Oct 13, 2026

US12761003 - System and method for detecting a scattered minefield

Predicting whether objects in an image form a scattered minefield (SMF) is accomplished by a system and method utilizing at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions implement operations to determine whether the objects define a SMF based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are positioned on the surface in the image obtained from the image sensor.

Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
Inventors: Andrew N. Acker, Eric M. Louchard
Filing date: 2022-03-29

The patent describes a system and method for detecting scattered minefields using images from a passive image sensor to classify objects as mine-like or non-mine-like. By estimating the distribution of these objects, the system can statistically determine if they constitute a danger zone.

Claim 1

1 . A method comprising: obtaining at least one image from a passive image sensor mounted on a platform located above a surface, wherein the surface contains objects that are present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor; classifying the objects based on object detections within the image, wherein the object detections are classified into one of at least two classes, wherein a first class is representative of mine-like objects (MLOs) and a second class is representative of non-mine-like objects; estimating which of the object detections belong to the first class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are on the surface in the image obtained from the image sensor, and estimating which of the object detections belong to the second class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the objects are on the surface in the image obtained from the passive image sensor; and determining, statistically, whether the object detections classified in the first class define a scattered minefield (SMF), wherein if it is statistically determined that the MLOs are a SMF, then classifying the SMF as a danger zone; wherein the distribution process comprises classifying objects as one of Background MLOs, Patterned MLOs, and Scattered MLOs based on spatial characteristics of the objects present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor. obtaining at least one image from a passive image sensor mounted on a platform located above a surface, wherein the surface contains objects that are present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor; classifying the objects based on object detections within the image, wherein the object detections are classified into one of at least two classes, wherein a first class is representative of mine-like objects (MLOs) and a second class is representative of non-mine-like objects; estimating which of the object detections belong to the first class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the MLOs are on the surface in the image obtained from the image sensor, and estimating which of the object detections belong to the second class based on an estimation of a distribution process from which the objects are on the surface in the image obtained from the passive image sensor; and determining, statistically, whether the object detections classified in the first class define a scattered minefield (SMF), wherein if it is statistically determined that the MLOs are a SMF, then classifying the SMF as a danger zone; wherein the distribution process comprises classifying objects as one of Background MLOs, Patterned MLOs, and Scattered MLOs based on spatial characteristics of the objects present in the image obtained from the passive image sensor.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12761003

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12761003