move in a selected manner in response to an environmental condition.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a second signal and wherein a sensor in the sensors is a structure associated with a material configured to generate the electromagnetic radiation using energy from a first signal at a first frequency in response to the material receiving the first signal;

and

a controller configured to receive the second signal at a second frequency and generate the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

18. A sensor system comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a signal;

sensors configured for placement on a ground in an area, wherein the sensors are configured to generate electromagnetic radiation in response to the signal; and

an information detector configured to collect information about current positions of the sensors using the electromagnetic radiation.

19. The sensor system of claim 18 further comprising:

an analysis system configured to determine whether an intrusion has occurred using the current positions of the sensors.

20. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the analysis system is configured to compare the current positions of the sensors with a set of positions for the sensors.

21. The sensor system of claim 18, wherein the information detector is configured to generate images of the electromagnetic radiation.

22. The sensor system of claim 18, wherein the signal generator and the information detector are located on a mobile platform.

23. The sensor system of claim 18, wherein the signal is a second signal and wherein a sensor in the sensors is a structure associated with a material configured to generate the electromagnetic radiation using energy from a first signal at a first frequency in response to the material receiving the first signal;

and

a controller configured to receive the second signal at a second frequency and generate the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

24. A sensor system comprising:

a structure associated with a material configured to generate electromagnetic radiation using energy from a first signal at a first frequency in response to the material receiving the first signal; and

a controller configured to receive a second signal at a second frequency and generate the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

25. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to generate the second signal if the first signal includes a selected command.

26. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the first signal is an encrypted signal and the controller is configured to decrypt the encrypted signal.

27. The sensor system of claim 25, wherein the controller includes an energy storage system configured to store the energy from the first signal if the selected command is absent in the first signal.

28. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the material is a coating on the structure.

29. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the material is integrated in the structure.

30. The sensor system of claim 24, wherein the material is a fluorescent material.