Real-time method for establishing a detection map for a network of sensors

A method for establishing a detection map of a dynamically configurable sensor network, the method comprising:

• defining an initial perimeter;
• deriving from the initial perimeter an initial placement map for a plurality of sensor units, the initial placement map comprising a plurality of initial placement sites for sensor units, wherein each sensor unit has an expected detection zone around the sensor unit's initial placement site and wherein a combination of the expected detection zones forms a detection map corresponding to a detection perimeter;
• positioning a first sensor unit using a mobile deployment unit equipped with a location-identification means at a first actual placement site proximate to a first initial placement site and incorporating a location of the first sensor unit into the detection map;
• determining a first measured detection zone of the first sensor unit at least in part by detecting an activity of the mobile deployment unit;
• modifying the detection map by replacing in the detection map the expected detection zone of the first sensor unit with the first measured detection zone;
• positioning a second sensor unit using the mobile deployment unit at a second actual placement site proximate to an adjacent initial placement site and incorporating a location of the second sensor unit into the detection map;
• determining a second measured detection zone of the second sensor unit at least in part by detecting the activity of the mobile deployment unit;
• replacing a second expected detection zone of the second sensor unit with the second measured detection zone in the detection map;
• determining whether a region of the detection map corresponding to a region between the first and second sensor units provides a minimum probability of detection within the region between the first and second sensor units;
• if the minimum probability of detection is not provided, repositioning the second sensor unit using the mobile deployment unit, redetermining the second measured detection zone of the second sensor unit at least in part by detecting the activity of the mobile deployment unit to obtain a replacement second measured detection zone, replacing the second measured detection zone with the replacement second measured detection zone in the detection map, and determining whether the region of the detection map corresponding to the region between the first and second sensor units provides a minimum probability of detection within the region between the first and second sensor units;
• if the minimum probability of detection is provided, positioning a third sensor unit using the mobile deployment unit at a third actual placement site proximate to a next adjacent initial placement site, determining a third measured detection zone of the third sensor unit at least in part by detecting the activity of the mobile deployment unit, and replacing a third expected detection zone with the third measured detection zone in the detection map;
• and
• repeating the steps of positioning sensor units, determining measured detection zones, replacing expected detection zones with measured detection zones in the detection map, determining provision of the minimum probability of detection between adjacent sensor units, and optionally repositioning sensor units until the detection map comprising measured detection zones of the detection perimeter of the dynamically configurable sensor network has been established.