Patent · US Expired

Acoustic counter-sniper system

US5930202A · kind A · utility

60Cited by
5References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 19, 1997
Grant dateJul 27, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 19, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S367/906
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A low cost and highly accurate sniper detection and localization system uses observations of the shock wave from supersonic bullets to estimate the bullet trajectory, Mach number, and caliber. If available, muzzle blast observations from an unsilenced firearm is used to estimate the exact sniper location along the trajectory. The system utilizes a distributed array of acoustic sensors to detect the leading edge of a projectile's shock wave and the muzzle blast from a firearm. The detection of the shock wave and muzzle blast is used to measure the wave arrival times of each waveform type at the sensors. This time of arrival (TOA) information for the shock wave and blast wave are used to determine the projectile's trajectory and a line of bearing to the origin of the projectile. A very accurate model of the bullet ballistics and acoustic radiation is used which includes bullet deceleration. This allows the use of very flexible acoustic sensor types and placements, since the system can model the bullet's flight, and hence the acoustic observations, over a wide area very accurately. System sensor configurations can be as simple as two small three element tetrahedral microphone arrays o…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.