Area denial communication latency compensation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054404-B2
Application number	US-201715838213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

An area denial system may be operationally placed with communication latency compensation. The area denial system may include a plurality of munitions, one or more sensor devices, and a command and control unit, networked together and having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system. Latency compensation may include determining a first target position, determining a first predicted position area for the target using the command and control latency and the first target position, receiving an authorization to arm one or more of the munitions, determining a second target position, and determining that the second target position is outside a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorizing the first authorized munition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for communication latency compensation in an area denial system deployed in a region, the area denial system including a plurality of munitions defining an obstacle field, one or more sensor devices, and a command and control unit, networked together, via one or more gateway devices, in an area denial network having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system, the method comprising:
detecting, using the one or more sensor devices, a target for the area denial system, the detecting including determining a first target position relative to the obstacle field;
determining a first predicted position area for the target, the first predicted position area indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using the first target position;
determining one or more recommended munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using the first predicted position area for the target;
notifying one or more human operators, via the command control unit, of the one or more recommended munitions;
receiving, from at least one of the one or more human operators, via the command and control unit, authorization to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more authorized munitions at least partially selected from the one or more recommended munitions;
determining a second target position relative to the obstacle field, the second target position detected using the one or more sensor devices; and
determining that the second target position is outside of a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorizing the first authorized munition.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying, using the command and control unit, the one or more human operators of the first predicted position area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second target position is determined using the one or more gateway devices and determined subsequent to receiving authorization to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein de-authorizing the authorized munition is executed automatically using at least one of the one or more gateway devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second target position is determined without communication to the command and control unit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predicted position area for the target is determined using the command and control unit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more recommended munitions are further determined by using an engagement range of each of the plurality of munitions.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the second target position is within a threshold distance from a second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, maintaining the authorization of the second authorized munition.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authorization to arm one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions is received at the one or more gateway devices.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the second target position is within a threshold distance of a second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, transmitting the authorization to the second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions from the one or more gateway devices.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the command and control latency is in a range between and including 0.2 seconds to 5 seconds.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the command and control unit is positioned away from the obstacle field a distance substantially in a range between 10 kilometers to 200 kilometers.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predicted position area for the target further indicates a position for the target compensated for a two way data latency.

14. A computer program product for communication latency compensation in an area denial system deployed in a region, the area denial system including a plurality of munitions defining an obstacle field, one or more sensor devices, and a command and control unit, networked together, via one or more gateway devices, in an area denial network having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
authorization filter means to receive authorization messages to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions;
authorization filter means to receive target sensor data from the one or more sensor devices;
authorization filter means to determine a predicted position area for the target, the predicted position area using the target sensor data; and
authorization filter means to determine that the predicted position area is outside a threshold distance from a first authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, de-authorize the first authorized munition.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the program instructions further comprise:
authorization filter means to determine that the predicted position area is within a threshold distance of a second authorized munition of the one or more authorized munitions, and in response, transmit the authorization to the second authorized munition.

16. An area denial system for deployment in a region, the area denial system comprising:
a plurality of munitions;
one or more sensor devices;
a command and control unit; and
one or more gateway devices; wherein the plurality of munitions, the one or more sensor devices and the command and control unit are configured to be networked together via the one or more gateway devices in an area denial network having a command and control latency for communication between the command and control unit and the remainder of the area denial system;
wherein the command and control unit, and the one or more gateway devices, each include a processor and a computer readable storage medium communicatively connected to the processor, the computer readable storage mediums having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein each of the computer readable storage mediums is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by the respective processors to cause the respective processors to:
detect, using the one or more sensor devices, a target for the area denial system, the detecting including determining a first target position relative to the obstacle field;
determine a first predicted position area for the target, the first predicted position area indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using the first target position;
determine one or more recommended munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using the first predicted position area for the target;
notify one or more human operators, via the command and control unit, of the one or more recommended munitions;
receive from at least one of the one or more human operators, via the command and control unit,

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Balk Michael J
• Linde Larry G

Classifications

• F42B23/00

  Land mines {; Land torpedoes}(F42B12/00 takes precedence; for practice or training F42B8/28) · CPC title

• F41H13/00 Primary

  Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for {(details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00)} · CPC title

• F41G3/32

  Devices for testing or checking · CPC title

• F42B22/24

  Arrangement of mines in fields or barriers (net barriers for harbour defence F41H11/05) · CPC title

• H04W88/16

  Gateway arrangements · CPC title