Area denial communication latency compensation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10323912-B2
Application number	US-201816106921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

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 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:
determining one or more recommended munitions of a plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using 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 a first target position;
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 subsequent to receiving authorization to fire one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of munitions, one or more sensor devices, and the command and control unit are networked together via one or more gateway devices, and 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 of 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 4 , 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.

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. 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, wherein the plurality of munitions the one or more sensor devices and the command and control unit are configured to be networked together 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; and
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:
determine one or more recommended munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using a first predicted position area for the target indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using a first target position;
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, authorization to arm one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions;
determine a second predicted position area for the target, the second predicted position area using a second detected target position; and
determine that the second predicted location area 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.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first predicted position area for the target further indicates a position for the target compensated for a two way data latency.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the command and control latency is substantially in a range between 0.2 seconds to 5 seconds.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the plurality of munitions, the one or more sensor devices, the command and control unit, and the target for the area denial system are represented by a design structure encoded on a second computer readable storage medium, the design structure comprising elements that are accessible by a computing device for an area denial simulation.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the design structure elements comprise:
program instruction means to simulate determining one or more recommended munitions of the plurality of munitions, the one or more recommended munitions determined using a first predicted position area for the target indicating a range of possible locations for the target using the command and control latency and using a first target position;
program instruction means to simulate notifying one or more human operators, via the command control unit, of the one or more recommended munitions;
program instruction means to simulate receiving from a human operator via the command and control unit, authorization to arm one or more munitions of the plurality of munitions;
program instruction means to simulate determining a second predicted position area for the target, the second predicted position area using a second detected target position; and
program instruction means to simulate determining that the second predicted location area 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.

19. A c

Assignees

• Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Inc

Inventors

• Balk Michael J
• Linde Larry G

Classifications

• F41G3/32

  Devices for testing or checking · CPC title

• F41A17/06

  Electric or electromechanical safeties (F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41A17/08 Primary

  for inhibiting firing in a specified direction, e.g. at a friendly person or at a protected area (F41A27/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42C15/42

  from a remote location, e.g. for controlled mines or mine fields · CPC title

• F42B22/24

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