METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING RESOLUTION OF A DIGITALLY STABILIZED IMAGE

• US 20100014769A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lundgren, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene

Abstract

A method for increasing resolution of a focal plane array having a plurality of pixels dispersed across a total pixel area is described. The method includes providing an active pixel area for the focal plane array that is less than the total pixel area, acquiring image data utilizing the reduced active pixel area, and storing the image data in a portion of a memory, the memory having a capacity corresponding to the total pixel area of the focal plane array.

Claims

1. A method for increasing resolution of a focal plane array having a plurality of pixels dispersed across a total pixel area, said method comprising:

providing an active pixel area for the focal plane array that is less than the total pixel area;

acquiring image data utilizing the reduced active pixel area; and

storing the image data in a portion of a memory, the memory having a capacity corresponding to the total pixel area of the focal plane array.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising repeating the acquiring and storing steps until the utilized memory portions are substantially equal to the memory capacity.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing an active pixel area for the focal plane array that is less than the total pixel area comprises incorporating a physical mask to effectively reduce an operating area associated with at least one pixel of the focal plane array.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein incorporating a physical mask to effectively reduce an operating area comprises incorporating a physical mask that includes at least one aperture therethrough to define the reduced effective area.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing an active pixel area for the focal plane array that is less than the total pixel area comprises reducing an effective area of at least one pixel of the focal plane array through incorporation of an electrical drain channel around the at least one pixel.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the electrical drain channel includes a wire around the at least one pixel that can be grounded to nullify a portion of an electrical field associated with the at least one pixel.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing an active pixel area for the focal plane array that is less than the total pixel area comprises providing a programmable pixel configuration such that only a fraction of the pixels within the focal plane array are sampling an object.

8. A system for acquiring and storing images, said system comprising:

a focal plane array comprising a plurality of pixels, at least one of said pixels configured to have a reduced effective area;

a processing device configured to receive data from said focal plane array; and

a memory communicatively coupled to said processing device, said memory having a capacity corresponding to the total pixel area of said focal plane array.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein a portion of said memory typically utilized to store image data corresponding to non-effective areas of said at least one pixel when those areas are effective is configured to store additional image samples taken utilizing the reduced effective area of said at least one pixel.

10. A system according to claim 8 wherein said focal plane array comprises a physical mask placed to effectively reduce an operating area associated with said plurality of pixels.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein said physical mask comprises at least one aperture therethrough to define the reduced effective area associated with said plurality of pixels.

12. A system according to claim 8 wherein said focal plane array comprises an electrical drain channel around at least one of said pixel operable to reduce the effective area of said at least one pixel.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein said electrical drain channel comprises a wire around said at least one pixel operable to be grounded, the operation of grounding nullifying a portion of an electrical field associated with said at least one pixel.

14. A system according to claim 8 wherein said focal plane array comprises providing a programmable pixel configuration operable such that only a subset of said plurality of pixels within said focal plane array will sample an object.

15. A method for improving the quality of images acquired at a focal plane on a moving platform having inertial motion sensors, said method comprising:

reducing an effective area of a plurality of pixels associated with the focal plane;

acquiring a plurality of images that are correlated by a position of the focal plane at the time of acquisition, as determined by the inertial motion sensors, utilizing the effective area of the pixels; and

combining the plurality of images into a combined image based on the position correlations, the combined image having a higher resolution based on an increased sample size.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein reducing an effective area of a plurality of pixels comprises utilizing a physical mask to reduce the effective area of one or more pixels associated with the focal plane.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein reducing an effective area of a plurality of pixels comprises incorporating drain channels around a plurality of pixels associated with the focal plane to decrease the active area of those pixels.

18. A method according to claim 15 wherein reducing an effective area of a plurality of pixels comprises programming a pixel configuration such that only a portion of the pixels within the focal plane are active

19. A method according to claim 15 wherein reducing an effective area of a plurality of pixels comprises reducing the effective pixel area when the signal to noise ratio at the focal plane is at a predefined threshold.

20. A method according to claim 15 wherein combining the plurality of images comprises correlating the plurality of images using position data from the inertial motion sensors to correct for noise and fixed pattern noise.