Network for transmission of broad-band signals

• US 6,907,241 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Hamlin, Derrick John
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US09/961,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455430-431, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/18, 455/427, 725 62- 66, 725 74- 76, 701 13- 14, 348143-144, 348/148, 340/506, 340/539.1, 340945-948
• US Class Current: 455/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Airborne units (2) acquire images as electronic signals either directly or indirectly from first ground based units (2a) and transmit them by broad band radio to second ground based units (3, 4), either directly or indirectly via second airborne units (1), which units (3, 4) record the received image signals for a period of time sufficient to permit a section of the received image to be selected by narrow bandwidth means (5, 6).

Claims

1. A closed circuit television network including at least one first ground based unit having narrow bandwidth signal transmission and broad bandwidth radio receiving equipment, at least one first airborne vehicle having broad bandwidth radio transmitting equipment and means for acquiring, either directly or indirectly, images as electronic image signals, and at least one second ground based unit having broad bandwidth radio receiving and recording equipment for receiving and recording the electronic image signals from said at least one first airborne vehicle and for receiving and recording a narrow bandwidth signal from said at least one first ground based unit, which at least one second ground based unit is operable to select images from the recorded electronic image signals according to the narrow bandwidth signal received from said at least one first ground based unit.

2. A network according to claim 1, including at least one second airborne vehicle having broad bandwidth radio transmitting and receiving equipment for receiving by radio said electronic image signals from said at least one first airborne vehicle and for relaying the received electronic signals to the at least one second ground based unit.

3. A network according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first airborne vehicle has means, including sensors, for directly acquiring images as electronic signals.

4. A network according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first ground based unit has means, including sensors, for directly acquiring images as electronic signals.

5. A network according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one first ground based unit and at least one second ground based unit includes an image analyser for selecting desired signals from the receiving electronic image signals.

6. A network according to claim 1, wherein said at least one first ground based unit includes a local image analyser for selecting desired signals from the received electronic image signals.

7. A network according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one first ground based unit and at least one second ground based unit include narrow bandwidth communication means for receiving and transmitting electronic image signals therebetween.