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Method and system for increasing the size of the area scanned by an airborne electro-optic reconnaissance system in a given time

  • US 9,063,391 B2
  • Filed: 08/11/2011
  • Issued: 06/23/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An airborne reconnaissance system for use in an aircraft, comprising:

  • a. an optical unit for acquiring light rays from a portion of a terrain below the aircraft, said optical unit comprising a plurality of optical components positioned along an optical path and arranged to maneuver said light rays to produce at a focal plane an acquired image of the terrain portion, said acquired image at the focal plane having an area S several times larger than an area A of a focal plane array positioned at said focal plane;

    b. a gimbals unit for performing a continuous back and forth across-track scanning movement of a respective line of sight formed between said optical unit and the terrain below the aircraft;

    c. a first, back-scanning mirror along said optical path, for compensating for said continuous across track movement of the line of sight, said compensation being performed such that during each entire course of back or forth across track movement, a plurality of images of areas S fall and stabilize, each in its turn, on the focal plane;

    d. a second, along-track mirror also positioned along said optical path, which alternates, each time that an image of area S falls and stabilizes at the focal plane, between a plurality of distinct along track states, each state causing a different diversion of the light rays within said optical path thereby to impinge on said focal plane array another along-track section of said acquired image of area S; and

    e. capturing means for recording in each state of said along-track mirror the corresponding section of the terrain portion image impinged during said state on the focal plane array.

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