METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGING

• US 20100259607A1
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Johansen, David L., Reed, Toby E., Kennedy, Diana J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,471,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/113
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2253 Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4053 based on super-resolution, i.e. the output image resolution being higher than the sensor resolution

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for imaging according to various aspects of the present invention may generate an enhanced image of a target in an environment using image data from a sensor. The methods and apparatus may scale the image data to a higher resolution and register the image represented by the image data with other images of the same target. The enhanced image of the target is generated according to the registered images.

Claims

1. An imaging system for imaging a target in an environment, comprising:

a sensor adapted to generate multiple frames of image data, wherein each frame of image data represents an image of the target and the environment; and

a computer responsive to the image data, wherein the computer is adapted to;

scale at least a portion of the image data to a higher resolution;

register the image represented by the image data in a first frame with at least a second image represented by the image data in a second frame; and

generate an output image of the target according to the registered images.

2. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to scale the image data by spreading each pixel in the image data using a parabolic interpolation function.

3. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is further adapted to rotate the image represented by the image data to a selected angle.

4. An imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the computer is adapted to rotate the image according to a bi-linear interpolation function.

5. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to generate the output image by generating average values for multiple corresponding pixel values.

6. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is further adapted to deconvolve the image data according to a point spread function associated with the sensor.

7. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is further adapted to store at least one of multiple output images and the image data in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer.

8. An imaging system according to claim 7, wherein the computer is further adapted to generate the output image of the target according to data stored in the FIFO buffer.

9. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is further adapted to select an object window within each frame of the generated image data including image data corresponding to the target.

10. An imaging system according to claim 9, wherein the computer is further adapted to select the object window by:

identifying a centroid of the target in the image;

defining the object window around the centroid.

11. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an FPA.

12. A missile guidance system assembly for generating an enhanced image of a target in an environment, comprising:

a sensor adapted to generate multiple consecutive frames of image data, wherein each frame of image data corresponds to an image of the target and the environment; and

a computer responsive to the image data, wherein the computer is adapted to;

select an object window within each frame of the generated image data including image data corresponding to the target;

scale the image data within the object window to a higher resolution;

rotate the image represented by the image data in each object window to present the image of the target at a selected angle;

register the image represented by the image data in the object window in a first frame with at least a second image represented by the image data in the object window in a second frame; and

generate an output image of the target according to the registered images.

13. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12, wherein the computer is adapted to scale the image data by spreading each pixel in the image data using a parabolic interpolation function.

14. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12, wherein the computer is adapted to rotate the image according to a bi-linear interpolation function.

15. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12, wherein the computer is adapted to generate the output image by generating average values for multiple corresponding pixel values in the registered images.

16. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12, wherein the computer is further adapted to deconvolve the image data according to a point spread function associated with the sensor.

17. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12 wherein the computer is further adapted to store at least one of multiple output images and the image data in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer.

18. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 17, wherein the computer is further adapted to generate the output image of the target according to data stored in the FIFO butter.

19. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12 wherein the computer is adapted to select the object window by:

identifying a centroid of the target in the image;

defining the object window around the centroid.

20. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises an FPA.

21. A missile guidance system assembly according to claim 12, wherein the computer is adapted to register the image according to a weighted centroid of the image of the target.

22. A method for generating an enhanced image of a target in an environment using image data representing an image of the target from a sensor, comprising:

scaling the image data to a higher resolution;

registering the image represented by the image data in a first frame with at least a second image represented by the image data in a second frame; and

generating the enhanced image of the target according to the registered images.

23. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 22, wherein scaling the image data comprises spreading each pixel in the image data using a parabolic interpolation function.

24. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 22, further comprising rotating the image represented by the image data to a selected angle.

25. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 24, wherein rotating the image comprises rotating the image according to a bi-linear interpolation function.

26. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 22, wherein generating the enhanced image comprises generating average values for multiple corresponding pixel values in the image data.

27. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 22, further comprising deconvolving the image data according to a point spread function associated with the sensor.

28. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 22, further comprising storing at least one of multiple enhanced images and the image data in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer.

29. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 28, wherein generating the enhanced image comprises generating the enhanced image of the target according to the data stored in the FIFO buffer.

30. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 22, further comprising selecting an object window within each frame of the image data including image data corresponding to the target.

31. A method for generating an enhanced image according to claim 30, wherein selecting the object window comprises:

identifying a centroid of the target in the image; and

defining the object window around the centroid.