Image stabilization system

• US 20080158679A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dickerson, Bruce A., Luty, Clifford J., Miller, John L., Ellison, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,862,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/555
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/644 compensating for large deviations, e.g. maintaining a fixed line of sight while a vehicle on which the system is mounted changes course
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/648 for automatically maintaining a reference alignment, e.g. in self-levelling surveying instruments surveying instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects

Abstract

Imaging systems in which an undedicated optical component—-i.e., a component that would be present in the system even in the absence of image stabilization—is configured to undergo corrective motion and/or other correction of image data, and thus to function as a stabilization component. The stabilization component may be a mirror and/or a lens, and a positioner may be provided to tilt, rotate, and/or otherwise precisely adjust the position and orientation of the stabilization component to improve image resolution, compensate for platform motions, and/or improve image tracking. Because an undedicated optical component functions as the stabilization component, the stabilization occurs upstream, rather than downstream, from separation (if any) of the incoming image data into two or more beams. As a result, only one stabilization component is required regardless of whether the system is configured to split the image data into multiple data channels, and imaging systems as described herein therefore may be particularly well-suited for integration into a shared-aperture imaging system.

Claims

1. A corrective imaging system, comprising:

a primary mirror configured to receive and reflect incoming image data;

a secondary mirror positioned to receive and reflect image data reflected by the primary mirror;

a tertiary mirror positioned to receive and reflect image data reflected by the secondary mirror; and

a positioner configured to make precise adjustments in position and orientation of at least one of the primary, secondary, or tertiary mirrors;

wherein the primary mirror defines a first axis, and wherein the secondary mirror defines a second axis forming a nonzero intersecting angle with the first axis.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner is configured to make precise adjustments in position and orientation of the tertiary mirror.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner is configured to dither one of the mirrors to manipulate the image data reflected by the tertiary mirror.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner is configured to compensate for motions of a platform to which the imaging system is attached.

5. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner is configured to facilitate tracking a moving target with the imaging system.

6. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner is configured to correct alignment errors in the imaging system.

7. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner is configured to compensate for atmospheric effects.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner includes a first piezoelectric device operatively coupled to a top portion of the at least one mirror, and a second piezoelectric device operatively coupled to a bottom portion of the at least one mirror.

9. The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the first and second piezoelectric devices are configured to selectively move the at least one mirror linearly, and are further configured to selectively tilt the at least one mirror.

10. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the positioner includes a deformable top portion of the at least one mirror, and a deformable bottom portion of the at least one mirror.

11. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a beamsplitter configured to receive the image data reflected by the tertiary mirror and to split the image data into a first beam of at least substantially visible light, and a second beam of at least substantially infrared light.

12. The imaging system claim 11, further comprising:

a visible light detector configured to receive the first beam and to translate the first beam into a first image signal; and

an infrared detector configured to receive the second beam and to translate the second beam into a second image signal.

13. A corrective imaging system, comprising:

a primary mirror configured to receive and reflect incoming image data and including a centrally located aperture;

a secondary mirror positioned to receive image data reflected by the primary mirror, and to reflect the image data toward the aperture;

a tertiary mirror positioned to receive and reflect image data reflected by the secondary mirror and passing through the aperture; and

a positioner configured to make precise adjustments in position and orientation of the tertiary mirror.

14. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the positioner is configured to dither the tertiary mirror.

15. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the positioner is configured to compensate for motions of a platform to which the imaging system is attached.

16. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the positioner is configured to facilitate tracking a moving target with the imaging system.

17. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the positioner is configured to correct alignment errors in the imaging system.

18. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the positioner is configured to compensate for atmospheric effects.

19. A corrective imaging system, comprising:

a primary mirror configured to receive and reflect incoming image data;

a secondary mirror positioned to receive and reflect image data reflected by the primary mirror;

a tertiary mirror positioned to receive and reflect image data reflected by the secondary mirror; and

a corrective element configured to correct image data reflected from at least one of the primary, secondary, or tertiary mirrors and operatively connected to the at least one mirror;

wherein the primary mirror defines a first axis, and wherein the secondary mirror defines a second axis forming a nonzero intersecting angle with the first axis.

20. The corrective imaging system of claim 19, wherein the corrective element is chosen from the following set:

an electro-optic modulator, or a tunable filter.