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US-20260127778-A1 - MOBILE ACTIVE DECOY SYSTEM AND METHOD

US20260127778A1US 20260127778 A1US20260127778 A1US 20260127778A1US-20260127778-A1

Abstract

A mobile active decoy system (MADS) is positioned above an area of terrain to obfuscate features in the area from data gathering by other entities. The MADS includes a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system that scans the area of the terrain to capture topography data. The MADS also includes one or more cameras to capture infrared, visual, and ultraviolet data within the area of the terrain that defines one or more features in the area. A terrain evaluation function defines a topography of the terrain using the topography data. A graphics engine generates a decoy image using the topography of the terrain and data of the features captured by the camera. A projection system projects the decoy image to overlay it on the terrain to obfuscate the one or more features within the area.

Inventors

  • Martin J. Jennings
  • Andrew W. Jennings

Assignees

  • ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241101

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A mobile active decoy system (MADS) comprising: a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system to scan an area of a terrain to capture topography data; at least one camera to capture data of at least one feature within the area; a terrain evaluation function to define a topography of the terrain using the topography data; a graphics engine to generate a decoy image using the topography of the terrain and the data of the at least one feature; and a projection system to project and overlay the decoy image onto the area of the terrain.
  2. 2 . The MADS of claim 1 , wherein the graphics engine includes an image fusion module to receive data from the at least one camera to generate an image of the terrain.
  3. 3 . The MADS of claim 2 , wherein the graphics engine includes an image obfuscation module to receive a command to generate a user defined image.
  4. 4 . The MADS of claim 3 , wherein the graphics engine includes a post processing module to generate the decoy image based on the user defined image and the image of the terrain.
  5. 5 . The MADS of claim 1 , further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) device to capture GPS location data to provide to the graphics engine.
  6. 6 . The MADS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera includes an infrared spectrum camera.
  7. 7 . The MADS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera includes a visible light spectrum camera.
  8. 8 . The MADS of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera includes an ultraviolet spectrum camera.
  9. 9 . The MADS of claim 1 , wherein the projection system includes at least one light source.
  10. 10 . The MADS of claim 9 , wherein the at least one light source is a laser.
  11. 11 . The MADS of claim 1 , further comprising at least one ambient condition sensor to capture data of an environment related to the terrain and to provide the data of the environment to the graphics engine.
  12. 12 . The MADS of claim 1 , further comprising a mast to position the MADS above the terrain.
  13. 13 . A mobile active decoy system (MADS) configuration comprising: a first MADS platform having a first MADS, wherein the first MADS includes a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system to scan a first area of a terrain to capture topography data, at least one camera to capture data of at least one feature within the first area, a terrain evaluation function to define a topography of the terrain within the first area using the topography data, a graphics engine to generate a first decoy image using the topography of the terrain and the data of the at least one feature, and a projection system to project and overlay the first decoy image onto the first area of the terrain; and a second MADS platform having a second MADS, wherein the second MADS includes a LiDAR system to scan a second area of the terrain to capture topography data, wherein the second area is not located within the first area, at least one camera to capture data of at least one feature within the second area, a terrain evaluation function to define a topography of the terrain within the second area using the topography data, a graphics engine to generate a second decoy image using the topography of the terrain and the data of the at least one feature, and a projection system to project and overlay the second decoy image onto the second area of the terrain.
  14. 14 . The MADS configuration of claim 13 , wherein the first decoy image and the second decoy image are positioned to not overlay each other.
  15. 15 . The MADS configuration of claim 13 , wherein the first MADS platform or the second MADS platform is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
  16. 16 . The MADS configuration of claim 13 , wherein the first MADS platform or the second MADS platform includes a mast.
  17. 17 . The MADS configuration of claim 13 , wherein the first MADS platform includes a global positioning system (GPS) device.
  18. 18 . The MADS configuration of claim 17 , wherein the second MADS platform includes a GPS device, such that the first MADS platform is positioned away from the second MADS platform based on data from the GPS device of the second MADS platform.
  19. 19 . A method for performing visual obfuscation of a terrain, the method comprising: scanning an area of the terrain using a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system of a mobile active decoy system (MADS) positioned above the area of the terrain to capture topography data of the area; capturing data of at least one feature of the area using at least one camera of the MADS; defining a topography of the terrain within the area using a terrain evaluation function of the MADS and the topography data; generating a decoy image using a graphics engine of the MADS based on a user defined image, wherein the graphics engine receives the topography of the terrain and the captured data of the at least one feature to adjust the user defined image to generate the decoy image; projecting the decoy image from a projection system of the MADS to overlay the decoy image onto the terrain, wherein the decoy image obfuscates the terrain.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising collecting ambient condition data for the area using sensors of the MADS.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a mobile active decoy system. In particular, to the subject matter relates to a mobile active decoy system that deceives an adversary that depends on surveillance for data gathering. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Military superiority has been achieved in part by surveying the enemy and outperforming their observed capabilities. Observation may be one of the most crucial tools in strategic operations. To gain the tactical advantage, one should inhibit an enemy's ability to observe. This objective can be achieved through offensive action such as destroying their surveying capability, or passively by obfuscating the observable data. Obfuscation often is the more desirable approach because through misleading information, an opponent drains their own resources (fuel, manpower, weaponry, and the like) while at the same time keeping one's own forces out of harm's way. It may be appreciated that there is a need to provide visual obfuscation using visual and electronic deception for deployment in various situations to misdirect and confuse the enemy. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure is directed, in a first aspect, to a mobile active decoy system (MADS). The MADS includes a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system to scan an area of a terrain to capture topography data. The MADS also includes at least one camera to capture data of at least one feature within the area. The MADS also includes a terrain evaluation function to define a topography of the terrain using the topography data. The MADS also includes a graphics engine to generate a decoy image using the topography of the terrain and the data of the at least one feature. The MADS also includes a projection system to project and overlay the decoy image onto the area of the terrain. In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a mobile active decoy system (MADS) configuration. The MADS configuration includes a first MADS platform having a first MADS. The first MADS includes a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system to scan a first area of a terrain to capture topography data. The first MADS also includes at least one camera to capture data of at least one feature within the first area. The first MADS also includes a terrain evaluation function to define a topography of the terrain within the first area using the topography data. The first MADS also includes a graphics engine to generate a first decoy image using the topography of the terrain and the data of the at least one feature. The first MADS also includes a projection system to project and overlay the first decoy image onto the first area of the terrain. The MADS configuration also includes a second MADS platform having a second MADS. The second MADS includes a LiDAR system to scan a second area of the terrain to capture topography data. The second area is not located within the first area. The second MADS also includes at least one camera to capture data of at least one feature within the second area. The second MADS also includes a terrain evaluation function to define a topography of the terrain within the second area using the topography data. The second MADS also includes a graphics engine to generate a second decoy image using the topography of the terrain and the data of the at least one feature. The second MADS also includes a projection system to project and overlay the second decoy image onto the second area of the terrain. In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a method for performing visual obfuscation of a terrain. The method includes scanning an area of the terrain using a laser-imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) system of a mobile active decoy system (MADS) positioned above the area of the terrain to capture topography data of the area. The method also includes capturing data of at least one feature of the area using at least one camera of the MADS. The method also includes defining a topography of the terrain within the area using a terrain evaluation function of the MADS and the topography data. The method also includes generating a decoy image using a graphics engine of the MADS based on a user defined image. The graphics engine receives the topography of the terrain and the captured data of the at least one feature to adjust the user defined image to generate the decoy image. The method also includes projecting the decoy image from a projection system of the MADS to overlay the decoy image onto the terrain. The decoy image obfuscates the terrain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES The features of the disclosure believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The disclosure itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, can best be understood by reference to the description