With Television Patents (Class 342/55)
  • Patent number: 8120524
    Abstract: Whether or not the CW radar is utilized for through-the-wall detection, additional one or more sensors are used with the CW radar to confirm the motion detection result or to in fact turn on the CW radar once motion or the physical presence of an individual has been sensed, thereby to provide confirmation of a less-reliable sensor with the use of the more reliable CW radar. Thus, the addition of other sensors provides lower power consumption, lower false alarm rates and better discrimination and classification of moving objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Zemany
  • Patent number: 8102305
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method comprises receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors in response to sensing a structure. The sensor data is filtered to identify edge data and reverberation data each describing the same structural feature of the structure. Image data for a filtered image of the structure is generated from the edge data, but not from the reverberation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Daniel W. Otts
  • Patent number: 8085188
    Abstract: A method of determining a deviation of a path of a projectile from a predetermined path. The method uses an image of a target area in which the desired path or direction is pointed out. Subsequently, the real direction or path is determined and the deviation determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Trackman A/S
    Inventor: Fredrik Tuxen
  • Patent number: 8026842
    Abstract: A land-based smart sensor system and several system architectures for detection, tracking, and classification of people and vehicles automatically and in real time for border, property, and facility security surveillance is described. The preferred embodiment of the proposed smart sensor system is comprised of (1) a low-cost, non-coherent radar, whose function is to detect and track people, singly or in groups, and various means of transportation, which may include vehicles, animals, or aircraft, singly or in groups, and cue (2) an optical sensor such as a long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor, whose function is to classify the identified targets and produce movie clips for operator validation and use, and (3) a supercomputer to process the collected data in real-time. The smart sensor system can be implemented in a tower-based or a mobile-based, or combination system architecture. The radar can also be operated as a stand-alone system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Vista Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillilp A. Fox, Joseph W. Maresca, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8013780
    Abstract: A radar sensing system for a vehicle includes a radar sensor device, a cover panel and a control. The radar sensor device is disposed at a pocket established at an upper edge of the vehicle windshield and having a forward transmitting and receiving direction that is not through the windshield. The cover panel is disposed at the radar sensor device and is substantially sealed at the vehicle windshield at or near the pocket at the upper edge of the vehicle windshield. The cover panel has a material that is substantially transmissive to radar frequency electromagnetic radiation waves. The radar sensor device emits radar frequency electromagnetic radiation waves that transmit through the cover panel. The control is responsive to an output of the radar sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 8009081
    Abstract: A moving sensor suite for imaging a scene has three Doppler radars, two moving and one fixed, a fixed video camera and a fixed GPS receiver. The Doppler radars measure the relative velocities between the radars and the scene, as well as the scene's electromagnetic reflectivity, while the video camera records the motion of the camera and the optical property of the scene. The correct registration of the Doppler radars and the camera is established by finding the intersections of the moving Doppler radar motion vectors with the image plane of the video camera. The scene features in the first frame are determined by Doppler circle intersections. The correspondences of the features in the next two frames are established by a feature matching operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Inventors: Lang Hong, Steven Hong
  • Patent number: 8004454
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards method, apparatus, and computer product for obtaining additional information in relation to a target in the vicinity of a mobile electronic device as well as such a mobile electronic device. The device includes a radar unit for operation in a certain frequency range including a pulse generating unit, a transmitting and receiving antenna, an echo detecting unit, a timing unit for timing the generation and transmission of pulses and providing an echo detection window for the echo detecting unit to detect echoes of said pulses when being reflected by a target, and a signal processing unit configured to process received echo pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Mats Eric Gustav Lindoff, Magnus Blomkvist
  • Publication number: 20110187578
    Abstract: A conductive line radar comprising at least one signal surface wave launcher, which comprises a signal surface wave transceiver, which is physically attached to a power line. The signal surface wave transceiver transmits a wave signal along the power line with another signal radiating from the wave signal in a plurality of directions along the power line. The at least one signal surface wave transceiver receives reflected signals from a target within a distance of the power line. The at least one signal surface wave launcher includes at least one RF communications transceiver and can be inductively powered from the power line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: SENSIS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mike FARNETH, Stephen E. McMAHON, John A. ROUGAS, Edward M. VALOVAGE, Brian EDWARD
  • Patent number: 7978122
    Abstract: An object sensing system includes a radar system including at least one aperture through which a radar signal is transmitted and at least one aperture through which reflected radar signals are received. The sensing system also includes a stereo vision system including a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor and the second sensor are separated by an offset. The stereo vision system is mounted to the radar system to form a single assembly. The radar system is positioned in the offset between the first sensor and the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Schmidlin
  • Patent number: 7940208
    Abstract: An image processor includes an optical processor and a microwave processor. The optical processor is configured to extract optical image information from optical image data provided by a sensor, the optical image data representing an optical image of an object. The microwave image processor is configured to produce microwave image data representing a microwave image of the object in response to the extracted optical image information and microwave measurements provided by a microwave imager based on illuminating the object with microwave radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Izhak Baharav, Robert C. Taber, S. Jeffrey Rosner
  • Publication number: 20110102237
    Abstract: This invention is related to a fusion algorithm for a video-Doppler-radar (Vidar) traffic surveillance system comprising of (1) a robust matching algorithm which iteratively matches the information from a video camera and multiple Doppler radars corresponding to a same moving vehicle, and (2) a stochastic algorithm which fuses the matched information from the video camera and Doppler radars to derive the vehicle velocity and range information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Lang Hong, Arunesh Roy, Nicholas Christopher Gale
  • Publication number: 20110037640
    Abstract: An object sensing system includes a radar system including at least one aperture through which a radar signal is transmitted and at least one aperture through which reflected radar signals are received. The sensing system also includes a stereo vision system including a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor and the second sensor are separated by an offset. The stereo vision system is mounted to the radar system to form a single assembly. The radar system is positioned in the offset between the first sensor and the second sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Inventor: Michael J. Schmidlin
  • Patent number: 7889113
    Abstract: An inspection system that can detect contraband items concealed on, in or beneath an individual's clothing. The system employs millimeter wave radiation to detect contraband items. The system is described in connection with a check point security system that includes temperature controlled walls to enhance imaging of contraband items. Also, a millimeter wave camera is used in conjunction with a visible light camera that forms images. To address privacy concerns of displaying images of people made with millimeter wave cameras that effectively “see through” clothes, the millimeter wave images are not displayed directly. Rather, computer processing produces indications of suspicious items from the underlying raw millimeter wave images. The indications of suspicious items are overlaid on the image formed by the visible light camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Apostle G. Cardiasmenos, Paul J. DeLia
  • Publication number: 20100328140
    Abstract: This invention is related to a Video-Doppler-Radar Traffic Surveillance System comprising of multiple Doppler radars and video cameras, circuitry for processing radar and video signals, and data recording and displaying devices. Although the system is mainly designed for roadside traffic surveillance, it can be used in different applications, such as mounted on a host vehicle or on a UAV. The system will provide continuous surveillance of all incoming and leaving traffic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Lang Hong, Steven Siying Hong
  • Publication number: 20100265117
    Abstract: An active imaging system for imaging a target is described. The system includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, an antenna arrangement coupled to the transmitting unit and/or the receiving unit via a front end unit, and an image processing unit coupled to the receiving unit. The system also includes a control system coupled to the transmitting unit, the receiving unit and/or the image processing unit for controlling operation thereof. The antenna arrangement includes at least one rotating antenna synthetically forming a circular antenna. The image processing unit is configured for creating an image of the object by employing a synthetic aperture radar imaging algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: ELTA SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventor: Nathan WEISS
  • Patent number: 7800527
    Abstract: The system and method for standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) automatically detects HCE (112) up to a range of (200) meters and within seconds alerts an operator to HCE (112) threats. The system (100) has radar only, or both radar and video sensors, a multi-sensor processor (102), an operator console (120), handheld displays (122), and a wideband wireless communications link. The processor (102) receives radar and video feeds and automatically tracks and detects all humans (110) in the field of view. Track data continuously cues the narrow beam radar (118) to a subject of interest (110), (112) the radar (106), (108) repeatedly interrogating cued objects (110), (112), producing a multi-polarity radar range profile for each interrogation event. Range profiles and associated features are automatically fused over time until sufficient evidence is accrued to support a threat/non-threat declaration hypothesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Inventors: Robert J. Douglass, John D. Gorman, Thomas J. Burns
  • Patent number: 7710310
    Abstract: A detection system (1) having an optical sensor (3), a radar device (2) and a signal processor (4) communicatively connected with the optical sensor and the radar device. The signal processor comprises: a first detector (41, 410-413) for detecting a first object on the basis of a first signal coming from the optical sensor and determining at least one first property of the first object; a second detector (42, 420-421) for detecting a second object on the basis of a second signal coming from the radar device and determining at least one second property of that second object, and a signaling unit (43) for producing a signal if the at least one first property and the at least one second property satisfy a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Albert Gezinus Huizing, Leonardus Johannes Hubertus Maria Kester, Arne Theil
  • Patent number: 7660668
    Abstract: A device and a method for triggering at least one deceleration device and/or one output-determining actuator element of a vehicle propulsion system, in particular for automatic longitudinal vehicle regulation, a first surroundings sensing device being provided, which delivers longitudinal value-optimized measured values, a second surroundings sensing device being provided, which delivers object lateral dimension-optimized measuring values, and an analyzer device being provided, which receives the output signals of the first and second surroundings sensing devices and the measured values of the first and second surroundings sensing devices being used for object identification. The device and the method are furthermore suitable for initiating or performing vehicle deceleration for collision avoidance or for alleviating the severity of a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Lucas, Marcus Lorei, Hermann Winner, Martin Heinebrodt, Ulrike Ahlrichs
  • Patent number: 7646329
    Abstract: A method of detecting a target in a scene comprises the steps of generating a comparison of the value of data elements in first and second data sets, the data elements corresponding to returns from the same part of the scene and setting a detection threshold value for the comparison so as to detect targets entering said that part of scene The method provides improved target detection in the presence of clutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventors: Adrian Britton, Michael Andrew Evans, Carol Anne Evans, legal representative, Adrian Thomas Shalley, Samantha Jane Lycett, Iain Baird Smith
  • Patent number: 7548190
    Abstract: An obstacle sensor operating by collimation and focusing of the emitted wave comprises: a device (I) for insulating the electromagnetic waves emitted by a generator (1); a device for the automatic control (12, 12?) of the transmitter and of the sensor status; a device (15?÷15??) for amplifying the power of the signals emitted and/or received; different shapes of output lens (14?÷14??) of the antenna, with or without peripheral lobes (16), associated or non associated to microwave sensors (19). The sensor is associable to passive and/or active obstacle warning reflectors with the possibility of discriminating them not only if front but also side and above and below the horizon central azimuth, for road, aircraft and naval applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Inventor: Franco Baldi
  • Patent number: 7511253
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting radiation includes an entry window configured to receive radiation from a target, the entry window having an outer surface and an inner surface, such that the outer surface is not parallel to the inner surface. The apparatus further includes a radiation transmission assembly configured to receive at least a portion of the radiation received by the entry window. The apparatus further includes a radiation sensor configured to receive at least a portion of the radiation from the radiation transmission assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Turner
  • Patent number: 7504993
    Abstract: A coaxial bi-modal imaging system is produced by aligning a microwave transceiver, an optical camera and an antenna array in a coaxial configuration. The microwave transceiver is operable to emit microwave radiation to illuminate an object and to receive reflected microwave radiation reflected from the object to capture a microwave image of the object. The antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements, each programmable with a respective transmit direction coefficient to direct the microwave radiation emitted from said microwave transceiver toward a target on the object, and each programmable with a respective receive direction coefficient to direct the reflected microwave radiation reflected from said target towards said microwave transceiver. The optical camera is configured to capture an optical image of said object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Agilent Technolgoies, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Young, Gregory S. Lee, William Weems
  • Patent number: 7492308
    Abstract: An optical detection system for detecting launch of an offensive projectile. The detection system includes an image detector array, an optical arrangement for focusing on to the image detector array, and a processing system associated with the image detector array. The processing system is configured to derive a series of frames from the image detector, to process the series of frames to identify a flash event and to generate and output that indicates a direction of the flash event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Yair Benayahu, Asher Vuskoboinik
  • Patent number: 7425693
    Abstract: A method of tracking a target. The method includes the steps of acquiring a first spectral image of a scene that includes the target, designating a spectral reference window, in the first spectral image, that includes a respective plurality of pixel vectors, acquiring a second spectral image, of the scene, that includes a respective plurality of pixel vectors, and hypercorrelating the spectral reference window with the second spectral image, thereby obtaining a hypercorrelation function, a maximum of the hypercorrelation function then corresponding to a location of the target in the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Ruth Shapira
  • Publication number: 20080198221
    Abstract: A satellite-receiver equipped video monitor primarily comprises a housing, a signal output device, a satellite receiver module and a video camera module, which implements the satellite receiver module to acquire satellite signals and utilizes a software tool to integrate received real-time coordinate and position information with the real-time monitoring images, so as to associate the images captured from the monitoring video with the relevant real-time time and position information. Hence, the disclosed subject matter can be applied to record the movement of a mobile object. That is, the disclosed subject matter can be installed in moving conveyances such as cars, airplanes, ships and so on for recording various circumstances that the conveyances encounters. Alternatively, the disclosed subject matter may be equipped to a human or an animal for precisely recording monitoring images thereof at particular time points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Chii-Moon Liou
  • Publication number: 20080191926
    Abstract: An optical detection system for detecting launch of an offensive projectile. The detection system includes an image detector array, an optical arrangement for focusing on to the image detector array, and a processing system associated with the image detector array. The processing system is configured to derive a series of frames from the image detector, to process the series of frames to identify a flash event and to generate and output that indicates a direction of the flash event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: RAFAEL - ARMAMENT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LTD.
    Inventors: Yair Benayahu, Asher Voskoboinik
  • Patent number: 7376247
    Abstract: A target detection system using an EHF radar and the image processing is disclosed, in which the processing time is shortened by mutually complementing the disadvantages of the EHF radar and the image processing thereby to improve the reliability. The system comprises a radar, an image acquisition unit and an image processing ECU. The microcomputer of the ECU specifies an image recognition area based on the power output from the radar, and carries out the image processing only within the specified recognition area for the image obtained from the image acquisition unit. By performing the image processing only for the area where a target is detected by the radar, the time required for image processing is shortened on the one hand and the erroneous detection of letters on the road surface or the like is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventors: Akihiro Ohta, Kenji Oka
  • Patent number: 7339516
    Abstract: A method to present easily understood images that represent targets that are detected through walls or other opaque barriers is disclosed. This method is particularly well suited for sense-through-the-wall radar systems. One of the main challenges of evolving STTW systems is that the practitioners of the technology are generally presented with complicated images to represent the gain adjusted amplitude of signals that are detected by the radar. Interpretation of images from prior art, which can be in the form of the radar speckle, target blob, wiggle plot, and horizontal amplitude intensity displays, shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, requires high levels of skill, focus, and time. Naturally, the foregoing places military and law-enforcement customers of the technology at considerable risk during hostile missions. This invention discloses a method that converts a typical radar signal into an image that is easily understood by a practitioner of STTW technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: RealTronics Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Randall Thompson, Bernt Askild Askildsen
  • Patent number: 7321330
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ball measuring apparatus capable of measuring a trajectory of a ball from a hitting position to a landing position, the landing position and a stop position. A ball measuring apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment includes a first millimeter wave radar device 1 capable of carrying out a measurement from the hitting position to a predetermined position of the trajectory and having at least one transmitting antenna and a plurality of receiving antennas, and a second millimeter wave radar device 2 capable of measuring the stop position and having at least one transmitting antenna and a plurality of receiving antennas. A ball measuring apparatus 101 according to a second embodiment has a millimeter wave radar device 31 and a CCD camera 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Takahiro Sajima
  • Patent number: 7176830
    Abstract: An image processing system to be mounted to a vehicle includes a radar adapted to measure distance and direction to an object based on reflected electromagnetic waves which are outputted to scan the exterior of the vehicle, an image-taking device such as a camera for obtaining an image, and an image processor for carrying out image processing on a specified image processing area in an image obtained by the image-taking device. The image processor is adapted to determine a center position of the image processing area according to a measurement point of an object detected by the radar and the size of the image processing area according to a beam profile of electromagnetic waves outputted from the radar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Horibe
  • Patent number: 7042389
    Abstract: A device including a radar and a camera for detecting an object located in front of an automobile is mounted on the automobile. The radar detects a distance from the automobile to the front object, and the camera takes an image of the object. When the object such as a preceding vehicle moves out of a region detectable by the radar while remaining in a region covered by the camera, a present distance to the object is calculated based on the distance previously detected by the radar and memorized in a memory and a present object image taken by the camera. More particularly, the present distance is calculated by multiplying the memorized distance by a ratio of an object size in the memorized image to an object size in the present image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Noriaki Shirai
  • Patent number: 7012552
    Abstract: A civil aviation passive coherent location system and method is disclosed. A receiver subsystem receives reference transmissions from an uncontrolled transmitter. The receiver subsystem also receives scattered transmissions originating from the uncontrolled transmitter and scattered by an airborne object. The received transmissions are compared to determine measurement differentials, such a frequency-difference-of-arrival, a time-difference-of-arrival and an angle of arrival. From the measurement differentials, an object state estimate is determined. A previous state estimate may be updated with the determined state estimate. Processing subsystems determine the measurement differentials and state estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin W. Baugh, Richard Lodwig, Robert Benner
  • Patent number: 7012560
    Abstract: An object sensing apparatus for driver assistance systems in motor vehicles, including at least two sensor systems which measure data concerning the location and/or motion status of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, and whose detection regions overlap one another, characterized by an error recognition device that checks the data measured by the sensor systems for absence of contradictions, and outputs an error signal upon detection of a contradiction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Goetz Braeuchle, Martin Heinebrodt, Jürgen Böcker
  • Patent number: 6972714
    Abstract: An imaging system includes an optical (visible-light or near IR) imaging system and a microwave imaging system. The optical imaging system captures an optical image of the object, produces optical image data representing the optical image and extracts optical image information from the optical image data. The microwave imaging system produces microwave image data representing a microwave image of the object in response to the optical image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Izhak Baharav, Robert C. Taber, S. Jeffrey Rosner
  • Patent number: 6967612
    Abstract: The system and method for standoff detection of human carried explosives (HCE) is a portable system that automatically detects HCE up to a range of 200 meters and within seconds alerts an operator to HCE threats. The system has radar only, or both radar and video sensors, a multi-sensor processor, an operator console, handheld displays, and a wideband wireless communications link. The processor receives radar and video feeds and automatically tracks and detects all humans in the field of view. Track data continuously cues the narrow beam radar to a subject of interest, the radar repeatedly interrogating cued objects, producing a multi-polarity radar range profile for each interrogation event. Range profiles and associated features are automatically fused over time until sufficient evidence is accrued to support a threat/non-threat declaration hypothesis. Once a determination is made, the system alerts operators through a handheld display and mitigates the threat if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Inventors: John D. Gorman, Robert J. Douglass, Thomas J. Burns, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6952001
    Abstract: A system and method of providing situational awareness and weapon targeting is presented. The method includes determining the location of one or more enemy sites and one or more friendly sites. A “Do Not Engage” (DNE) zone is determined around each of the friendly sites and an “Allowable Engagement” (AE) zone is established around each of the enemy sites, wherein none of the AE zones overlap any of the DNE zones. An engagement plan is then determined based on the AE zones and integrity bounds on candidate munitions. The system includes a processing and communications network and a sensor element in communication with the processing and communications network. The system also includes a command control element in communication with the processing and communications network and an operating elements section in communication with the processing and communications network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Thomas L. McKendree, Hans L. Habereder, Donald R. Ormand
  • Patent number: 6903677
    Abstract: An image sensor section and a millimeter-wave sensor section separately detect objects. A sensor matching section determines whether the objects detected by the image sensor section and the millimeter-wave sensor section are one and the same object. If the objects are one and the same object, the sensor matching section estimates a position of the obstacle after a certain period. A collision prediction section determined whether there is going to be a collision between the vehicle and the object 50 from the position estimated by the sensor matching section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tomonobu Takashima, Masatoshi Tohno, Tadao Omi, Taku Katagiri, Daisuke Ueno
  • Patent number: 6873286
    Abstract: The system comprises: detector devices (1) operable to provide electrical signals indicative of the relative distance and relative speed of the motor vehicle (V) with respect to a fixed or moving obstacle (O) ahead, and a processing and control unit (ECU) connected to such detector devices (1) as well as to brake actuators (2-4) and arranged to cause activation of the brake actuators (2-4) to effect automatic emergency braking of the motor vehicle (V) when the relative distance between the motor vehicle (V) and an obstacle (O) ahead lies between a first predetermined limit value (dF) equal to the minimum value at which it is still possible to avoid collision by braking and a preselected intermediate value (dE) comprised between said first limit value (dF) and a second limit value (dEcrit) which is less than the said first limit value (df) and is equal to the minimum relative distance value at which it is still possible to follow a path which avoids the obstacle (O), or when the relative distance (dR) becomes
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Domenico Albero, Pier Claudio Antonello, Sebastiano Campo, Angela Chinu, Renzo Cicilloni, Silvia Citelli, Maurizio Miglietta, Vincenzo Murdocco, Valter Quenda, Andrea Saroldi
  • Patent number: 6850183
    Abstract: A slope monitoring system having a radar and a video camera recording images sequences of the slope. A data processing unit performs coordinate registration to align the radar images and the video images. Interferometry is used to detect movement in the slope by generating interference maps between the images. These are suitably phase maps showing the phase change between a radar image and a reference image. An alarm occurs if a significant movement is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Groundprobe Pty Limited
    Inventors: Bryan Reeves, David Noon, Glen Stickley, Dennis Longstaff
  • Patent number: 6831591
    Abstract: A radar device mounted to a vehicle includes a camera for obtaining images including the road surface in front of or behind the vehicle on which it is mounted, a sensor having for obtaining at least positional information on a target object of detection such as another vehicle in front or behind and a control unit for correcting the direction of the center axis of the sensor based on the image obtained by the camera. The control unit detects a line segment along a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, detects a vector indicative of the direction on a road-fixed coordinate system of the obtained line segment, and controls correction of horizontal and vertical directions of the center axis of the sensor so as to coincide with the direction of the detected vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Horibe
  • Publication number: 20040189512
    Abstract: An image sensor section and a millimeter-wave sensor section separately detect objects. A sensor matching section determines whether the objects detected by the image sensor section and the millimeter-wave sensor section are one and the same object. If the objects are one and the same object, the sensor matching section estimates a position of the obstacle after a certain period. A collision prediction section determined whether there is going to be a collision between the vehicle and the object 50 from the position estimated by the sensor matching section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tomonobu Takashima, Masatoshi Tohno, Tadao Omi, Taku Katagiri, Daisuke Ueno
  • Patent number: 6795014
    Abstract: Stableness in detecting the distance to a preceding vehicle by calculating the distance to the preceding vehicle using reflected waves of a radar beam scanned at a scanning angle that is adjusted based on lane markers extracted from a road image obtained by a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hyuck-Jin Cheong
  • Publication number: 20040178945
    Abstract: An object location system for identifying the location of objects positioned in front of a host road vehicle (100), comprising: a first sensing means (101) such as a radar or lidar system which transmits a signal and receives reflected portions of the transmitted signal, obstacle detection means (103) adapted to identify the location of obstacles from information from the first sensing means (101); image acquisition means (102) such as a video camera adapted to capture a digital image of at least part of the road ahead of the host vehicle (100); image processing means (103) which processes a search portion of the captured digital image, the search portion including the location of obstacles indicated by the obstacle detection means (103) and being smaller than the captured digital image; and obstacle processing means which determine characteristics of detected obstacles. A method or using such a system is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventor: Alastair James Buchanan
  • Publication number: 20040155811
    Abstract: The system comprises: detector devices (1) operable to provide electrical signals indicative of the relative distance and relative speed of the motor vehicle (V) with respect to a fixed or moving obstacle (O) ahead, and a processing and control unit (ECU) connected to such detector devices (1) as well as to brake actuators (2-4) and arranged to cause activation of the brake actuators (2-4) to effect automatic emergency braking of the motor vehicle (V) when the relative distance between the motor vehicle (V) and an obstacle (O) ahead lies between a first predetermined limit value (dF) equal to the minimum value at which it is still possible to avoid collision by braking and a preselected intermediate value (dE) comprised between said first limit value (dF) and a second limit value (dEcrit) which is less than the said first limit value (dF) and is equal to the minimum relative distance value at which it is still possible to follow a path which avoids the obstacle (O), or when the relative distance (dR) becomes
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Domenico Albero, Pier Claudio Antonello, Sebastiano Campo, Angela Chinu, Renzo Cicilloni, Silvia Citelli, Maurizio Miglietta, Vincenzo Murdocco, Valter Quenda, Andrea Saroldi
  • Patent number: 6744397
    Abstract: A method of determining a target location from a vehicle is described. The method includes identifying the target utilizing a video system, determining an angular location vector to the target with respect to the vehicle, determining a position of the vehicle utilizing a digital terrain elevation map and precision radar altimeter, calculating a location where the angular location vector would intersect with the digital terrain elevation map, and generating a target position based on vehicle position and the location of the intersection of the angular location vector and digital terrain elevation map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Hager, Larry D. Almsted, Thomas Jicha
  • Publication number: 20040080450
    Abstract: Stableness in detecting the distance to a preceding vehicle by calculating the distance to the preceding vehicle using reflected waves of a radar beam scanned at a scanning angle that is adjusted based on lane markers extracted from a road image obtained by a camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventor: Hyuck-Jin Cheong
  • Publication number: 20040080449
    Abstract: A radar device mounted to a vehicle includes a camera for obtaining images including the road surface in front of or behind the vehicle on which it is mounted, a sensor having for obtaining at least positional information on a target object of detection such as another vehicle in front or behind and a control unit for correcting the direction of the center axis of the sensor based on the image obtained by the camera. The control unit detects a line segment along a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, detects a vector indicative of the direction on a road-fixed coordinate system of the obtained line segment, and controls correction of horizontal and vertical directions of the center axis of the sensor so as to coincide with the direction of the detected vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Horibe
  • Patent number: 6720907
    Abstract: A system for the detection and determination of the success of interception of incoming missiles, used in conjunction with a defense weapon system capable of identifying and tracking incoming missiles and interceptors. The system comprises at least one of a plurality of sensing units. Each sensing unit comprises: an optical sensor for detecting optical signals within a predetermined range; tracking means coupled to the optical sensor for tracking an intercepting missile or an incoming missile; processing means for processing optical input detected by the optical sensor and analyzing the optical input to identify an optical signature and determine detonation of interceptor or incoming missile; communicating means for communicating data between the sensing unit and the defense weapon system; and control means for controlling the tracking means, the processing means and the communicating data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Rafael-Armament Development Authority Ltd.
    Inventor: Raphael Miron
  • Publication number: 20040061641
    Abstract: A method of tracking a target (2) moving in an airspace and a target tracking system (10) for performing the method are described. A search sensor (12) searches a search space at a first clock rate (2&pgr;/&Dgr;T1) and establishes target information in regard to a track (4) flown through by the target (2). Calculation means (16) extrapolate an expected flight path (6) from the target information established and provide flight path data, which describes the expected flight path (8), to a tracking sensor (14), which covers a tracking space (15), and provides this data at a second clock rate (2&agr;/&Dgr;T2), which is higher than the first clock rate (2&pgr;/&Dgr;T1). When the target (2) reaches the tracking space (15), the tracking sensor (14) is aimed at the expected flight path (6) on the basis of the flight path data provided, the target (2) is detected as soon as it is detectable by the tracking sensor (14), and the tracking sensor (14) is tracked on the target autonomously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Oerlikon Contraves AG
    Inventor: Pierre Fischer
  • Publication number: 20040056792
    Abstract: A system for the detection and determination of the success of interception of incoming missiles, used in conjunction with a defense weapon system capable of identifying and tracking incoming missiles and interceptors. The system comprises at least one of a plurality of sensing units. Each sensing unit comprises: an optical sensor for detecting optical signals within a predetermined range; tracking means coupled to the optical sensor for tracking an intercepting missile or an incoming missile; processing means for processing optical input detected by the optical sensor and analyzing the optical input to identify an optical signature and determine detonation of interceptor or incoming missile; communicating means for communicating data between the sensing unit and the defense weapon system; and control means for controlling the tracking means, the processing means and the communicating data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventor: Raphael Miron