Counter unmanned aerial system with navigation data to Intercept and/or disable an unmanned aerial vehicle threat
A system for providing integrated detection and countermeasures against unmanned aerial vehicles include a detecting element, a location determining element and an interdiction element. The detecting element detects an unmanned aerial vehicle in flight in the region of, or approaching, a property, place, event or very important person. The location determining element determines the exact location of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The interdiction element can either direct the unmanned aerial vehicle away from the property, place, event or very important person in a non-destructive manner, or can cause disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in a destructive manner.
1. A system, comprising:
plural ground-based sensors configured to determine location and at least one characteristic of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) in flight, the ground-based sensors comprising (a) at least a radar and (b) an image sensor comprising at least one electro optical sensor and/or at least one infrared sensor; and
at least one ground-based computer processor connected to the ground-based sensors and programmed to perform operations comprising:
in response to data from the plural ground-based sensors, determining whether the UAS in flight is a threat that is in a vicinity of a property, place, event or person or is approaching the vicinity of the property, place, event or person, and
conditioned on determining the UAS in flight is a threat in or approaching the vicinity of a property, place, event or person, countering the UAS in flight by dispatching a counterdrone unmanned aerial system (UAS) having electronics, a motor and a navigation system, with autonomous navigation data supplied by the system, to counter the UAS in flight,
wherein the counterdrone UAS weighs less than 55 pounds.
2. A non-transitory storage device operatively coupled to at least one processor of a ground-based multi-sensor detection system, the non-transitory storage device configured to store unmanned aerial system (UAS) flight information for processing by the at least one processor, the stored unmanned aerial system (UAS) flight information comprising:
radar data comprising at least location coordinates indicating tracked positions of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) in flight;
range finder data indicating range, azimuth and elevation of the UAS in flight, and
optical image data indicating visual confirmation of the UAS in flight;
the radar data, the range finder data and the optical image data being configured to enable determining whether the UAS in flight is a threat based on the tracked positions, azimuth data, elevation data, and range, and in response to determining the UAS is a threat, dispatching a counterdrone unmanned aerial system (UAS) having electronics, a motor and a navigation system, with autonomous navigation data supplied by the ground-based multi-sensor detection system to counter the UAS in flight,
wherein the counterdrone UAS weighs less than 55 pounds.
3. A ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system for detecting, identifying and interdicting an unmanned aerial system (UAS), the ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system comprising:
ground-based sensors including:
a radar system,
a camera system, and
a range finder,
the ground-based sensors configured for collecting, independently or in conjunction, sensor data of a UAS in flight;
a sensor processor connected to the ground-based sensors, the sensor processor configured to process and analyze the sensor data of the UAS in flight:
a database library configured for storing known system generated multi-sensor data or state data generated by local and/or remote sources of the UAS in flight; and
a computer operatively connected to the sensor processor that, at least in part in response to the sensor processor processing and analyzing, countering the UAS in flight by dispatching a counterdrone unmanned aerial system (SUAS) having electronics, a motor and a navigation system, with autonomous navigation data being supplied by the system to counter the UAS in flight,
wherein the counterdrone SUAS weighs less than 55 pounds.
4. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the camera system is configured to detect optical and/or infrared images.
5. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the sensor processor is configured to detect and classify the counterdrone UAS in flight in response to the sensor data.
6. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 5 wherein the sensor processor includes a direction detect and range estimator.
7. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 further including a ground-based omnidirectional antenna connected to an RF receiver configured to detect RF signals from the UAS in flight, and the sensor processor is connected to the RF receiver.
8. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 7 wherein the sensor processor is configured to analyze the RF signals to determine at least one of bearing, altitude, location, or identification.
9. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the sensor processor is configured to determine if the UAS in flight approaches a vicinity of a property, place, event, or VIP.
10. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the sensor processor is configured to receive imagery from the camera system and azimuth, elevation, and distance from the range finder.
11. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the sensor processor provides sensor data to yield a UAS ID/classification with or without a human in the loop.
12. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the system includes a comparator that compares sensed data to a database library maintained or accessed by sensor processor to identify the UAS in flight.
13. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the sensor processor enables a slew to cue to autonomously rotate at least one sensor in a direction of the UAS in flight, keeping the UAS in flight in view of the at least one sensor.
14. The ground-based integrated detection and countermeasure multi-sensor system of claim 3 wherein the computer comprises a CPU that operates in conjunction with modulation type and data selection and frequency and waveform parameter selection.
15. A ground-based multi-sensor system comprising:
a sensor processor configured to determine flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in flight using radar, optical imagery, and range finder sensor data:
an omnidirectional or directional radio frequency antenna configured for sending and/or receiving RF to/from the UAV in flight; and
a counterdrone unmanned aerial system (UAS) comprising electronics, a motor and a navigation system, the counter UAS dispatched with autonomous navigation data supplied by the system, to counter the UAV in flight,
wherein the counterdrone UAS weighs less than 55 pounds.
16. A ground-based system including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable software, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium operatively coupled to at least one processor of a ground-based multi-sensor detection system, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium also storing processor-executable data, the stored software operating the at least one processor to perform operations comprising dispatching a counterdrone unmanned aerial system (SUAS) to counter an unmanned aerial vehicle target in flight, the stored software and data comprising:
radar data comprising location coordinates indicating tracked target positions of an unmanned aerial vehicle target in flight;
Range Finder data indicating target coordinates of the unmanned aerial vehicle target in flight; and
Optical image data of the unmanned aerial vehicle target in flight;
the radar data, the Range Finder data and the optical image data enabling the at least one processor to compute based on at least the target locations coordinates, a target classification, and bearing and tracked target flight profile and to further enable the at least one processor to dispatch the counterdrone UAS with autonomous navigation data being supplied by the system to counter the unmanned aerial vehicle target in flight from ground level to several thousand feet above ground level,
wherein the counterdrone UAS weighs less than 55 pounds.
17. The ground-based system of claim 16 wherein the processor-executable software is configured to control the at least one processor to detect additional data produced remotely from one or more sensors including radar, radio frequency receiver, radio frequency, omnidirectional or directional antenna, Range Finder and optical imaging.
18. The ground-based system of claim 16 wherein interdicting comprises initially interdicting the unmanned aerial vehicle target in a non-destructive manner, and increasing to interdicting the unmanned aerial vehicle target in a destructive manner.
19. The ground-based system of claim 16 wherein the software is configured to enable the at least one processor to compute location based on a spherical coordinate system where three coordinates specify position of the UAS in flight in three-dimensional space.
20. The ground-based system of claim 16 wherein the system comprises at least one electronic countermeasure.
21. The ground-based system of claim 16 wherein the system is configured to perform Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).
22. The ground-based system of claim 16 wherein the counterdrone UAS weighs less than 20 kilograms.