Method and apparatus for sighting and targeting a controlled system from a common three-dimensional data set

• US 20030140775A1
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Stewart, John R.
• Application Number:
  US10/060,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140775A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 89/41.05
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/225 Helmet sighting systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sighting and targeting a controlled system from a common three-dimensional data set are disclosed. The method includes sighting a position correlated to at least a subset of a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view; and targeting a controlled system to the position from the three-dimensional data set. The apparatus includes a program storage medium, a controller, and a controller interface. The program storage medium is capable of storing a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view. The controller is capable of generating a presentation of the three-dimensional data set. A position represented by at least a subset of the three-dimensional data can be sighted and the position can be targeted from the subset through the controller interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sighting a position correlated to at least a subset of a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view; and

targeting a controlled system to the position from the three-dimensional data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional data comprises LADAR data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

acquiring the three-dimensional data;

processing the three-dimensional data;

displaying a representation of the three-dimensional data;

displaying a projected target point after the controlled system is targeted; and

taking an action responsive to targeting the position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein acquiring the three-dimensional data includes:

transmitting a plurality of LADAR pulses; and

receiving the LADAR pulses after they are reflected.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein processing the three-dimensional data includes generating a three-dimensional image from the three-dimensional data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the three-dimensional image is the representation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the three-dimensional image includes:

pre-processing the three-dimensional data;

detecting a target represented by a subset of the three-dimensional data;

segmenting the subset from the remainder of the three-dimensional data;

extracting features of the target from the segmented data; and

classifying the segmented subset as including a particular kind of target based on the extracted features.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sighting the position indicating a portion of a displayed image generated from the three-dimensional data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein targeting the controlled system includes aiming a weapon system at the sighted position.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein targeting the controlled system includes aiming a weapon system at the sighted position.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a program storage medium capable of storing a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view;

a controller capable of generating a presentation of the three-dimensional data set;

a controller interface through which a position represented by at least a subset of the three-dimensional data can be sighted and through which the position can be targeted from the subset.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the program storage medium comprises a magnetic program storage medium or an optical program storage medium.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the magnetic program storage medium comprises a floppy disk, a zip disk, or a hard disk.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical program storage medium comprises an optical disk.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a digital processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the digital processor is a microprocessor or a digital signal processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller interface includes a display.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the display is a helmet-mounted display or a rack-mounted display.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display includes a touch screen.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller interface includes at least one peripheral input/output device.

21. A controlled system, comprising:

a data acquisition system capable of acquiring a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view;

a sighting and targeting subsystem, including;

a program storage medium capable of storing the three-dimensional data set;

a controller capable of generating a presentation of the three-dimensional data set; and

a controller interface through which a position represented by at least a subset of the three-dimensional data can be sighted and through which the position can be targeted from a presentation of the subset;

a control subsystem capable of implementing instructions from the sighting and targeting subsystem.

22. The controlled system of claim 21, wherein the data acquisition system includes a LADAR system.

23. The controlled system of claim 21, wherein the LADAR system comprises a direct diode LADAR system.

24. The controlled system of claim 21, wherein the control subsystem comprises a weapon pointing system.

39. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program storage medium comprises a magnetic program storage medium or an optical program storage medium.

40. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the magnetic program storage medium comprises a floppy disk, a zip disk, or a hard disk.

41. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller comprises a digital processor.

42. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller interface includes a display.

43. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the display includes a touch screen.

25. A method, comprising:

acquiring a three-dimensional data set representing the content of a field of view;

generating a three-dimensional representation of the content from the three-dimensional data set;

displaying the three-dimensional representation;

sighting a position within the field of view from the three-dimensional representation; and

targeting the sighted position using the three-dimensional data set.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein acquiring the three-dimensional data set includes:

transmitting a plurality of light pulses; and

receiving a plurality of the transmitted light pulses upon their reflection by an object in the field of view.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

extracting the three-dimensional data from the received light pulses; and

storing the received light pulses in a row column format.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the three-dimensional representation includes:

detecting a region of interest in the three-dimensional image;

segmenting a target in the region of interest from the three-dimensional image;

extracting features of the segmented target; and

classifying the target from the extracted features.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising pre-processing the three-dimensional data.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting the generated three-dimensional image to a remote location before displaying the three-dimensional image.

44. The method of claim 25, wherein sighting the position indicating a portion of a displayed image generated from the three-dimensional data.

45. The method of claim 25, wherein targeting the controlled system includes aiming a weapon system at the sighted position.

46. The method of claim 25, wherein targeting the controlled system includes aiming a weapon system at the sighted position.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for sighting a position correlated to at least a subset of a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view; and

means for targeting a controlled system to the position from the three-dimensional data set.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the three-dimensional data comprises LADAR data.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising at least one of:

means for acquiring the three-dimensional data;

means for processing the three-dimensional data;

means for displaying a representation of the three-dimensional data;

means for displaying a projected target point after the controlled system is targeted; and

means for taking an action responsive to targeting the position.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein targeting the controlled system includes aiming a weapon system at the sighted position.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

means for storing a three-dimensional data set representing a field of view;

means for generating a presentation of the three-dimensional data set;

means for sighting a position represented by at least a subset of the three-dimensional data and for targeting the position from the subset.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the storing means comprises a magnetic program storage medium or an optical program storage medium.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the generating means comprises a digital processor.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the sighting and targeting means includes a display.