Counter drone system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899473-B2
Application number	US-202217830000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2022
Priority date	May 17, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

The system comprises a plurality of sensor systems, a counter drone, and a processor. A sensor system of the plurality of sensor systems comprises one or more sensors that are connected to a network. The counter drone is connected to the network. The processor is configured to receive an indication of a potential target from the plurality of sensor systems; generate a fused data set for the potential target, determine whether the potential target comprises the threat drone based at least in part on the fused data set; and in response to determining that the potential target comprises the threat drone, provide counter drone instructions to the counter drone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for countering a threat drone, comprising:
a plurality of sensor systems, wherein a sensor system of the plurality of sensor systems comprises one or more sensors that are connected to a network;
a counter drone, wherein the counter drone is connected to the network; and
a processor configured to:
receive an indication of a potential target from the plurality of sensor systems;
generate a fused data set of the potential target, wherein the fused data set comprises the indication of the potential target and one or more of: another indication of the potential target, a raw sensor information, and/or a derived sensor information, wherein generating the fused data set comprises determining that the one or more of the another indication of the potential target, the raw sensor information, and/or the derived sensor information are all associated with the potential target and combining the one or more of the another indication of the potential target, the raw sensor information, and/or the derived sensor information;
determine that the potential target comprises the threat drone based at least in part on the fused data set, comprising:
determine that a characteristic of the potential target is within a range, is within a geofenced area, or has a trajectory that will take it within a radius of a geofenced area; and

in response to determining that the potential target comprises the threat drone, provide counter drone instructions to the counter drone, comprising:
determine a payload type based on a strategy to address the threat drone;
determine counter drone candidates based on the payload type;
determine flight paths of the counter drone candidates;
rank probabilities of threat drone interception of the counter drone candidates based on the determined flight paths;
select intercept drones of the counter drone candidates based on the ranked probabilities; and
provide the counter drone instructions to the selected intercept drones.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system of the plurality of sensor systems comprises a sensor tower sensor system, a vehicle mounted sensor system, a counter drone mounted sensor system, a human mounted sensor system, a telephone pole sensor system, or a building sensor system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the counter drone performs terminal guidance intended to intercept the threat drone.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the counter drone instructions control the counter drone, wherein the counter drone is configured to be launched or propelled toward the threat drone.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a sensor system processor or a counter-drone processor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system communicates with the processor using a mesh network.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the counter drone communicates with the processor using a mesh network.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the potential target comprises the raw sensor information.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the raw sensor information comprises one or more of the following: a radio frequency data, a radar data, an infrared data, an optical data, a lidar data, a vibrometer data, an audio data, and/or an ultrasonic data.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein derived sensor information is generated using the raw sensor information.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the derived sensor information comprises an altitude, a position data, a location within a geo-fenced area, a target trajectory, a radar image, an infrared image, an optical image, a lidar image, a vibration profile, an RF profile, a sound profile, and/or an absence or a presence of an RF immunity beacon.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor system generates the derived sensor information.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor generates the derived sensor information.

14. The system of claim 1 , the determining that the potential target comprises the threat drone further includes determine that a potential target image matches a threat drone image profile in a threat drone database, wherein the potential target image comprises an optical image, a radar image, a lidar image, or an infrared image.

15. The system of claim 1 , the determining that the potential target comprises the threat drone further includes determining that a potential target vibration profile matches a threat drone vibration profile in a threat drone database, wherein the vibration profile comprises laser vibrometer data.

16. The system of claim 1 , the determining that the potential target comprises the threat drone further includes determining that a potential target RF profile matches a threat drone RF profile in a threat drone database, wherein the RF profile comprises RF data.

17. The system of claim 1 , the determining that the potential target comprises the threat drone further includes determining that a potential target sound profile matches a threat drone sound profile in a threat drone database.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein a counter drone instruction of the counter drone instructions comprises a counter drone standby instruction, a destroy instruction, a disable instruction, and/or a capture the threat drone instruction.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the counter drone is equipped with one or more payloads, wherein a payload of the one or more payloads comprises a kinetic payload, an explosive payload, a capture net, or a signal marker.

Assignees

• Anduril Industries Inc

Inventors

• Levin Jason
• Luckey Palmer F
• Hammerstein Julian
• Chen Joseph

Classifications

• H04W4/185

  by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G01S13/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S13/867

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title