Surveillance system and method

A sensor system in which a sensor suite has a locally located field sensing unit (FSU) that converts and evaluates sensor information using sensor fusion algorithms and is thereby able to send qualitative low-bandwidth, low power usage signals to a remote command post.

1. A surveillance system comprising;

a sensor suite having a plurality of sensors of the type that sense a condition of the ambient physical environment each sensor having a sensor output signal;

a field sensing unit locally located with and in communication with each sensor to receive sensor output signals;

the field sensing unit further comprising a sensor fusion module having a CPU programmed to determine the status of each sensor based on its sensor output signal and through a programmed algorithm to derive a qualitative determination from the status determinations of the sensors; and

the field sensing unit further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the qualitative determination as a narrow bandwidth signal to a remote command center.

2. The surveillance system of claim 1 further wherein said sensor suite and said field sensing unit are installed in a unitary structure.

3. A system as in claim 2 wherein said field sensing unit includes assessment means for evaluating status change indications over time for determining a condition statement for transmission,

apparatus including a field sensing unit for monitoring the status of said sensors, said unit including means for computing a change in status indication for each of said sensors under surveillance via sensor fusion, and said field sensing unit using sensor fusion operations based on the change in status indicators of the sensors to compute a qualitative determination of the status of the environment to determine if a defined status of the environment is present,

said field sensing unit including means for transmitting said change in status indications to a command module via a narrow bandwidth signal if the defined status of the environment is present.

4. A system as in claim 1 including a plurality of remote location each of which includes a plurality of sensors, each of said remote locations including a field sensing unit, said command center including means for polling said plurality of field sensing units for initiating transmissions therefrom.

5. A system for displaying status change indications, of a plurality of smart sensors positioned at a remote location, said system including a command console for displaying said indications, said system also including a field sensing unit at said remote location, said field sensing unit including means for comparing present status indications for said smart sensors with next prior status indications for said sensors and a programmed algorithm to derive a qualitative determination therefrom, said field sensing units including means for transmitting the qualitative determination to said command console.

6. A system as in claim 5 wherein said field sensing unit includes means for determining whether or not a said change in status indication institutes an alarm condition.

7. A security apparatus including a plurality of sensors responsive to the presence of airborne chemicals and/or biological agents, said apparatus including a field sensing unit for monitoring the status of said sensors, said unit including means for computing a change in status indication for each of said sensors under surveillance via sensor fusion, and said field sensing unit using sensor fusion operations based on the change in status indicators of the sensors to compute a qualitative determination of the status of the environment to determine if a defined status of the environment is present,

said field sensing unit including means for transmitting said change in status indications to a command module via a narrow bandwidth signal if the defined status of the environment is present.

8. A field sensing unit for monitoring the status of a plurality of smart sensors, said unit having a sensor fusion module being operative to compare present status indications with next prior status indications and having a programmed algorithm for computing qualitative change of status indications, said unit including means for transmitting the qualitative change of status indications via a narrow bandwidth signal.

9. A system comprising a community of individual sensor suites having sensors of the type that sense a condition of the ambient environment, a sensor fusion device, and a command sensor remote from said suites and said sensor fusion device, each of said sensor suites comprising a plurality of sensors each responsive to the presence of its specified sensing input for generating signals representative thereof, said sensor fusion device being operative through a programmed algorithm to derive a qualitative interpretation of the signals from at least one of said sensor suites and for communicating said interpretation to said remote command center via a narrow bandwidth signal.