Active pushbroom scanning system and method
First Claim
1. An active imaging system comprising:
- a positioning system configured to detect motion and a direction of the motion of the imaging system relative to a scene to be imaged;
an optical source positioned to emit electromagnetic radiation along a transmit path;
a non-mechanical beam steering device positioned along the transmit path to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and configured to scan the electromagnetic radiation over at least a first portion of the scene within an instantaneous field-of-view of an optical receiver and to re-scan the electromagnetic radiation over the first portion of the scene after the motion of the imaging system relative to the scene has been detected by the positioning system;
the optical receiver positioned to receive reflections of the electromagnetic radiation from at least the first portion of the scene within the instantaneous field-of-view, the first portion of the scene being within a first edge region of the instantaneous field-of-view of the optical receiver, the first edge region being in the direction of the motion of the imaging system, the optical receiver being further configured to collect at least one Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) sample from the first portion of the scene; and
control circuitry coupled to the positioning system and to the optical receiver, the control circuitry configured to locate the first portion of the scene within the instantaneous field-of-view of the optical receiver based at least in part on the direction of the motion of the imaging system, the control circuitry being further configured to identify at least one characteristic of a feature within the first portion of the scene based at least in part on the BRDF sample.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Aspects and embodiments are generally directed to active imaging systems and methods. In one example, an active imaging system includes a positioning system configured to detect a direction of motion of the imaging system relative to a scene, an optical source positioned to emit electromagnetic radiation, a non-mechanical beamsteering device positioned to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and configured to scan the electromagnetic radiation over at least a first portion of the scene within an instantaneous field-of-view of an optical receiver, and the optical receiver positioned to receive reflections of the electromagnetic radiation from at least the first portion of the scene within the instantaneous field-of-view, wherein the first portion of the scene is within a first edge region of the instantaneous field-of-view of the optical receiver, the first edge region being in the direction of motion of the imaging system.
16 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An active imaging system comprising:
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a positioning system configured to detect motion and a direction of the motion of the imaging system relative to a scene to be imaged; an optical source positioned to emit electromagnetic radiation along a transmit path;
a non-mechanical beam steering device positioned along the transmit path to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and configured to scan the electromagnetic radiation over at least a first portion of the scene within an instantaneous field-of-view of an optical receiver and to re-scan the electromagnetic radiation over the first portion of the scene after the motion of the imaging system relative to the scene has been detected by the positioning system;the optical receiver positioned to receive reflections of the electromagnetic radiation from at least the first portion of the scene within the instantaneous field-of-view, the first portion of the scene being within a first edge region of the instantaneous field-of-view of the optical receiver, the first edge region being in the direction of the motion of the imaging system, the optical receiver being further configured to collect at least one Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) sample from the first portion of the scene; and control circuitry coupled to the positioning system and to the optical receiver, the control circuitry configured to locate the first portion of the scene within the instantaneous field-of-view of the optical receiver based at least in part on the direction of the motion of the imaging system, the control circuitry being further configured to identify at least one characteristic of a feature within the first portion of the scene based at least in part on the BRDF sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21)
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13. A method of optical imaging, the method comprising:
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detecting motion and a direction of the motion relative to a scene to be imaged; emitting electromagnetic radiation from an optical source along a transmit path; scanning the electromagnetic radiation over at least a first portion of the scene, the first portion of the scene corresponding to a first edge region of an instantaneous field-of-view of an optical receiver, in the direction of the motion; receiving, within the instantaneous field-of-view of the optical receiver, reflections of the electromagnetic radiation from at least the first portion of the scene; identifying a feature within the first portion of the scene; rescanning the electromagnetic radiation over the first portion of the scene after the motion relative to the scene has been detected to collect at least one Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) sample from the first portion of the scene; and identifying at least one characteristic of the feature within the first portion of the scene based at least in part on the BRDF sample. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification