IMAGE MONITORING AND DISPLAY FROM UNMANNED VEHICLE

• US 20140327770A1
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crane-Cohasset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Crane-Cohasset Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Wagreich, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An image capture and display system comprises an image capture array positioned on a vehicle, the image capture array comprising a plurality of image sensing members. At least one transmitter is provided for transmitting images from the image sensing members. The system also includes a monitor display array positioned remotely from the image capture array. The monitor display array comprises a display monitor for and corresponding to each image sensing member, and a receiver for receiving the images corresponding to each transmitter.

Claims

1. An image capture and display system comprising:

an image capture array positioned on a vehicle, the image capture array comprising a plurality of image sensing members, and at least one transmitter for transmitting images from the image sensing members; and

a monitor display array positioned remotely from the image capture array, the monitor display array comprising a display monitor for and corresponding to each image sensing member, and a receiver for receiving the images corresponding to each transmitter.

2. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the monitor display is positioned at a ground based location.

4. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a transmitter is provided for each of the image sensing members in the image capture array and a receiver corresponding receiver is provided for each of the display monitors in the monitor display array.

5. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are six image sensing members configured to each capture an approximate 60 degree circumferential viewing segment and six display monitors arranged in an approximate hexagonal shape.

6. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are four image sensing members configured to each capture an approximate 90 degree circumferential viewing segment and four display monitors arranged in an approximate square shape.

7. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image sensing members cumulatively capture less than a 360 degree field of view.

8. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein an antenna is associated with each of the transmitters and each of the receivers.

9. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image sensing members are cameras for capturing video images in the visual spectrum.

11. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image sensing members are night vision sensors for capturing video images in the visual spectrum.

12. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image sensing members are selected from the group consisting of:

heat sensors, radiation sensors, pressure sensors, gaseous content sensors, humidity sensors, sonic sensors and EMF spectrometers.

13. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein image sensing members of different types are placed in the image capture array so that the system can simultaneously capture images of different conditions.

15. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image capture array comprises a frame member attached to the vehicle configured for mounting of the image sensing members thereon.

17. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the image sensing members comprise a first forward facing camera capturing a first forward field of view and a second rearward facing camera capturing a second rearward field of view; and

the monitor display array comprises a first display monitor which is curved and displays the images corresponding to the first forward field of view, and a second display monitor which displays images corresponding to the second rearward field of view.

18. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the second display monitor is curved, is smaller than the first display monitor, and is located above the first display monitor.

19. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the first forward field of view is approximately 270 degrees and the second rearward field of view is approximately 90 degrees.

20. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

manned aerial vehicle, glider, ground-based vehicle, water-based vehicle, and space vehicle.

21. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image capture array is located outside of an aerial vehicle and the monitor display array is located inside the same aerial vehicle.

10. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim wherein the image sensing members are infrared cameras for capturing images in the infrared spectrum.

14. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim wherein the monitor display array defines an internal space capable of accommodating an operator of the system.

16. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim wherein images from two or more image sensing members are combined for transmission by a single transmitter, the transmission being received by a receiver capable of separating and reconstructing the images to display them on display monitors to form a substantially continuous visual representation as captured by the image sensing members.

22. An image capture and display system comprising:

an image capture array for positioning on a vehicle, the image capture array comprising a plurality of image sensing members, and at least one transmitter for transmitting images from the image sensing members; and

a monitor display array for positioning remotely and comprising a pair of wearable video type goggles having a visual display for and corresponding to the composite image provided by the image sensing member, and a receiver for receiving the images corresponding to each transmitter.

23. An image capture and display system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the goggles have sensors responsive to the position of the head of the wearer to adjust the image according to the radial position of the head.

24. An image capture and display system comprising:

an image capture array for positioning on a vehicle, the image capture array comprising a plurality of image sensing members, and at least one transmitter for transmitting images from the image sensing members; and

a monitor display array for positioning remotely from the image capture array, the monitor display array comprising a display monitor for and corresponding to each image sensing member, and a receiver for receiving the images corresponding to each transmitter.

25. A method for the capture and display of images, the method comprising:

attaching an image capture array to a vehicle, the image capture array comprising a plurality of image sensing members, and at least one transmitter for transmitting images from the image sensing members; and

positioning a monitor display array positioned remotely from the image capture array, the monitor display array comprising a display monitor for and corresponding to each image sensing member, and a receiver for receiving the images corresponding to each transmitter for display on the display monitors.