US 9,792,500 B2 · Fire urgency estimator in geosynchronous orbit (FUEGO)

Abstract

A fire detector is disclosed that successively images a particular area from geosynchronous Earth orbit satellite to attain very good signal-to-noise ratios against Poisson fluctuations within one second. Differences between such images allow for the automatic detection of small fires greater than 12 square meters. Imaging typically takes place in transparent bands of the infrared spectrum, thereby rendering smoke from the fire and light clouds somewhat transparent. Several algorithms are disclosed that can help reduce false fire alarms, and their efficiencies are shown. Early fire detection and response would be of great value in the United States and other nations, as wild land fires destroy property and lives and contribute around five percent of the US global carbon dioxide contribution. Such apparatus would incorporate modern imaging detectors, software, and algorithms able to detect heat from early and small fires, and yield detection times on a scale of minutes.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for fire urgency estimation, the apparatus comprising:

(a) an imager configured for capturing images, wherein said imager is configured for deployment within a satellite configured for orbiting Earth;
(b) a processor configured for processing said images;
and
(c) programming executable on said processor for detecting fire locations across extensive geographic regions while suppressing false alarms by performing steps comprising:
(i) classifying trends in response to temporal subtraction of images received by said imager over a time of seconds to minutes;
(ii) dithering of images to improve resolution;
(iii) adjusting detection thresholds in a time-sensitive autonomous manner to reduce false alarm rates despite constantly varying conditions;
and
(iv) generating calibrated decisions regarding fire urgency in response to steps (i) through (iii).

6 more elements

A fire urgency estimator, comprising:

(a) a platform;
(b) the platform comprising an imager configured to capture a plurality of Earth geographic images
(c) a processor disposed on the platform;
and
(d) means for reporting from the Earth geographic images one or more non-excluded candidate fires above a fire importance cost reporting threshold by processing the plurality of Earth geographic images on the processor;
wherein the means for reporting comprises programming executable on the processor capable of performing steps comprising:
(1) providing a radiance difference image by performing steps comprising:
(i) acquiring at least two Earth geographic images;
(ii) subtracting one Earth geographic image from another Earth geographic image to form the subtracted difference image;
(iii) wherein the two images are separated by a sampling interval;
(iv) wherein the two images view at least a portion of the same Earth geography;
and
(v) wherein the radiance difference image corresponds to the portion of the same Earth geography;
(2) detecting candidate fires in the radiance difference image within the same Earth geography;
(3) excluding from the candidate fires those that fail one or more tests to form a set of non-excluded candidate fires;
(4) evaluating an importance cost of the non-excluded candidate fires;
and
(5) reporting the non-excluded candidate fires above a fire importance cost reporting threshold.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fire urgency estimator in geosynchronous orbit (FUEGO)

Life of this patent

Fire urgency estimator in geosynchronous orbit (FUEGO)

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19