Apparatus and method for simultaneous plural-view image sequences from a single image sensor

• US 9,041,898 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arete Associates
• Original Assignee: Arete Associates
• Inventors: Kane, David, Hillman, Kelly, Hornberg, Christopher, Hunt, John, Paul, Andrew E., Reilly, Tom, Eason, Paul, Pittner, Tony, Selwyn, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C
• Application Number:
  US12/661,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 352/39, 352/44, 348/106, 348/105, 348/107, 348/143, 348144-147
• US Class Current: 352/39
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/025 by scanning the object
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/105 with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1821 for rotating or oscillating mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/177 the unit being a group of pictures [GOP]

Abstract

Simultaneous movies of plural portions of a scene are acquired and shown, using one imager with electrooptical directing device to acquire, stepwise, an interleaved (e. g. alternating) sequence of subscene images. Apparatus is ideally in a vehicle: airborne or unmanned, or both. The invention records and transmits (via one data link, with no needed parallel path) the sequence as one image series; best sorts the received sequence into noninterleaved sequences, a separate sequence for each subscene; and shows these as movies. Alternatively, scene portions form a mosaic. Including gyro operation and pointing, the device best gets a new image roughly each 5 to 40 msec or less; or excluding gyros and pointing, 5 to 40 msec by FSM, 1 to 5 by MEMS, 1 to 5 (or 10) by LC, 1 by 2-axis nongimbal scanner and 0.1 to 0.2 by digigimbal. Subscene direction and focal changes best synchronize with frame reception. FSMs best have refractory bearings and electromagnetic pointing.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring and displaying substantially simultaneous motion-picture images of plural portions of a scene, using substantially only a single imaging sensor and a fast electrooptical directing device;

said method comprising the steps of;

automatically operating the fast electrooptical directing device, stepwise, to acquire an interleaved sequence of plural subscene images, thereby subdividing the scene into the plural subscene images;

recording the interleaved sequence, as a single series of images, for subsequent use;

transmitting the interleaved sequence, as a single series of images, via only a single data link with no required parallel path, for subsequent use;

automatically sorting the recorded single interleaved image sequence into corresponding plural noninterleaved separate sequences of images, including substantially a separate sequence for each subscene; and

separately displaying each of the plural separate sequences respective motion-picture images of the subscenes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the operating step comprises operating the fast electrooptical directing device to yield a new image, for interleaving, approximately each five to forty milliseconds or faster.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fast electrooptical directing device is a fast scan mirror with refractory bearings (“

FSM”

), wherein;

the operating step comprises operating the FSM to direct to the sensor a new image, for interleaving, approximately each five to forty milliseconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fast electrooptical directing device is an electronically steered, high-speed windowing sensor (“

digital gimbal”

), wherein;

the operating step comprises operating the digital gimbal to direct to the sensor a new image, for interleaving, approximately each twenty-five to forty milliseconds or less.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fast electrooptical directing device is a microelectromechanical (“

MEMS”

) steering mirror or array, wherein;

the operating step comprises operating the MEMS steering mirror or array to direct to the sensor a new image, for interleaving, approximately each one to five milliseconds or less.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fast electrooptical directing device is a liquid-crystal beam-steering device, wherein:

the operating step comprises operating the liquid-crystal beam-steering device, to direct to the sensor a new image, for interleaving, approximately each one to five milliseconds or less.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fast electrooptical directing device is a gimbal-less two-axis fast scanning mirror, wherein:

the operating step comprises operating the gimbal-less two-axis fast scanning mirror to direct to the sensor a new image, for interleaving, approximately each one millisecond or less.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

there are two subscenes;

the operating step comprises subdividing the scene into a sequence of images, alternating between the two subscenes; and

the sorting step comprises sorting the alternating sequence into two nonalternating sequences, including a separate sequence for each subscene.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

there are “

n”

subscenes, n being a positive integer equal to two or greater;

the operating step comprises subdividing the image data into a sequence of images, stepping, in turn, among the n sub-scenes; and

the sorting step comprises sorting the interleaved image sequence into n noninterleaved image sequences, including a separate sequence for each subscene.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscenes are in mutually different viewing directions;

and further comprising the step of;

for each subscene, synchronizing each change of viewing direction with image frame reception by the stepping optical device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

for each subscene, synchronizing each change of viewing direction with a change in focal length as appropriate for distance to the subscene.

12. Apparatus for acquiring and displaying substantially simultaneous motion-picture images of plural portions of a scene;

said apparatus comprising;

substantially only a single imaging sensor;

at least one stepping device that is a fast electrooptical directing device to direct to the sensor plural subscene images from corresponding different viewing directions;

means for providing the subscene images, via a single data link with no required parallel path, as a single series of images;

means for automatically sorting the provided single series of images into corresponding plural noninterleaved separate sequences of images, including substantially a separate sequence for each subscene; and

means for separately displaying each of the plural separate sequences as respective motion-picture images of the sub-scenes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for introducing variation in focal length; and

means for operating the introducing means in synchronism with operation of the stepping optical device, as appropriate for distance to each new subscene.

14. Apparatus for acquiring and displaying substantially simultaneous motion-picture images of plural portions of a scene;

said apparatus comprising;

a single imaging sensor;

a fast image-directing device automatically addressed to successively different viewing directions, to intercept and direct to the sensor a series of successive images of, or successive signals representing images of, scene portions from said different viewing directions respectively;

wherein the sensor responds with a series of successive signals representing the successive images; and

means for mounting the sensor and device in a vehicle;

wherein the fast image-directing device directs to the sensor images for interleaving, and is selected from the group consisting of;

a fast scan mirror (“

FSM”

) to direct to the sensor a new image approximately each five to forty milliseconds or less,

an electronically steered, high-speed windowing sensor (“

digital gimbal”

) to direct to the sensor a new image approximately each one hundred to two hundred microseconds or less,

a microelectromechanical (“

MEMO”

) steering mirror or array, to direct to the sensor a new image approximately each one to five milliseconds or less,

a liquid-crystal beam-steering device having no moving parts, to direct to the sensor a new image approximately each one to five milliseconds or less, and

a gimbal-less two-axis fast scanning micromirror, to direct to the sensor a new image approximately each one millisecond or less.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means, responsive to the signals, for separately displaying each of the plural separate signal sequences from said sensor as respective motion-picture subscene images at the different directions.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said fast steering mirror has:

refractory bearings, and

electromagnetic controls for setting the viewing directions of the addressed device in successive frames.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for also forming a mosaic from the acquired scene portions.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the vehicle is an airborne vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the vehicle is unmanned.