Systems and methods for detecting a travelling object vortex

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12165386-B2
Application number	US-202418422997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2024
Priority date	Jun 16, 2022
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods of detecting a vortex made by a travelling object is disclosed. Techniques include positioning a media collector to capture a visual media file of the vortex. In some configurations, a graphic recognition algorithm and vortex similarity engine are used to determine whether a visual media file captured by a media collector contains a vortex. In some configurations, a computer may trigger an alert if a travelling object vortex is not expected to be in the visual media file.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
positioning a media collector to face a ground surface from an elevated position; the media collector facing a region of air above the ground surface;
capturing a plurality of visual media files wherein the plurality of visual media files includes at least a first visual media file, second visual media files, and a third visual media; wherein the plurality of visual media files contain imagery of the region of air above the ground surface; wherein some of the visual media files contain a travelling object vortex and some of the visual media files do not contain a travelling object vortex;
receiving the visual media files with a computer;
the computer detecting whether the visual media files resemble a vortex of a travelling object on a flight; the vortex comprising a change in density of air or compression of air molecules in the air;
the computer determining whether the travelling object is on a registered flight plan;
triggering an alarm if the travelling object is not on a registered flight plan; and
logging the flight into a flight plan as a validated flight if the travelling object is on the registered flight plan.

2. A method of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
identifying a graphic property that some of the travelling object vortex visual media files share;
identifying a graphic property that some of the non-travelling object vortex visual media files share;
identifying a graphic property that some of the visual media files do not share; and
identifying a graphic property that some of the non-travelling object visual media files do not share.

3. A method of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
a graphic recognition algorithm generating graphic elements from the visual media files;
identifying an element in common amongst the visual media files;
generating an element similarity profile;
receiving an unclassified visual media file;
comparing the unclassified visual media file with the element similarity profile;
determining a travelling object vortex similarity ratio to indicate whether the visual media files depict a travelling object vortex; and
a visual media file classifier classifying the visual media files as a travelling object vortex or not travelling object vortex based on the travelling object vortex similarity ratio of the visual media file.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising creating graphic elements from the first visual media file.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:
analyzing the visual media files with a vortex similarity engine; and
triggering an alert if a majority of the visual media files analyzed by the vortex similarity engine have a vortex similarity ratio above a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising using a media file identity verification tool to verify that a first, second, and third subject in the first, second, and third visual media files depict a vortex made by one travelling object.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising capturing the first, second, and third media files at different times but of a same subject.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising capturing the first, second, and third media files at different times of one subject depicting a travelling object vortex made by one travelling object.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising:
determining a first, second, and third vortex similarity ratio; and
determining whether the first, second, and third visual media files depict a vortex.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising:
determining an overall travelling object vortex probability based on an aggregation of the first, second, and third vortex similarity ratios using a probability calculator; and
triggering an alert if the overall travelling object vortex probability exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising:
capturing the visual media files at different times; and
determining the overall travelling object vortex probability based on an aggregation of the vortex similarity ratios; the overall travelling object vortex probability being a measurement of a probability that the first, second, and third visual media files depict a travelling object vortex.

12. A system comprising:
a media collector facing a ground surface from an elevated position; the media collector facing a region of air above the ground surface;
a plurality of visual media collectors configured to capture a plurality of visual media files wherein the plurality of visual media files includes at least a first visual media file, second visual media files, and a third visual media file; wherein the plurality of visual media files contain imagery of the region of air above the ground surface; wherein some of the visual media files contain a travelling object vortex and some of the visual media files do not contain a travelling object vortex;
a computer configured to:
receive the visual media files;
detect whether the visual media files resemble a vortex of a travelling object on a flight;
the vortex comprising a change in density of air or compression of air molecules in the air;

determine whether the travelling object is on a registered flight plan;
trigger an alarm if the travelling object is not on a registered flight plan; and
log the flight into a flight plan as a validated flight if the travelling object is on the registered flight plan.

13. The system of claim 12 comprising:
a vortex similarity engine comprising:
a graphic recognition algorithm configured to generate graphic elements from the visual media files;
an element profile generator configured to:
identify an element in common amongst the visual media files; and
generate an element similarity profile by:
identifying a graphic property that some of the travelling object vortex visual media files share;
identifying a graphic property that some of the non-travelling object vortex visual media files share;
identifying a graphic property that some of the visual media files do not share; and
identifying a graphic property that some of the non-travelling object visual media files do not share.

14. The system of claim 12 comprising:
a graphic recognition algorithm generating graphic elements from the visual media files;
an element similarity generator configured to generate an element similarity profile;
a vortex similarity engine configured to:
receive an unclassified visual media file;
compare the unclassified visual media file with the element similarity profile;
determine a travelling object vortex similarity ratio to indicate whether the visual media files depict a travelling object vortex; and

a visual media file classifier configured to classify the visual media files as a travelling object vortex or not travelling object vortex based on the travelling object vortex similarity ratio of the visual media file.

15. The system of claim 12 comprising an element generator configured to create graphic elements from the visual media files.

16. The system of claim 12 comprising:
a vortex similarity engine configured to analyze the visual media files with a vortex similarity engine; and
an alert trigger configured to trigger an alert if a majority of the visual media files analyzed by the vortex similarity engine have a vortex similarity ratio above a threshold value.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the first, second, and third media files are captured at different times, but still depict a single, same subject.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the first, second, and third media files are captured a

Assignees

• The Government Of The Us Secretary Of Homeland Security

Inventors

• Fry Mark

Classifications

• G08B21/02

  Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons · CPC title

• G06V10/62

  relating to a temporal dimension, e.g. time-based feature extraction; Pattern tracking · CPC title

• G06V10/141

  Control of illumination · CPC title

• G08G5/30

  Flight plan management · CPC title

• G08G5/20 Primary

  Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information (arrangements for monitoring traffic G08G5/72) · CPC title