Automatic Alerting for Aerial Vehicle Target Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Human operators must continuously monitor imagery from aerial vehicles to track targets, which is inefficient and limits their ability to perform other tasks, as they need to manually assess target behavior and ensure the target remains in view.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically infers significant target actions, such as sudden stops or changes in direction, by calculating a track metric and alerting the operator, allowing for automated tracking and classification of target behavior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators continuously monitor imagery to track targets, then target tracking reliability is improved, but operator productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by implementing automated target tracking and behavior analysis algorithms that independently monitor imagery streams, calculate track metrics, and detect significant events without requiring continuous human intervention. The automated system serves itself by maintaining target tracking while freeing operators for other tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
An automated analysis system acts as an intermediary between the imagery stream and the operator, processing visual data, calculating track metrics, and filtering information to generate only significant alerts. This intermediary layer maintains tracking reliability while reducing operator workload by handling routine monitoring functions.
2Productivity
If automated tracking system is implemented, then operator productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes parameters by calculating multiple track metrics (position, velocity, acceleration, orientation) and their time derivatives to objectively quantify target behavior. These parameter changes enable precise automated detection of significant events while maintaining measurement accuracy through mathematical analysis of imagery data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human visual monitoring with an automated computer-based analysis system that uses algorithms to process imagery, calculate track metrics, and detect events. This substitution maintains or improves measurement precision while dramatically increasing operator productivity.
3Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring is performed, then target detection precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action by continuously calculating track metrics and monitoring target behavior at regular intervals, enabling precise detection of significant events. The automated periodic analysis maintains detection precision while freeing operator time by handling continuous monitoring automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating track metrics and establishing baseline target behavior patterns before significant events occur. This preliminary analysis enables the system to quickly detect and alert operators about important changes, maintaining detection precision while reducing the time operators need to spend on routine monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a system and method for automatically inferring when a target that is being tracked by an aerial vehicle is doing something significant (e.g. stopping suddenly, changing direction quickly or getting out of track view), and consequently alerting an operator. The alerting system also provides a classification of what the target is doing. It frees the operator from continuously monitoring the imagery stream so the operator can perform other tasks.