Optics: measuring and testing – Angle measuring or angular axial alignment – Apex of angle at observing or detecting station
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-12
2001-08-28
Buczinski, Stephen C. (Department: 3662)
Optics: measuring and testing
Angle measuring or angular axial alignment
Apex of angle at observing or detecting station
C250S339150, C250S334000, C340S578000, C356S141500, C701S214000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281970
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention involves automatic detection of IR sources generated by forest fires. The precise global positioning system (“GPS”) location of each source is automatically determined. Major components of this invention include an airborne instrumentation pod, and several GPS receivers, one in the pod, and one at a ground station at a known location. The primary function of this invention is un-manned detection of IR sources and computation of their latitude and longitude.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many drone-mounted, aircraft-mounted and hand-held fire IR imaging sensors have been and are being used in fire observation, research, measurement and detection. These approaches all lack the capability to automatically produce precise latitude/longitude/elevation fire location data. These images are directly observed by the pilot or observer, or telemetered to a ground control station for observation, relay to other fire stations, and storage. Locations of specific fire hot spots are approximated by a human observer who annotates the image data.
There are no known systems that provide un-manned and continuous real-time down-linking of fire IR hot spot locations to give immediate early fire location data to fire response groups. However, earth monitoring satellites with visible and IR cameras do observe and down link real time images of large area fires to satellite ground stations, who then forward these images to agencies at the fire site. This can only be done when the satellite is overhead, and only after the fire has spread over a large area to make it detectable from satellite altitudes.
Presently, fire fighting groups depend almost exclusively on human observation to locate fires. In Southern California, airline pilots provide most of the early fire detection. However, locations are only approximate, and the fires are often at a somewhat advanced stage. Fire containment at this stage is expensive and hazardous, compared with early interdiction at the small brush fire stage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing a reliable low-cost system that will provide unique services throughout the full life cycle of a forest or brush fire.
The hardware of the invention described herein can take several forms: as a pod carried externally on a manned aircraft; the same pod mounted on a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV, or drone aircraft); or as an integral part of an RPV that is designed around it. As a separate pod, it can be fitted to a manned aircraft or to an RPV with little effort.
The primary and unique feature of this invention is the continuous use of three types of information onboard the airborne pod to precisely locate a fire in its early stages. The three types of information are in two forms.
In what is called the GPS/RDF (Radio Direction Finding) form, the following information is used: the pod's own GPS location; the direction in the pod's fuselage coordinate system to a ground radio or IR beacon at a known GPS location; and the true north (corrected magnetic) heading.
In what is called the GPS/IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) form, the following information is used: again, the pod's own GPS location: the attitude of the pod in the earth's local coordinate system (here taken as local NED-North-East-Down.); and the altitude above the local terrain (AGL - altitude above Ground Level). The AGL altitude can be determined with a radar altimeter or with either a corrected precision barometric altimeter or a GPS receiver giving vertical position plus a pre-set reference ground altitude. This latter method will be needed, especially in hilly terrain.
In the GPS/RDF form the pod computes its position vector relative to the located ground beacon. It computes its attitude (yaw, pitch, and roll) in the local NED system and then computes the direction from itself to the detected IR hot spot in the local NED system. From this information, the pod solves the trigonometry to calculate the “Virtual” GPS location of the IR hot spot on the horizontal plane of the ground beacon. This information is continuously broadcast to any ground station by RF down-link.
In the GPS/IMU form the pod's GPS position and attitude (yaw, pitch, and roll) in the local NED system are determined by a GPS/IMU unit. The direction from the pod to the detected IR hot spot in the local NED system is then computed. Using its AGL altitude, the pod solves the trigonometry to calculate the “Virtual” GPS location of the IR hot spot on the horizontal plane. This information is continuously broadcast to any ground station by RF down-link.
The IR sensor to be used will be a commercially available CCD (charge-coupled detector) unit with several optional CCD's (charge coupled detector), filters, and electronic analog processing of its signal. The resultant data it produces will characterize each detected IR hot spot (intensity and spectral properties). This data for each IR hot spot will, in association with its computed “Virtual” GPS location, be RF down-linked to the ground station. At the ground station, the characterization data will, if it exceeds a pre-set threshold, activate computer display of a symbol on a forest map (using the “Virtual” GPS for graphic positioning) and trigger an alarm for human evaluation.
Additional features that can be added to the pod include a radio relay (voice and data) and ground-commanded video (visible and IR) imaging cameras' The cameras will provide surveillance for arsonist apprehension, or close-up examination of ground details in a spreading fire front. All of these features will lead to major cost savings through early fire containment and prevention of delayed hot-spot flare up.
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Cooper Guy F.
Williams John H.
Buczinski Stephen C.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Synergistix LLC
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