Airborne real time image exploitation system (ARIES)

• US 20060022986A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navy The USA As Represented By The Secretary of The
• Original Assignee: Navy The USA As Represented By The Secretary of The
• Inventors: Smith, Russell, Colbert, Michael, Kruer, Melvin, LinneVonBerg, Dale C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/537
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications

Abstract

An apparatus includes an image buffer, a graphics buffer, a memory, a router, and a sensor interface. The apparatus further includes a memory controller for controlling transfer of image data from the image buffer to the memory via the router and for controlling transfer of graphics data from the memory to the graphics buffer via the router. The apparatus also includes an image controller simultaneously operable with the memory controller for controlling transfer of the image data from the sensor interface to the image buffer. Optionally, the sensor interface comprises a receiver and a transmitter. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a header buffer, and a header controller simultaneously operable with the memory controller for controlling transfer of header data from the sensor interface to the header buffer. The apparatus optionally further includes a sensor for communicating with the header controller via the sensor interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an image buffer;

a graphics buffer;

a memory;

a router;

a sensor interface;

a memory controller for controlling transfer of image data from said image buffer to said memory via said router and for controlling transfer of graphics data from said memory to said graphics buffer via said router; and

an image controller simultaneously operable with said memory controller for controlling transfer of the image data from said sensor interface to said image buffer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor interface comprises a receiver and a transmitter.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a header buffer; and

a header controller simultaneously operable with said memory controller for controlling transfer of header data from said sensor interface to said header buffer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a sensor for communicating with said header controller via said sensor interface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said sensor includes at least one of an infrared sensor, a multi-spectral sensor, an electro-optical sensor, a synthetic aperture radar sensor, an electronic intelligence sensor, a hyper-spectral sensor, a microwave sensor, and a biological agent sensor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said header controller transmits a sensor header command to said sensor via said sensor interface.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sensor header command comprises an orientation instruction for said sensor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a video generator; and

a graphics controller for receiving graphical data from said graphics buffer and for transferring at least a portion of the graphical data to said video generator, said video generator generating, based in part on the at least a portion of the graphical data, output conforming to a display type.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for communicating with said image controller via said sensor interface.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensor includes at least one of an infrared sensor, a multi-spectral sensor, an electro-optical sensor, a synthetic aperture radar sensor, an electronic intelligence sensor, a hyper-spectral sensor, a microwave sensor, and a biological agent sensor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said image controller receives a sensor operation status to said sensor via said sensor interface.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said sensor operation status comprises an image capture parameter for said sensor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory comprises a plurality of images, said apparatus further comprising:

a control panel for communicating with said memory controller to at least one of select an image of the plurality of images, select a portion of the image for transfer to said graphics buffer, select an image resolution of the portion, and designate a point of interest in the portion.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a header buffer;

a graphics buffer;

a memory;

a router;

a sensor interface;

a header controller for controlling transfer of header data from said sensor interface to said header buffer; and

a memory controller simultaneously operable with said header controller for controlling transfer of the header data from said header buffer to said memory via said router and for controlling transfer of graphics data from said memory to said graphics buffer via said router.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said header controller transmits a pointer command to said sensor interface.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said pointer command compensates for a difference between a programmed sensor position and an actual sensor position.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a compressor for communicating with said header buffer;

at least one of a data recorder and a data link; and

a router interfacing between said compressor and said at least one of said data recorder and said data link.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an image buffer; and

an image controller simultaneously operable with said memory controller for controlling transfer of image data from said sensor interface to said image buffer to said image buffer.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said image controller receives an image capture status from said sensor interface.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said image capture status comprises at least one of exposure control data, temperature data, pod-mounting data, a step-stare instruction, a strip-mode instruction, and a spot-mode instruction.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a compressor for communicating with said image buffer;

at least one of a data recorder and a data link; and

a router interfacing between said compressor and said at least one of said data recorder and said data link.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a sensor for communicating with said image controller via said sensor interface.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said sensor includes at least one of an infrared sensor, a multi-spectral sensor, an electro-optical sensor, a synthetic aperture radar sensor, an electronic intelligence sensor, a hyper-spectral sensor, a microwave sensor, and a biological agent sensor.

24. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a video generator; and

a graphics controller for receiving graphics data from said graphics buffer and for transferring pixel data to said video generator, said video generator converting said pixel data into display format data.

25. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said memory comprises plurality of images, said apparatus further comprising:

a control panel for communicating with said memory controller to at least one of select an image of the plurality of images, select a portion of the image for transfer to said graphics buffer, select an image resolution of the portion, and designate a point of interest in the portion.