Systems and methods for augmenting gunshot location using echo processing features
AssigneeShotSpotter, Inc.
InventorsRobert L. Showen, Robert B. Calhoun, Jason W. Dunham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for processing weapon fire information such as gunfire. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a method of processing gunshot information to determine source location information involving echo/reflection processing features. Moreover, the method may include processing gunshot information received from a source at a sensor having a reflecting surface at a given distance, processing direct arrival time and echo arrival time information, and determining source location information as a function of a virtual sensor calculated behind the surface.
Claims20
A method of processing gunshot information comprising:
- processing gunshot information received from a source at a sensor, wherein the sensor has a reflecting surface at a given distance;
- verifying that both a direct arrival time, direct to the sensor from the source, and an echo arrival time, indirectly to the sensor off the reflecting surface, are measurable;
- creating, when both direct and echo arrival times can be measured, a virtual sensor, wherein the virtual sensor is positioned on a line perpendicular to a plane surface passing through the sensor on a side of the plane surface opposite that of the sensor, at a distance equal to the given distance behind the plane surface;
- processing or calculating, via use of an array comprising the sensor and the virtual sensor, source location information.
A method of processing gunshot information comprising:
- processing gunshot information received, from a source, at:
- an optical sensor, which measures an optical muzzle flash time of arrival (ToA);
- and
- an acoustic sensor that has a reflecting surface at a given distance;
- creating, when both direct and echo arrival times can be measured, a virtual sensor, wherein the virtual sensor is positioned on a line perpendicular to a plane/surface passing through the sensor on a side of the plane/surface opposite that of the sensor;
- determining, via creation of a two-element array using the sensor and the virtual sensor, source location information.
A method of processing gunshot information comprising:
- processing supersonic gunshot information received from a source at a sensor, wherein the sensor has a reflecting surface at a given distance;
- verifying that direct arrival times, direct to the sensor from the source, and echo arrival times, indirectly to the sensor off the reflecting surface, are measurable for both the muzzle blast (bang) and supersonic bullet sounds (crack);
- creating, when both direct and echo arrival times can be measured, a virtual sensor, wherein the virtual sensor is positioned on a line perpendicular to a plane/surface passing through the sensor on a side of the plane/surface opposite that of the sensor, at the given distance;
- estimating/calculating, via use of an array including the sensor and the virtual sensor, an approximate direction from the sensor to the source via a crack-bang solution, such that left-right shooting direction ambiguity may be removed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.