Vehicle based data collection and processing system and imaging sensor system and methods thereof

• US 20070046448A1
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VI Technologies, LLC (VI GP LLC (f/k/a M7 Visual Intelligence GP LLC))
• Original Assignee: M7 VISUAL INTELLIGENCE
• Inventors: Smitherman, Chester
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view

Abstract

A vehicle based data collection and processing system which may be used to collect various types of data from an aircraft in flight or from other moving vehicles, such as an automobile, a satellite, a train, etc. In various embodiments the system may include: computer console units for controlling vehicle and system operations, global positioning systems communicatively connected to the one or more computer consoles, camera array assemblies for producing an image of a target viewed through an aperture communicatively connected to the one or more computer consoles, attitude measurement units communicatively connected to the one or more computer consoles and the one or more camera array assemblies, and a mosaicing module housed within the one or more computer consoles for gathering raw data from the global positioning system, the attitude measurement unit, and the retinal camera array assembly, and processing the raw data into orthorectified images.

Claims

1. A system for generating a map, comprising:

a global positioning receiver;

a vehicle in alignment with a target area;

an elevation measurement unit, in communication with the vehicle;

a global positioning antenna, in communication with the vehicle;

an attitude measurement unit, in communication with the vehicle;

an imaging sensor system, disposed to the vehicle, comprising;

a rigid mount plate affixed to the vehicle;

a first rigid mount unit affixed to the mount plate and having a first and second imaging sensor disposed within the first mount unit, wherein the first imaging and second imaging sensors each have a focal axis passing through an aperture in the first mount unit and the mount plate, wherein the first and second imaging sensors each generate a first array of pixels, wherein each array of pixels is at least two dimensional;

a second rigid mount unit affixed to the mount plate and having a third imaging sensor disposed within the second mount unit; and

a computer in communication with the elevation measurement unit, the global positioning antenna, the attitude measurement unit, the first imaging sensor, and the second imaging sensor;

correlating at least a portion of the image data from the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor to a portion of the target area based on input from one or more of;

the elevation measurement unit, the global positioning antenna and the attitude measurement unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mount unit, second mount unit, and mount plate flex less than 100^th of a degree during operation.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first mount unit, second mount unit, and mount plate flex less than 1,000^th of a degree during operation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first mount unit, second mount unit, and mount plate flex less than 10,000^th of a degree during operation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the third imaging sensor has a third focal axis passing through an aperture in the second mount unit and the mount plate, wherein the third imaging sensor generates an at least two dimensional array of pixels.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the third imaging sensor is selected from the group consisting of digital cameras, LIDAR, infrared, heat-sensing, gravitometers and the like.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the third imaging sensor is selected from the group consisting of a digital camera having a hyperspectral filter and a LIDAR.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first imaging sensor is calibrated relative to one or more attitude measuring devices selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, an IMU, and a GPS.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second imaging sensors are selected from the group consisting of digital cameras, LIDAR, infrared, heat-sensing, gravitometers and the like.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second imaging sensor is a digital camera and the third imaging sensor is a LIDAR.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is embedded in the sensor.

12. An imaging sensor system comprising:

a rigid mount plate affixed to a vehicle;

a first rigid mount unit affixed to the mount plate and having a first and second imaging sensor disposed within the first mount unit, wherein the first imaging and second imaging sensors each have a focal axis passing through an aperture in the first mount unit and the mount plate, wherein the first and second imaging sensors each generate a first array of pixels, wherein each array of pixels is at least two dimensional;

a second rigid mount unit affixed to the mount plate and having a third imaging sensor disposed within the second mount unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first mount unit, second mount unit, and mount plate flex less than 100^th of a degree during operation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first mount unit, second mount unit, and mount plate flex less than 1,000^th of a degree during operation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first mount unit, second mount unit, and mount plate flex less than 10,000^th of a degree during operation.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the third imaging sensor has a third focal axis passing through an aperture in the second mount unit and the mount plate, wherein the third imaging sensor generates an at least two dimensional array of pixels.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the third imaging sensor is selected from the group consisting of digital cameras, LIDAR, infrared, heat-sensing, gravitometers and the like.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the third imaging sensor is selected from the group consisting of a digital camera having a hyperspectral filter and a LIDAR.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the first imaging sensor is calibrated relative to one or more attitude measuring devices selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, an IMU, and a GPS.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second imaging sensors are selected from the group consisting of digital cameras, LIDAR, infrared, heat-sensing, gravitometers and the like.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second imaging sensor is a digital camera and the third imaging sensor is a LIDAR.

22. A method of calibrating imaging sensors, comprising:

determining the position of an AMU;

determining the position of a first imaging sensor within a first rigid mount unit relative to the AMU;

determining the position of a second imaging sensor within a second rigid mount unit relative to the AMU;

calibrating the first imaging sensor against a target area and determining the boresight angle of the first imaging sensor; and

calculating the position of one or more subsequent imaging sensors within the first rigid mount unit relative to the first imaging sensor; and

calibrating the one or more subsequent imaging sensors using the boresight angle of the first imaging sensor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises calibrating the second imaging sensor using the boresight angle of the first imaging sensor.