Patent ID: 7880870
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: B64D

Abstract:
1. A single axis event detector and locator comprising: a linear array of light detectors (operating in the visible, infrared, ultraviolet or other spectral band) where the event to be detected and located has a time varying (flash or other type) signature of known shape; an anamorphic optics set for imaging fan shaped beams onto each element of said linear detector array so that each element has an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) that is distinct from the other elements in the array, where adjacent detector elements have slightly overlapping IFOV's so that the array's entire field of view (FOV) is covered by at least one of the individual elements of the array; an optics set for focusing and directing each of the fan shaped beams to light arriving from a narrowly defined primary direction while still maintaining wide coverage along a secondary axis, electronic circuitry to condition, filter, amplify, and convert to digital form the intensity of light observed by each detector element into a signal that can be further processed, a temporal filter connected to or implemented as a part of said electronic circuitry for matching the time varying modulation of the light intensity signal generated by each of the individual elements of the array to the expected shape of such a signal due to the given type of event or events of interest (e.g. gunshot, mortar or rocket launch, airborne target, etc.) that are desired to be detected, processing algorithms for comprising the output of the same temporal filter to an adaptive global threshold and to spatially localized adaptive thresholds for making a determination whether the individual detector actually observed an event of the type(s) of interest, processing algorithms for determining in terms of the angular location along the primary axis of the bearing direction to event(s) of interest.