Delay Compensation Unit for Remote Sensor Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Communication delays between remote sensing units and control units in surveillance systems lead to inaccurate tracking and locking of objects, causing instability and overshoots due to the operator's delayed feedback and reaction time.

Innovation Solution

A delay compensation unit is introduced to model the dynamics of the sensing module, providing immediate feedback to the operator on the expected reaction to commands, allowing for predicted real-time location adjustments and improved command execution, such as modifying lock commands to account for object movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If real-time feedback is provided to the operator, then control precision and tracking accuracy improve, but communication delay prevents immediate feedback

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoidcommunication delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting the sensor's future position and the object's future location before the actual command execution. The delay compensation unit calculates predicted values in advance, allowing the operator to see the expected outcome before issuing commands, thereby compensating for the communication delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the operator receives visual feedback showing the predicted reaction of the sensor to commanded movements. This feedback loop allows the operator to adjust commands based on predicted outcomes, improving control precision despite the inherent communication delay in the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the operator issues multiple commands to correct tracking errors, then tracking accuracy improves, but overshoot and instability increase due to delayed reaction visibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoidsystem stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The delay compensation unit performs preliminary calculations to predict the sensor's reaction to commanded movements before the operator issues commands. By showing the predicted outcome in advance, the operator can issue more accurate single commands rather than multiple corrective commands, reducing overshoot and improving system stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by predicting and compensating for the delayed reaction in opposite direction. The predicted feedback shows the operator what the sensor position will be after delay, allowing the operator to counteract the expected lag and prevent overshoot before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Speed

If the sensing unit responds to commands immediately, then responsiveness improves, but the operator cannot predict the reaction due to delay

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse speedVSAvoidreaction predictability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The delay compensation unit creates a virtual copy or simulation of the sensor's expected reaction to commanded movements. Instead of showing the actual delayed response, the system generates a predicted feedback that copies what the sensor position will be after the communication delay, allowing the operator to see the reaction immediately in predicted form.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by displaying the predicted reaction of the sensor to commanded movements. This feedback mechanism provides the operator with information about the expected outcome, maintaining reaction predictability even though the actual physical response is delayed due to communication latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2946283B1Delay compensation while controlling a remote sensor
Publication Date: 2020.07.29 ISRAEL AEROSPACE IND LTD
  • EP2946283B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2946283B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2946283B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The presently disclosed subject matter includes a method, a system and a delay compensation unit configured for compensating a delay in communication between a sensing unit and a control unit. A succession of two or more captured images are received from the sensing unit; information indicative of command dynamics parameters are obtained from the control unit; based on the information and a respective transfer function which models the dynamics of the sensor module, the expected reaction of the sensing module to the command is determined; and information indicative of the reaction before the command is executed in the sensing unit can be provided.