Infrared Camera Surveillance Planning for Airport Surface Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Small to medium-sized airports lack affordable surveillance technologies to reliably detect and track vehicles and aircraft on their surfaces, as existing technologies like radar and camera systems are expensive and unequipped targets may remain unseen.

Innovation Solution

A camera surveillance planning and tracking system that uses infrared technologies to construct and visualize surveillance plans, calculating and displaying camera coverage areas on maps, identifying valid stereo pairs, and tracking objects through video streams to determine 3D positions of objects of interest.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If radar or millimeter wavelength radar is used for surveillance, then detection capability is improved, but cost increases significantly making it uneconomical for small to medium-sized airports

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive radar systems with relatively inexpensive camera systems. Multiple standard cameras are used instead of one expensive radar unit, achieving reliable surveillance coverage through quantity rather than individual unit cost. This approach makes airport surveillance economically viable for small to medium-sized airports.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes optical camera-based surveillance for electromagnetic radar-based surveillance. By using visible light or infrared cameras instead of radar waves, the system achieves detection capability at a fraction of the cost, eliminating the need for expensive electromagnetic transmission and reception equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If ADS-B or multilateration is used for tracking, then tracking precision is improved, but equipment complexity increases requiring equipage by vehicles and aircraft

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking precisionVSAvoidequipment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the surveillance system self-sufficient by using passive infrared cameras that detect thermal radiation from vehicles and aircraft without requiring any active equipment on the targets. The system works autonomously without needing transponders, GPS receivers, or other equipage on vehicles and aircraft, eliminating the complexity of coordinated equipment installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses infrared radiation as an intermediary to transfer information from targets to the surveillance system. Thermal radiation naturally emitted by vehicles and aircraft serves as the signaling mechanism, eliminating the need for active communication equipment on targets while maintaining tracking precision through thermal signature detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If virtual out-the-window capabilities based on camera technologies is used, then cost is reduced, but surveillance coverage is limited and unequipped targets remain unseen

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecostVSAvoidsurveillance coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the surveillance area into multiple zones covered by separate camera units positioned at different locations. Each camera provides a specific field of view, and together they create comprehensive coverage of the entire airport surface. This segmented approach overcomes the limited coverage of single-camera systems while maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs infrared radiation detection instead of visible light, fundamentally changing the detection parameter. This allows detection of all thermal-emitting objects regardless of their visual characteristics or equipment status, ensuring that even unequipped targets are visible through their thermal signatures, thereby improving reliable surveillance coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Provides a cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized airports to reliably detect and track vehicles and aircraft, enhancing safety by using camera surveillance planning and tracking systems to calculate and display surveillance coverage and track objects in 3D positions, thereby improving safety and operational efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the camera surveillance planning and tracking system uses infrared technologies although other imaging technologies could alternatively be used

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS12067781B2Camera surveillance planning and tracking system

Publication Date: 2024.08.20 THE MITRE CORPORATION

AI summary

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for camera surveillance planning and tracking using, for example, infrared technologies. An embodiment operates by receiving a camera specification input and placement input, calculating a surveillance coverage based on the camera specification and the placement input, displaying the surveillance coverage on a map, and identifying at least one stereo pair.