Area weapons effect simulation system and method

Details Area weapons effect simulation system and method Area weapons effect simulation system and method

1997-12-10

2001-07-03

Sager, Mark (Department: 3713)

Education and demonstration

Organized armed or unarmed conflict or shooting

C434S012000, C434S023000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06254394

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for realistically simulating the effects of area weapons on a battle field, and more particularly, to simulating the effect of area weapons on ground troops, vehicles, aircraft, equipment, structures, and weapons in a simulated battle field during combat training exercises.
2. Description of Related Art
The ability of a training system to effectively induce and maintain operational readiness in an army combat force is proportional to the ability of the system to generate training exercises which simulate an accurate, realistic combat environment that reinforces doctrine and applies penalties and rewards appropriate to the behavior of commanders, staffs, and individual soldiers. To generate training exercises which simulate an accurate, realistic combat environment, it is important to simulate the effects of area weapons on individual soldiers, vehicles, aircraft, equipment, structures, and weapons at a time which is as close as possible to the time that such effects would occur in an actual combat situation. Therefore, the effects imposed on participants in a training exercise should not be randomly applied and/or delayed in time from the precipitating actions of commanders and combat troops.
Distributed instrumentation systems have been used in the past to realistically simulate the effects of area weapons on a battlefield in order to assist in the warfare training of soldiers, including airmen, marines, sailors, army infantry soldiers, etc. in techniques that are necessary for conducting successful military operations. One such system determines the effects of a simulated minefield on troops and equipment that are moving through the simulated minefield. The position of troops and equipment (commonly referred to collectively as “players”) is determined by affixing a “player detection device” (PDD) to each player. Alternatively, the location of players can be determined by a central computer. In addition, the location of each of a plurality of mines is known by either the player unit or the central computer. A military training exercise can then be initiated. The position of each of the simulated mines in the exercise must be identical for each of the players. The locations of the mines are determined by a bitmap. The location of the players and the location of the simulated mines are continuously compared, either in the player unit or in the central computer, in order to determine whether a player has detonated any of the simulated mines. Once a simulated mine has been detonated, that mine must be removed from the bitmap of simulated mines within the simulated minefield.
Accordingly, either the players must continuously communicate their position to the central computer, or the central computer must communicate the location of each of the mines within the simulated minefield to each of the players and update the minefield bit map at relatively frequent regular intervals. Whether the location of the mines is being transmitted to the PDDs or the locations of the players is being communicated to the central computer, a relatively large amount of information must be communicated between the central computer and the plurality of players involved in the exercise. Transmitting the massive amounts of information results in a high probability that incomplete or erroneous information will be received.
In addition, the currently available battlefield simulation systems do not have the ability to simulate air defenses, delivery of projectiles, and toxic or nuclear clouds. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system that can simulate minefields, air defenses, delivery of projectiles, and toxic or nuclear clouds, all without the need to transmit excessive amounts of information between player units and a central computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an area weapons effect simulation system and method that allow players to determine the extent of simulated injuries and damage sustained as a consequence of simulated mines, projectiles, air defenses, and toxic or nuclear clouds in or near real time.
The system of the present invention uses a distributed architecture that simulates the effect that area weapons would have on that player in real time, and thus allows players to determine the consequence of their actions as a part of a combat training exercise. Each player is assigned a Player Unit which the player carries or which is affixed to the player. Each Player Unit is pre-loaded with information and tables which allow the Player Unit to determine the probability of damage or injury, depending on the type of player, defensive measures taken on the part of the player, and the type of weapon being simulated. Alternatively, such information may be down loaded to the Player Unit as necessary.
Player Units are designed to receive information locating points along the perimeter of an area in which the effects of a particular weapon would be felt (i.e., an “affected area”) if an actual weapon were being used. Player Units track the location of the assigned player. Once a player enters an affected area, the Player Unit determines the probability that the player will be affected by the weapon. The Player Unit preferably performs a probabilistic function through a data table look-up process to assess his casualty status. The casualty status of the player is selected from a number of various possibilities associated with each type of player, the defensive measures that player has taken, and the weapon being directed into the affected area. The casualty status includes a near miss, a hit by a weapon resulting in a particular type of damage or injury, contamination by chemical or biological weapon, or dead/destroyed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, each Player Unit includes all of the information required to determine the effects of a weapon upon a player. Players that are inside a vehicle that has been affected by a weapon are immediately alerted to the status of the vehicle and their own status by audible tones, stored voice messages, displayed text, or a combination of such cues.
The nature of the injury may be determined by the Player Unit. The severity of the injury is then modified as a function of the amount of time which elapses between the injury occurring and the player receiving proper medical attention. Players may carry a conventional casualty card. Once the Player Unit has determined that the status of the associated player has changed (i.e., the player has been injured or damaged), the Player Unit reports the change to the central computer.
The probability that a player will sustain injury or damage as a result of entering an affected area can be altered by one or more of the following factors. Players may be observed by a training administrator. The training administrator has the ability to vary the probability that a player will be injured or damaged (i.e., the players “injury probability”) when the player enters an affected area. The training administrator may communicate with the Player Unit by radio conmmunication, or by firing a simulated weapon at the player, the simulated weapon having a message encoded within the beam that is transmitted to the Player Unit associated with the player whose injury probability is to be altered.
In accordance with another embodiment, a player may be designated as a commander. In response to the player being designated as a commander, the probability that the player will be injured may be altered from that of other players in the same situation. The probability of injury or damage may be either increased or decreased as a result of the player being designated as a commander, depending upon the objectives of the current training exercise.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the injury probability associated with a particular player may be dependent upon the location of the player and the terrain. Therefore, if a player is determined to be located in a depression in

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