I’ve been aware for sometime of a patent describing a FOD detection system written by Hilary Vieira, the patent was eventually passed to a company called Secure Runway Systems corp, who went on to become Diversified Secure Ventures Corp. They issued a press release on 22nd June outlining their wish to build a FOD detection system based on the patent.
The patent basically describes a number of monitoring devices located alongside a runway, where the monitoring device:
includes at least one of a video camera, single-frame camera, infrared camera, high definition camera, Light Detection and Ranging device.
The detection is then done by comparing a baseline image to the current image:
at least one monitoring device generates baseline image data associated with a first condition, generates other image data associated with at least a second condition and the at least one processor compares the image data associated with the conditions to determine whether foreign object debris is present in the at least one runway area
The system then generates an alert if an unacceptable runway condition is detected:
wherein the unacceptable runway condition may include at least one of, vehicle traffic congestion outside acceptable tolerances, presence of an unacceptable amount of ice, presence of fire, and presence of foreign object debris.
Here’s a quote from a recent press release:
We have at length discussed the viability of the patented product and technology and the fact that there are very few competitors in this market and none with the kind of product licensed to Secure. To my knowledge none of the competition holds patents on their products and Secure’s license provides Secure with an advantage and product which we believe is superior to the competition.
I must admit that I find the above statement quite surprising, especially the comment regarding the competitions lack of patents, and the fact that their “product is superior”. As far as I’m aware they don’t have a product, they have a patent that describes a general process, I don’t think you can really compare an actual product against a patent, not in any meaningful way anyway. The slide below dated July 2010 details the current state of their “product”.
I don’t want to say too much about this, but if you’re interested then please visit their website.
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