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Patent Number: |
7929374 |
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Case ID: |
0 |
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Patent Title:
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Multi-static object tracker using specular cue initiation and directed
data retrieval
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Status: |
ACTIVE |
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Status Date: |
12/2/2011 11:39:02 AM |
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Issue Date:
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4/19/2011 |
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Filed Date:
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10/29/2008 |
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Serial #:
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2/260,133 |
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Assignee Name:
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The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
(Washington,
DC)
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Inventor(s):
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Grimmett, Douglas J. |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains generally to sonar systems. More particularly, the present invention pertains to active sonar systems that exploit the specular echo phenomenon to selectively retrieve sonar data in a manner that minimize false
alarm rates.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Distributed multistatic active sonar networks have the potential to increase anti-submarine warfare (ASW) performance against small, quiet, threat submarines in the harsh clutter-saturated littoral and the deeper open-ocean environments. This
improved performance comes through the expanded geometric diversity achieved with multiple sources and receivers, and results in increased probability of detection, area coverage, object tracking, classification, and localization through cross-fixing.
However, the increased number of sensors in a multistatic network results in corresponding increases in the data rate, processing, communications requirements, an . . . . More |
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Methods, computer-readable means, and systems for minimizing false alarm
rates and operator loading while conducting multistatic active sonar
operations are disclosed. A plurality of sensor nodes is established,
with each sensor node including an active sonar source, and a receiver.
Each sensor node has a local storage center, and each node is connected
to a data fusion center. During active sonar operations, a high threshold
(HTH) and a low threshold (LTH) setting is established. For each sensor
node, all sonar return data above the LTH setting are stored at its
respective storage center. The HTH is set so that only specular echo
returns exceed the HTH; when the HTH setting is exceeded, the fusion
center retrieves LTH data from each storage center corresponding to the
same specular echo return, in order to establish a track for the contact.
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What is claimed is:
1. A method for minimizing false alarm rates while conducting active sonar operations, said method comprising the steps of: A) establishing a plurality of sensor nodes, each
said node having a local data storage centers; B) conducting active sonar operations with each said node; C) storing data from said active sonar operations at said local data storage centers; D) setting high threshold (HTH) and low threshold (LTH)
signal-to-noise ratios (SNR''s) for said sensor nodes; and, E) selectively retrieving LTH data snippets from said local data storage centers when echoes from an object resulting from said step B) exceed said HTH.
2. The method claim 1, further comprising the steps of: F) linking said local storage centers to a data fusion center; G) fusing said LTH data snippets at said data fusion center to yield track information for said object.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step D) is accomplished so that said HTH is only . . . . More |
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