Wide Area Imaging System and Method

• US 20140247323A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diversified Innovations Fund, LLP
• Original Assignee: Strongwatch Corporation
• Inventors: Griffis, Andrew J., Howell, Mark J., Powell, Michael B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,813,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

The present invention provides a new and useful paradigm in wide area imaging, in which wide area imaging is provided by a step/dwell/image capture process and system to capture images and produce from the captured images a wide area image. The image capture is by a sensor that has a predetermined image field and provides image capture at a predetermined frame capture rate, and by a motorized step and dwell sequence of the sensor, where image capture is during a dwell, and the step and dwell sequence of the sensor is synchronized with the image capture rate of the sensor.

Claims

1. A wide area imaging system that uses a step/dwell/image capture sequence to capture images and produce from the captured images a wide area image, wherein image capture is by a sensor that has a predetermined image field and provides image capture at a predetermined frame capture rate, wherein image capture is by a processor controlled motorized step and dwell sequence of the sensor, where image capture is processor controlled during a dwell step, and wherein the step and dwell sequence of the sensor is synchronized with the image capture rate of the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the step/dwell/image capture sequence is under processor control that is interfaced to a servo motor to selectively control the sensor position in a manner that is related to the step/dwell/image capture sequence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is located on a moveable platform, and one or more inertial devices measure movements of the platform that affect the wide area image produced from the captured image and produce output that can be used to provide image compensation that is related to such movements of the platform.

4. The system of claim 2, further including a means to hail or notify a subject identified in the wide area image that the subject'"'"'s presence has been detected.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a processor uses object detection on the wide area image or the individual images of which it is comprised, to extract and localize objects of interest in the wide area image.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to provide variable step and dwell sequences of the sensor, to produce the wide area image.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to provide variable step and dwell sequences of the sensor, to enable the processor to localize the sensor on selected image fields.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to provide an image stitch step that is processor controlled and designed to combine images captured by the sensor in a predetermined manner to produce the wide area image.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the step/dwell/image capture sequence is configured to synchronize the initiation of image capture by the sensor to a position to which the sensor is selectively moved under servo motor control.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the step/dwell/image capture sequence is configured to synchronize movement of the sensor to a selected position to the timing with which the sensor is controlled to initiate image capture.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein a processor is configured to use successive hypothesis testing of detected objects in the wide area image to determine the step and dwell sequences of the sensor.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is configured to produce image capture in a manner that is useful in producing high density imagery in the wide area image.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the wherein the system is coupled to a control center via an interface and is configured to allow the control center access to subsets of the captured images, via the interface.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is configured with one of the following sensing techniques:

infrared, visible or other wavelengths to form an image using sensor pixels, including the collection of multiple wavelength images at the same time (multiple FPAs) such that wide area images from multiple wavelengths are generated at the same time, either individually or as wide area images generated by combining multiple wavelength wide area images into a single wide area image

21. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to store image data produced from the step/dwell/image capture sequence, and to use the stored image data as a reference for comparison with image data produced from a subsequent step/dwell/image capture sequence.

22. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to estimate the size and range of an object produced in a wide area image.

23. The system of claim 2, wherein the system includes an RF sensor, and the system is configured to provide a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) using step/dwell/image capture sequence with the RF sensor.

24. The system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to process the wide area image data from the step/dwell/image capture sequence to detect the presence of an object and the predetermined state characteristics of the object.

25. The system of claim 2, wherein the lens used to form an image on an FPA is constructed of one or more anamorphic elements or is a zoom lens having its predetermined field of view set by a processor.

26. The system of claim 2, wherein a plurality of sensors is used to form one or more wide area images

27. The system of claim 2, wherein physical attributes, including apparent temperature and patterns of observed apparent temperature, of objects imaged by the invention are detected and measured over time

28. The system of claim 2, wherein a processor uses object tracking on the wide area image or the individual images of which it is comprised, to record the behavior of one or more objects of interest in one or more wide area images.

15. A wide area imaging method that uses a move/dwell/image capture process to capture images and produce from the captured images a wide area image, wherein image capture is by a sensor that has a predetermined image field and provides image capture at a predetermined frame capture rate, wherein image capture is by a processor controlled motorized step and dwell sequence of the sensor, where image capture is during a dwell, and wherein the step and dwell sequence of the sensor is synchronized with the image capture rate of the sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step/dwell/image capture sequence is under processor control that is interfaced to a servo motor to selectively control the sensor position in a manner that is related to the step/dwell/image capture sequence.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensor is located on a moveable platform, and movements of the platform that affect the wide area image produced from the captured image are measured and used to provide image compensation that is related to such movements of the platform.

18. The method of claim 16, which is further configured to hail or notify a subject identified in the wide area image that its presence has been detected.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the step/dwell/image capture sequence can synchronize the initiation of image capture by the sensor to a position to which the sensor is selectively moved under servo motor control.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the step/dwell/image capture sequence can also synchronize movement of the sensor to a selected position to the timing with which the sensor is controlled to initiate image capture.