Sensor Fusion for Mobile Object Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sensor systems often fail to accurately detect moving objects and distinguish between friendly and unfriendly objects, leading to false positives and delayed identification, which can pose a threat to aircraft operations.
Innovation Solution
A combination of passive and active sensor systems, along with a processor unit, is used to generate and process sensor information. Passive sensor systems detect light and generate first sensor information, while active sensor systems transmit signals and receive responses to generate second sensor information, with the processor unit controlling the active sensor system to direct signals towards objects and generate information about their presence, location, and identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If currently used sensor systems are deployed for object detection, then the system can detect the presence of objects, but false positives occur frequently leading to unneeded actions or ignored actual threats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor systems (passive sensors including infrared and visible light cameras, and active radar sensors) into an integrated sensor system. This fusion of different sensing modalities allows cross-validation of detections, where passive sensors can confirm threats indicated by radar, significantly reducing false positives while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor unit acts as an intermediary that receives data from multiple sensor types, processes and correlates the information, and generates unified object detections. This intermediary processing layer validates detections across sensor types before generating alerts, preventing false positives from propagating to the operator.
2Measurement precision
If currently used sensor systems are used for object identification, then objects can be detected, but the distinction between friendly and unfriendly objects is not made quickly or accurately enough
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection using passive sensors that continuously monitor the environment without requiring active illumination. When potential objects are detected, the system has already begun characterizing them, so when radar confirmation is needed, the identification process is already partially complete, reducing total identification time.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification process is segmented into multiple stages: initial detection by passive sensors, confirmation by active radar, and final classification by the processor unit. Each stage focuses on specific aspects of object characterization, allowing parallel processing of different identification features and accelerating overall identification speed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single sensor system is used for object detection, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to distinguish between different types of objects is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The processor unit serves multiple functions: it processes data from both passive and active sensors, performs object detection, identifies object types, tracks multiple objects, and generates alerts. This multi-functional processing core manages the complexity of the multi-sensor system while providing versatile object detection and identification capabilities.
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
This approach enhances the accuracy of object detection and identification, reducing false alarms and enabling timely threat assessment, thereby improving operational safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The group of passive sensor systems is configured to generate first sensor information from light in an environment around the group of passive sensor systems
Implementation Method 2
The active sensor system is configured to send signals, receive responses from the signals, and generate second sensor information from the responses
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus comprising a group of passive sensor systems, an active sensor system, and a processor unit. The group of passive sensor systems is configured to generate first sensor information from light in an environment around the group of passive sensor systems. The active sensor system is configured to send signals, receive responses from the signals, and generate second sensor information from the responses. The processor unit is configured to control the active sensor system to send the signals in a direction toward an object using the first sensor information and generate information about the object using the second sensor information.