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US 12,761,003 B2Granted
System and method for detecting a scattered minefield
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorsAndrew N. Acker, Eric M. Louchard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Predicting whether objects in an image form a scattered minefield (SMF) is accomplished by a system and method utilizing at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions implement operations to determine whether the objects define a SMF based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are positioned on the surface in the image obtained from the image sensor.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- obtaining at least one image from a passive image sensor mounted on a platform located above a surface, wherein the surface contains objects that are present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor;
- classifying the objects based on object detections within the image, wherein the object detections are classified into one of at least two classes, wherein a first class is representative of mine-like objects (MLOs) and a second class is representative of non-mine-like objects;
- estimating which of the object detections belong to the first class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are on the surface in the image obtained from the image sensor, and estimating which of the object detections belong to the second class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the objects are on the surface in the image obtained from the passive image sensor;
- and
- determining, statistically, whether the object detections classified in the first class define a scattered minefield (SMF), wherein if it is statistically determined that the MLOs are a SMF, then classifying the SMF as a danger zone;
- wherein the distribution process comprises classifying objects as one of Background MLOs, Patterned MLOs, and Scattered MLOs based on spatial characteristics of the objects present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- effecting an image to be obtained from an image sensor mounted on a platform above a surface, wherein the surface contains one or more mine like objects (MLOs) and the MLOs are present in the image obtained from the image sensor;
- and
- effecting a statistical determination of whether the MLOs define a scattered minefield (SMF) based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are positioned on the surface in the image obtained from the image sensor;
- wherein if it is statistically determined that the MLOs are a SMF, then effecting the SMF to be classified as a danger zone wherein the distribution process comprises classifying objects as one of Background MLOs, Patterned MLOs, and Scattered MLOs based on spatial characteristics of the objects present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor.
1 more element
An object classification system comprising:
- a platform;
- a passive sensor carried by the platform, wherein the passive image sensor is configured to image a landscape containing objects;
- classification logic in operative communication with the passive sensor, the classification logic configured to classify the objects based on detections within the image, wherein the classification logic classifies the detections into one of at least two classes, wherein a first class is representative of mine-like objects (MLOs) and a second class is representative non-mine-like objects;
- the classification logic configured to estimate which of the detections belong to the first class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are positioned in the landscape in the image obtained from the passive image sensor, and estimate which of the detections belong to the second class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the objects are positioned in the landscape in the image obtained from the passive image sensor;
- and
- the classification logic configured to determine, statistically, whether the detections classified in the first class define a scattered minefield (SMF), wherein if it is statistically determined that the MLOs are the SMF, then the classification logic is configured to classify the SMF as a danger zone.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.