IMAGER
First Claim
1. An imaging method comprising steps of:
- scanning a scene occupying at least a part of a field of view to obtain a plurality of standard quality sub-images of the scene, each standard quality sub-image of the plurality of standard quality sub-images covering less than the scene, the plurality of standard quality sub-images together covering the scene; and
combining the plurality of standard quality sub-images into a first stitched image of the scene;
wherein the step of scanning the scene is performed in a first spectral band with a scanner comprising folded optics.
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Abstract
Selected embodiments use a relatively small image detector and a scanning mirror to obtain effective performance of a larger image detector. An imager with folded optics captures images of different field positions of a field of view (FOV), and stitches the images together for a larger image of the FOV. The stitched image is processed to identify portions of interest within the larger image, for example, using a cuing algorithm. The portions of interest are scanned again to capture enhanced quality images using, for example, longer dwell time for enhanced contrast. Another image of the FOV or a part of the FOV is stitched together using the enhanced quality images.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An imaging method comprising steps of:
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scanning a scene occupying at least a part of a field of view to obtain a plurality of standard quality sub-images of the scene, each standard quality sub-image of the plurality of standard quality sub-images covering less than the scene, the plurality of standard quality sub-images together covering the scene; and combining the plurality of standard quality sub-images into a first stitched image of the scene; wherein the step of scanning the scene is performed in a first spectral band with a scanner comprising folded optics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An imager, comprising:
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an optical subsystem comprising at least one image detector, folded optics, a controllable scanning mechanism, a control input, and a data output, wherein the controllable scanning mechanism is configured to direct light onto the at least one image detector through the folded optics, the light being incident on the controllable scanning mechanism from a range of field positions controllable by the control input, and the at least one image detector is configured to capture captured sub-images in one or more spectral bands and output the captured sub-images through the data output; and a processor subsystem comprising a processor, a control interface circuit coupled to drive the control input, and an image reader interface circuit coupled to the data output to read the captured sub-images through the data output.
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17. An imager according to claim 17, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to cause the optical subsystem to
scan, in a first spectral band of the one or more spectral bands, a scene occupying at least a part of a field of view to obtain a plurality of standard quality sub-images of the scene, each standard quality sub-image of the plurality of standard quality sub-images covering less than the scene, the plurality of standard quality sub-images together covering the scene; - and
combine the plurality of standard quality sub-images into a first stitched image of the scene. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification