Method and system for detecting improvised explosive devices or the like

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696127-B2
Application number	US-200913132133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2009
Priority date	Dec 2, 2008
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to method and system for detecting improvised explosive devices or the like. According to the present disclosure, the method is of the image-correlation type and involves continuously delivering current images representative of said path followed by a vehicle, in replacing some of said current images with pre-recorded earlier images taken at the same point, and in displaying said current images and said replacement earlier images in succession in order to detect said explosive devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting improvised explosive devices, partially or totally concealed on a path or in a vicinity thereof, using a vehicle following said path during a detection mission, said method comprising:
continuously delivering current images representative of said path being followed to an image processing device;
using the image processing device to replace at least some of said current images by removing and substituting the removed at least some current images with a number of substituted stored images, said substituted stored images being pre-recorded earlier images taken earlier in time of said path and stored in a database;
using the image processing device to form an ordered combination of said current image less said removed at least some current images and said number of substituted stored images
displaying the ordered combination of said current images less said removed at least some current images and said number of substituted stored images to enable, through correlation of the current images less said removed at least some current images and the number of substituted stored images, detection of said explosive devices; and
updating said pre-recorded earlier images with said current images continuously delivered to said image processing device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said replacing step comprises replacing one current image out of two current images with one pre-recorded earlier image and successively displaying said current and pre-recorded earlier images thus alternating between current and pre-recorded earlier images.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, before displaying said current and pre-recorded earlier images, fixing a geographical position of said successive current and pre-recorded earlier images.

4. A system for detecting improvised explosive devices, partially or totally concealed on a path or in a vicinity thereof, from a vehicle following said path, the system comprising:
at least one shooting source mounted on said vehicle following said path and configured for delivering current images of the path;
a database of pre-recorded earlier images of said path;
an image processing device for processing images in real time, to which the at least one shooting source and said database are connected, said image processing device removes at least some of said current images and substitutes the removed current images with some of said pre-recorded earlier images from said database taken of said path to produce an ordered combination of current images and pre-recorded earlier images; and
a device for displaying the ordered combination;
wherein said current images taken by said source are sent into said database via a link so as to update said pre-recorded earlier images of said database with the current images taken by the at least one source.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said image processing device replaces one current image out of two current images taken by the at least one source with one pre-recorded earlier image stored in said database so as to visualize on said display device an alternate succession of said current image and said pre-recorded earlier image.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said system further comprises a means for fixing a geographical position of two respectively current and pre-recorded earlier images.

7. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one shooting source is a camera and said display device is a monitor.

8. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said earlier image database contains images supplied by the same shooting source.

9. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said database is shared by several vehicles.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising fixing a geographical position of said current images and said pre-recorded earlier images to fix points in said current and pre-recorded earlier images so that the fixed points of said current and pre-recorded earlier images match.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising superimposing said fixed current images and said fixed pre-recorded earlier images.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising automatically detecting and emphasizing elements, by the image processing device, that have been modified in the current images compared to the pre-recorded earlier images.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising reducing effect of variations of brightness or shadows cast between said current images and said pre-recorded earlier images.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting said improvised explosive devices.

15. The system according to claim 4 , further comprising a device for superimposing said current images and said pre-recorded earlier images to form fixed current images.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said current images are fixed from a position of the vehicle and orientation of a shooting source on the vehicle.

17. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the image processing device automatically detects and emphasizes elements that have been modified.

18. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the device for processing images reduces effect of variations of brightness or shadows cast between said current images and said pre-recorded earlier images.

19. The system according to claim 15 , wherein a common portion of said superimposed images is displayed.

Assignees

• Hubert-Habart Christophe
• Monnin David
• The French-German Res Inst Of Saint Louis (Isl)
• Mbda France

Inventors

• Hubert-Habart Christophe
• Monnin David

Classifications

• F42D5/02 Primary

  Locating undetonated charges · CPC title

• F41H11/12

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