Basically, this idea is a sort of elastic net that can be stretched over a helmet that contains a connected network of perhaps as few as 6 or 8 audio sensors. A small processing unit with a speaker on it goes inside the helmet. Once activated, the unit goes into 'listen' mode, wherein it begins listening for abrupt loud sounds matching the pattern of a rifle shot. Once detected, it uses the same basic techniques that our brain does for locating sound using the interaural time difference measured between the sensors. Since it has sensors side to side as well as up and down, it could determine a source by this method not just in general direction, but possibly in vertical position as well (high or low). The unit would announce the sound source with a 360-degree bearing and 180-degree 'mark' notation (noting vertical elevation or declination, e.g. "180-Mark-20" would indicate a source directly behind and 20-degrees elevation) relative to the position of the helmet itself to give soldiers under fire a quick reference to help them locate the source of sniper fire. I'm thinking it could help give an initial fix of an enemy in the case of an ambush and in the event that the source of fire could not be located during a firefight, a soldier could raise a so-equipped helmet into the line of fire and any subsequent shots could be announced by the unit.
-- Caine, Jul 12 2008

US patent application 20050237186 http://appft1.uspto...05788&RS=APN/905788
[xaviergisz, Jul 12 2008]

Firefinder http://www.globalse.../an-tpq-36-pics.htm
Handy bit of kit [8th of 7, Jul 12 2008]

Prior art for fixed installation Find_20Snipers
also noted to be double-pre-baked [notexactly, Nov 14 2015]

Prior art for handheld use Sensound_ae
intended for blind people [notexactly, Nov 14 2015]

PEARL acoustic gunshot detector http://www.miltechm...iper-detection.html
Attaches to a rifle's Picatinny rails. Green and red LED lights shows the soldier where the shoot come from [CraigD, Nov 20 2015]

Upgrade 1: GPS: converts bearing and mark into absolute direction and announces based on actual compass heading and elevation/declination. Upgrade 2: GPS/Network model relays recording source and sound direction to wireless networked battlefield computers that redistribute information to others within unit. Upgrade 3: Camera model takes sound activated photo of suspected source area using tiny camera and wearable battlefield computers are able to display this image to soldiers in the unit.
-- Caine, Jul 12 2008


It would be possible to get a vector, if the primary sound is not reflected by other objects (walls, etc.)

/real terrorists learn how to throw their voice!
-- Cedar Park, Jul 12 2008


I was recently thinking about the same thing; it's called a phase-array audio detector.

I was also thinking of the possibilities for general surveillance. With a big enough array of detectors you could get high quality audio to match surveillance videos.
-- xaviergisz, Jul 12 2008


The Firefinder phased-array radar does this to locate hostile mortar batteries.

Audio systems are under development, but are vulenrable to environmental noise, especially in a battle zone; with radar, the background is quiet.

If a soldier uses his personal weapon, or someone nearby does, the echoes saturate the audio array for several seconds. And there are issues porcessor power and batteries but things are improving there as the technology develops.
-- 8th of 7, Jul 12 2008


// I was also thinking of the possibilities for general surveillance. With a big enough array of detectors you could get high quality audio to match surveillance videos. //

Baked. Called Audioscope.
-- notexactly, Nov 14 2015


My prior art links are just for linking related ideas together, not to suggest that this should be deleted.
-- notexactly, Nov 14 2015


Shirley you could send out lots of deaf old folk with them ear-trumpet things?

Hang on, just crowd source it with an app, even I have a smartphone these days.
-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 21 2015



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