System for detecting perturbations in an environment using temporal sensor data

A method for discerning perturbations within an environment, comprising the steps of:

• 1) initializing a sensor weight variable in a data processor;
• 2) initializing an iterand I in the data processor, where I is a positive integer;
• 3) initializing an iterand j in the data processor, where j is a positive integer;
• 4) monitoring an environment with a sensor array comprising an M number of j.sup.th sensors, each j.sup.th sensor monitoring a j.sup.th scene of the environment, where j and M are positive integers and j<M, said j.sup.th sensor generating j.sup.th output signals representing the j.sup.th scene;
• 5) employing the data processor to add a constant value to the sensor weight variable to provide a j.sup.th updated sensor weight variable if the j.sup.th output signals exhibit a change of state and if the (j+1).sup.th output signals exhibit a change of state within a predetermined time period before occurrence of the first change of state, where (j+1).ltoreq.M;
• 6) storing the j.sup.th updated sensor weight variable;
• 7) incrementing the iterand j in the data processor;
• 8) repeating steps (4)-(7) an (M-2) number of times in the data processor;
• 9) determining the maximum of the (M-1) number of j.sup.th updated sensor weight variables;
• 10) storing the maximum j.sup.th sensor weight variable determined in step (9) as the i.sup.th initial composite threat score;
• 11) storing the product of the maximum j.sup.th sensor weight variable and an i.sup.th weighting factor to provide an i.sup.th product;
• 12) repeating steps (3)-(11) an (N-1) number of times, where N is a positive integer;
• 13) determining the sum of the N number of ith products to provide a persistence factor;
• 14) determining the sum of the persistence factor and the N number of ith initial composite threat scores;
• and
• 15) generating a human discernable output if the sum determined in step (14) is greater than a reference value.