Highly portable system for acoustic event detection

Abstract

A man wearable acoustic sensor for use with a gunshot detection system. In a preferred embodiment the inventive sensor includes: a housing configured to be man wearable, a microphone; a processor housed within the housing and in communication with the microphone to detect an acoustic event and determine a time of arrival for the acoustic event; a GPS receiver for providing position information to said processor; a network; and a display for displaying information concerning acoustic events to a user. Man wearable describes a sensor which is either integrated into a piece of equipment normally carried by a soldier or integrated into an article of clothing or configured to securely attach to such equipment or clothing.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method of processing gunshot location information associated with a portable acoustic sensor, the method comprising:
 receiving information regarding an acoustic event detected at a microphone associated with the portable acoustic sensor, wherein the sensor has a housing configured for portable operation in association with a person;   processing a time of arrival of the acoustic event, the time of arrival determined via a processor in communication with the microphone and contained within or attached to the housing, wherein position information regarding the sensor is provided to the processor via a GPS receiver in communication with the processor;   determining a source location of the gunshot as a function of sensor data including time of arrival information as to when a muzzle blast impulse caused by discharge of the gunshot was detected, wherein muzzle blast time of arrival data is used in providing direction information including a direction from the portable acoustic sensor towards the source location of the gunshot; and   performing processing to provide location information for display on a display associated with the portable acoustic sensor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the housing is configured to be man wearable. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the housing comprises a two-way radio. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the location information comprises location information of the source of the acoustic event. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising displaying location information of another portable sensor. 
     
     
         24 . The method of claim of  19 , further comprising communicating the position information and the time of arrival to a gunshot location system via a wireless network interface associated with the sensor. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising interfacing the sensor with a wireless network interface housed in or attached to the housing. 
     
     
         26 . A method of processing gunshot location information associated with a portable acoustic sensor, the method comprising:
 receiving information regarding an acoustic event detected at a microphone associated with the portable acoustic sensor, wherein the sensor has a housing configured for portable operation in association with a person;   processing a time of arrival of the acoustic event, the time of arrival determined via a processor in communication with the microphone and contained within or attached to the housing, wherein position information regarding the sensor is provided to the processor via a GPS receiver in communication with the processor;   networking the portable acoustic sensor with a plurality of sensors positioned apart from each other in an array such that the gunshot location is calculated as a function of time of arrival information of a muzzle blast detected at each of the plurality of sensors, such that a location of the gunshot may be determined using only muzzle blast time of arrival data; and   processing information to provide the source location for display on a display associated with the portable acoustic sensor.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the networking is performed via a network interface comprising a radio frequency transceiver. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the networking is performed via a network interface configured to connect to an ethernet network. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the housing is configured to be man wearable. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the housing comprises a two-way radio. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the location information comprises location information of the source of the acoustic event. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising processing information for displaying location information of another portable sensor. 
     
     
         33 . A method of processing gunshot location information at a central computer associated with a portable acoustic sensor, the method comprising:
 receiving time-of-arrival and position information regarding an acoustic event detected at a microphone associated with the portable acoustic sensor, wherein the sensor has a housing configured for portable operation in association with a person, and wherein the position information regarding each sensor is provided to the sensor via a GPS receiver in communication with the sensor;   processing, at the central computer, times of arrival of the acoustic event received from a plurality of sensors;   determining a source location of the gunshot as a function of sensor data including time of arrival information as to when a muzzle blast impulse caused by discharge of the gunshot was detected, wherein muzzle blast time of arrival data is used in providing direction information including a direction from the portable acoustic sensor towards the source location of the gunshot; and   processing information to provide the source location for display on a display associated with the portable acoustic sensor.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the housing is configured to be man wearable. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the housing comprises a two-way radio. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the location information comprises location information of the source of the acoustic event. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising processing information for displaying location information of another portable sensor. 
     
     
         38 . The method of claim of  33 , further comprising communicating the position information and the time of arrival to a gunshot location system via a wireless network interface associated with the sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising interfacing the sensor with a wireless network interface housed in or attached to the housing.