Network for transmission of broad-band signals

• US 20020056111A1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Hamlin, Derrick John
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/76
• 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 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 the first airborne vehicle and for receiving and recording, a narrow bandwidth signal from the first ground based unit, which second ground based unit is operable to select images from the recorded electronic image signals according to the narrow bandwidth signals received from the 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 signals from the 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 or each first airborne vehicle has means, including sensors, for directly acquiring images as electronic signals.

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

5. A network according to claim 1, wherein the ground based radio receiving, transmitting and recording unit includes an image analyser for selecting desired signals from the received electronic image signals.

6. A network according to claim 1, wherein the 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 the narrow bandwidth first ground based unit and the second ground based broad bandwidth receiving and recording unit include narrow bandwidth communication means for receiving and transmitting electronic image signals therebetween.