Guidance and targeting system
First Claim
1. A method of recognizing a selected physical object through three dimensional image sensing, comprising the steps of:
- identifying selected surfaces of said object from a two dimensional image of said object, said two dimensional image established from a first eye point;
actuating a sensor to establish a three dimensional image of said object, said sensor defining a second eye point from which said three dimensional image is sensed;
transforming said sensed three dimensional image to form a transformed image of said object, as sensed portions of said object would be viewed from said first eye point; and
matching said selected surfaces of said two dimensional image to surfaces of said transformed image to identify said object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a method and apparatus for recognizing physical objects, such as targets, through three dimensional image sensing. A three dimensional sensor, such as a solid-state LADAR sensor, is utilized to establish a three dimensional image of an object or target. The target will be identified or recognized in reference to a two dimensional digital representation of the object taken from a first eye point. A sensor field of view anticipated to include the object will be transformed such that sensed data is viewed from the perspective of the eye point from which the reference image was established. Selected surfaces or contours of the two dimensional image and the transformed image are then compared to identify the object or target in question.
63 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of recognizing a selected physical object through three dimensional image sensing, comprising the steps of:
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identifying selected surfaces of said object from a two dimensional image of said object, said two dimensional image established from a first eye point; actuating a sensor to establish a three dimensional image of said object, said sensor defining a second eye point from which said three dimensional image is sensed; transforming said sensed three dimensional image to form a transformed image of said object, as sensed portions of said object would be viewed from said first eye point; and matching said selected surfaces of said two dimensional image to surfaces of said transformed image to identify said object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 17)
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6. A method of target identification for use with air-conveyed weapons, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a two dimensional image on said target, said two dimensional image established from a first eye point; establishing a three dimensional image of an area which includes said target, and said three dimensional image established through use of a LADAR sensor, said three dimensional image established from a second eye point; transforming said three dimensional sensed image to an image configured as if said three dimensional sensed image had been established from said first eye point; and matching said transformed image to said two dimensional image to identify said target. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of target identification for use in effecting the guidance of an air-conveyed weapon, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a digital representation of said target, said digital representation established from a first eye point; actuating a LADAR sensor in said weapon to establish a three dimensional image of an area which includes said target, said three dimensional image established from a second eye point; transforming said three dimensional sensed image to a transformed image generally depicting the sensed data of said area including said target as such sensed data would have been sensed from said first eye point; matching said transformed image to said reference image to identify said target; and generating an error signal, said error signal communicated to the guidance system of said weapon for controlling the course of said weapon. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification