Patent ID: 7205520

Claim:
A ground based launch detection system for monitoring a launch and flight of a missile in proximity to a flight path for an airport comprising: (a) an electro-optical sensor grid having a first set of equally spaced apart sensor nodes positioned parallel to said flight path on one side of said flight path, and a second set of equally spaced apart sensor nodes positioned parallel to said flight path on the other side of said flight path, each of said first set of sensor nodes and said second set of sensor nodes including: (i) at least one electro-optical sensor having a field of view for first detecting and then monitoring the launch of said missile which is targeted at aircraft traveling along the flight path for said airport, said at least one electro-optical sensor generating sensor video data of the launch and flight of said missile; (ii) a digital processor connected to said at least one electro-optical sensor to receive said sensor video data, said digital processor digitizing and processing said sensor video data to determine when said missile is within the field of view of said at least one electro-optical sensor, said digital processor generating sight line data representing a line of sight from said at least one electro-optical sensor to said missile; and (iii) an antenna for communicating via a wireless link with said first set of sensor nodes and said second set of sensor nodes within said electro-optical sensor grid; (b) said digital processor within each of said first set of sensor nodes and said second set of sensor nodes receiving said sight line data from said first set of sensor nodes and said second set of sensor nodes, said digital processor processing said sight line data to determine when the line of sight for one of a pair of electro-optical sensors having overlapping field of views intersects with the line of sight for the other of said pair of electro-optical sensors to provide a data point for said missile during the flight of said missile; and (c) a central node located in proximity to said electro-optical sensor grid to receive data points from each of said first set of sensor nodes and said second set of sensor nodes within said electro-optical sensor grid, said central node correlating and combining said data points to generate a velocity vector which discriminates missile trajectory from infrared emissions in proximity to said missile, said central node determining which of said aircraft in proximity to said missile are target aircraft of said missile and then sending a dispense countermeasure signal to the target aircraft of said missile.