Mosaic image collector including an embedded atomic clock

• US 7,773,126 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yacoby, Fred, Lee, Paul P., Gardner, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoder, III; Chriss S
• Application Number:
  US11/441,936
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36, 348/38, 348/143, 348/144, 348/145, 348/147, 348/159, 348/231.5, 348/239, 382/284, 382/294
• US Class Current: 348/231.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

An imaging system includes a camera having a lens and a focal planar array (FPA) for capturing at least one image frame having a plurality of sub-image frames. Each sub-image frame includes multiple pixel values corresponding to photonic intensities of the captured image frame. An embedded atomic clock (EAC) is integrated in one single unit with the camera for providing time code data. A multiplexer combines the multiple pixel values of one sub-image frame with the time code data, and an input/output module provides both, the time code data and the multiple pixel values of the sub-image frame as an output data stream.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising

a camera including a lens and a focal planar array (FPA) for capturing at least one image frame having a plurality of sub-image frames, wherein each sub-image frame includes multiple pixel values corresponding to photonic intensities of the captured image frame, wherein the captured image frame is an image frame having a number of rows of pixel data that is the same as a number of rows of pixel data defined by the FPA,

an embedded atomic clock (EAC) integrated in one single unit with the camera for providing time code data,

a multiplexer for combining the multiple pixel values of each of the sub-image frames with the time code data, and

an input/output module integrated in the one single unit for providing both, the time code data and the multiple pixel values of each of the sub-image frames as an output signal from the one single unit,

wherein the output signal includes a sequence of a first time code data with a first sub-image frame and a second time code data with a second sub-image frame, and

the first and second sub-image frames defined, respectively, by a first predetermined number of rows of pixel data and a second predetermined number of rows of pixel data, the first and second predetermined number of rows of pixel data forming a number of rows of pixel data that are less than or equal to the number of rows of pixel data defined by the FPA, and

the first and second time code data correspond to times of capture of the first and second sub-image frames, respectively.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein

the input/output module includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for outputting a digital data stream of both, the time code data and the multiple pixel values of each of the sub-image frames.

3. The imaging system of claim 2 wherein

the input/output module is configured to output the digital data stream including an alternating sequence of the time code data and the multiple pixel values of each corresponding sub-image frame of the plurality of sub-image frames.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein

the EAC and the FPA are disposed within the one single unit.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein

the EAC and the FPA are disposed on one single substrate within the one single unit.

6. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein

the EAC is a chip-scale atomic clock.

7. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein

the time code data includes at least two time stamps, and

the multiplexer is configured to combine the multiple pixel values of each of the sub-image frames with the at least two time stamps.

8. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein

each of the sub-image frames includes a portion of the captured image frame, so that at least two sub-image frames comprise the captured image frame, and

each of the sub-image frames is multiplexed with a different time code data.

9. A method of imaging an object comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing a plurality of pixel values representing a plurality of image frames using an FPA of at least one camera;

(b) receiving multiple time stamps from an EAC,

(c) combining, in alternating sequence, (1) pixel values representing a predetermined number of rows of pixel values of the image frames captured in step (a) and (2) the multiple time stamps received in step (b); and

(d) outputting as a data stream, the combined alternating sequence of the predetermined number of rows of pixel values and time stamps;

wherein the predetermined number of rows of pixel values are less than the number of rows of pixel data defined by the FPA, and

each time stamp corresponds to the time of capture of an adjacent predetermined number of rows of pixel values within the data stream.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of:

(e) mosaicing the pixel values representing image frames, based on the time stamps outputted in step (d).

11. The method of claim 9 including the step of:

(e) storing the data stream outputted in step (d) for subsequent mosaicing of image frames, based on the time stamps outputted in step (d).

12. The method of claim 9 wherein

step (a) includes capturing a plurality of pixel values representing a plurality of image frames using a FPA disposed in each of at least two cameras;

step (b) includes receiving multiple time stamps from an EAC disposed in each of the at least two cameras;

step (c) includes combining, in alternating sequence, (1) the pixel values representing each of the image frames captured in step (a) from a respective camera with (2) the multiple time stamps received in step (b) from the respective camera; and

step (d) includes outputting as a data stream, the combined alternating sequence of pixel values and time stamps from each of the at least two cameras.

13. The method of claim 9 including the step of:

mosaicing the pixel values representing image frames from each of the at least two cameras, based on the time stamps outputted in step (d).