FLIGHT SYSTEM WITH INFRARED CAMERA AND COMMUNICATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130169806A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guangzhou Sat Infrared Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Guangzhou Sat Infrared Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US13/599,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/144
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0271 Detection of area conflagration fires fire alarms for forest fires G08B17/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/125 by using a video camera to detect fire or smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

A flight system of an infrared camera and its communication method are disclosed. The system includes an infrared camera mounted on an aircraft. The system may also include: a signal collection and process unit provided on the infrared camera for obtaining infrared image signals of a monitored object and transforming the image signals into communication signals; a communication signal transmission unit for receiving the communication signals from the signal collection and process unit, emitting the received communication signals via a communication channel, and receiving communication signals to transmit to the infrared camera; and an on-board satellite communication apparatus for emitting the communication signals to a satellite, and receiving communication signals coming from the satellite to be transmitted to the communication signal transmission unit. The system can be connected to a satellite, ground base station or ground network, and server of a ground control center, through an on-board satellite communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A flight system of an infrared camera including an infrared camera mounted on an aircraft, the system also comprising:

a signal collection and process unit provided on the infrared camera for obtaining image signals by capturing infrared images of a monitored object and transforming the image signals into communication signals;

a communication signal transmission unit for receiving the communication signals coming from the signal collection and process unit and emitting the received communication signals out via a communication channel, and receiving communication signals from outside to be transmitted to the infrared camera; and

an on-board satellite communication apparatus for emitting the communication signals coming from the communication signal transmission unit to a communication satellite through a satellite antenna, and receiving communication signals coming from the communication satellite to be transmitted to the communication signal transmission unit.

2. The flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 1, wherein the signal collection and process unit comprises:

an image collection module comprising an optical lens and an infrared detector circuit, wherein the optical lens collects infrared radiation signals coming from the monitored object so as to capture infrared images of the monitored object, and the infrared detector circuit transforms incident infrared radiation signals passing through the optical lens into electrical signals to be output as image signals;

an image process module for receiving the image signals and compressing the received image signals into binary code flows to be output as digital signals; and

a central processing unit (CPU) control module for receiving the digital signals and storing the received digital signals in format of files, transforming the stored digital signals into communication signals under communication interface protocols, and transmitting the communication signals, by driving and controlling the communication signal transmission unit, to the on-board satellite communication apparatus via a communication network.

3. The flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 1, wherein the communication signal transmission unit comprises:

a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/general packet radio service (GPRS) module for transmitting the communication signals via a GPRS channel of a GPRS network, or transmitting the communication signals in way of short messages via a short message service (SMS) channel, and the GSM/GPRS module comprises;

a serial bidirectional interface for bidirectionally receiving and transmitting the communication signals;

a subscriber identity module (SIM) card connected with the serial bidirectional interface, wherein the SIM card has short-message functions and GPRS functions for bidirectional transformation between communication signals and multimedia information; and

an antenna connected with the SIM card, wherein the antenna emits communication signals or multimedia information to the on-board satellite communication apparatus to perform communication through the communication satellite and a ground base station, and receives communication signals or multimedia information coming from the on-board satellite communication apparatus; and

a Wi-Fi circuit module wirelessly connected to a Wi-Fi network, for communicating with the communication satellite and a ground network through the on-board satellite communication apparatus.

4. The flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 3, wherein the on-board satellite communication apparatus comprises an on-board mobile communication apparatus, a satellite communication assembly and a satellite antenna, and the on-board satellite communication apparatus is configured to emit the communication signals to the communication satellite through the on-board satellite communication apparatus to perform communication via the ground base station or the ground network, and to receive communication signals coming from the communication satellite through the satellite antenna to be transmitted to the communication signal transmission unit.

5. The flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 4, wherein the on-board mobile communication apparatus comprises a Wi-Fi network module, the Wi-Fi network module is configured to bidirectionally communicate signals or transmit multimedia information with the Wi-Fi circuit module.

6. The flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 1, wherein the communication satellite transmits communication signals coming from the aircraft to a server of the infrared camera through a ground base station or a ground network, and transmits communication signals coming from the server to the on-board satellite communication apparatus through the ground base station or the ground network and also through the communication satellite, wherein the server is a computer or a mobile phone connected to the communication network.

7. The flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 1, wherein the infrared camera is rotatably mounted on a body of the aircraft through a pan and tilt device, with a transparent hood provided thereon to protect the infrared camera.

8. A communication method of a flight system of an infrared camera comprising an infrared camera provided on an aircraft, the method comprising:

transforming image signals obtained by capturing infrared images of a monitored object by the infrared camera into communication signals;

receiving and transmitting communication signals via a communication channel, performing aero-communication of the communication signals in way of free roaming; and

emitting the communication signals to a communication satellite through a satellite antenna, and receiving communication signals coming from the communication satellite, wherein the communication signals comprise;

communication signals obtained by signal transforming and related with image signals of the infrared images, and communication signals coming from a server.

9. The communication method of a flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 8, wherein the aero-communication of communication signals comprises transmitting the communication signals via a general packet radio service (GPRS) channel of a GPRS network, or transmitting the communication signals via a short message service (SMS) channel in way of short messages.

10. The communication method of a flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 8, wherein the aero-communication of communication signals comprises transmitting the communication signals through a Wi-Fi network.

11. The communication method of a flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 8, wherein the communication signals coming from the infrared camera are transmitted to the server through an on-board satellite communication apparatus of the flight system of the infrared camera and via the communication satellite and its ground base station or its ground network.

12. The communication method of a flight system of an infrared camera according to claim 11, wherein the communication signals coming from the server are transmitted to the on-board satellite communication apparatus of the flight system of the infrared camera via the ground base station or the ground network, and also through the communication satellite, and then to the communication signal transmission unit through the on-board satellite communication apparatus, so as to be output to the infrared camera.