Ground reconnaissance

• US 4,516,158 A
• Filed: 07/30/1982
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Aerospace Public Limited Company 100 PALL Mall London SW1Y 5HR
• Original Assignee: British Aerospace, Inc. (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Grainge, Richard W., Humphries, Rowland F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, John C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US06/403,815
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 358/109, 358/113, 250/334
• US Class Current: 348/145
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/025 by scanning the object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/09 for electromagnetic radiation in the invisible region, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Ground reconnaissance equipment for an air or spacecraft comprising two line-scanners, for example infra-red sensitive scanners, operable for scanning respective ground areas along lines extending in different directions and a control system for producing selected kinds of video display and/or electronic or photograph recording.

Claims

1. Reconnaissance equipment in or for use in an airborne craft or a spacecraft for scanning an area on the ground, and comprising first scanning means which is operable for scanning a part of said area lying beneath and to each side of the craft along lines transverse to the direction of movement of the craft, and second scanning means which is operable for scanning a part of said lying to one side of the craft along lines parallel to said direction of movement.

2. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the scanning means are connected via control apparatus to picture recording and display means, the control apparatus being operable for causing recording and display of the view seen by a selected one of the scanning means.

3. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the scanning means are connected via control apparatus to picture recording and display means, the control apparatus being operable for combining signals from the two scanning means for causing recording and display of a combination of the views seen by the two scanning means.

4. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein each scanning means comprises an infra-red radiation line scanner.

5. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the ground parts scanned by the two scanners overlap and the scanners are connected to a recorder via an interface unit operable for causing recording of pictures each of a view seen by one of the scanning means and a part of a view seen by the other scanning means.

6. In an aircraft, reconnaissance equipment including in combination, a first infra-red line scanner for scanning the ground along lines transverse to the direction of movement of the aircraft and extending beneath and to at least one side of the aircraft, a second infra-red line scanner positioned for looking to said one side of the aircraft and operable for scanning along lines parallel to the direction of movement of the aircraft with a framing scan movement perpendicular to these lines, a picture recorder and electronic means connected between the recorder and the first and second line scanners and operable for causing recording of the view seen by a selected one of the scanners.

7. Reconnaissance equipment according to claim 6, wherein the first scanner is operable to scan over an area which overlaps the inner ends of the respective areas scanned by the second scanner during the successive frame scans thereof, and the electronic means is operable for causing recording of pictures of said respective areas scanned by the second scanner along with respective pictures of portions of the area scanned by the first scanner.