Harmonic shutter resolver algorithm for multimode seeker
AssigneeRosemount Aerospace Inc.
InventorOwen Daniel Evans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multimode seeker includes an imager and an image processor. The imager is configured to capture image data received by the multimode seeker during a search period and a track period, wherein the search period includes a plurality of search cycles, and wherein a duration of each of the plurality of search cycles is equal to a predetermined pulse period plus a predetermined drift period. The image processor is configured to detect at least one laser candidate based upon the image data and to track the least one candidate laser during the track period.
Claims14
A method of detecting laser pulses having a predetermined pulse period by a multimode seeker, the method comprising:
- capturing image data, by the multimode seeker, during a search period, wherein the search period includes a plurality of search cycles, and wherein a duration of each of the plurality of search cycle is equal to the predetermined pulse period plus a predetermined drift period, including
- executing a plurality of search expose cycles at a predetermined duty cycle, each of the plurality of search expose cycles including a search expose pulse during which the image data is captured and a dark time during which the image data is not captured;
- detecting, from the image data, at least one laser candidate, including
- performing, by an image processor, a peak-to-side-lobe analysis for the image data of each of the plurality of expose cycles;
- and
- determining the at least one candidate laser pulse based upon the peak-to-side-lobe analysis of the image data;
- and
- tracking, by the multimode seeker, the at least one candidate laser during a track period including evaluating, by an image processor, the at least one candidate laser;
- and
- locking, by the multimode seeker, the at least one candidate laser as a tracked laser.
A multimode seeker comprising:
- an imager configured to capture image data received by the multimode seeker during a search period and a track period, wherein the search period includes a plurality of search cycles, and wherein a duration of each of the plurality of search cycles is equal to a predetermined pulse period plus a predetermined drift period and wherein the search period includes plurality of search expose cycles executed at a predetermined duty cycle, and wherein each of the plurality of search expose cycles includes a search expose pulse during which the image data is captured by the imager and a dark time during which the image data is not captured by the imager;
- and
- an image processor configured to detect at least one laser candidate based upon the image data and to track the at least one candidate laser during the track period and to perform a peak-to-side-lobe analysis on the image data of each of the plurality of expose cycles and detect the at least one candidate laser pulse based upon the peak-to-side-lobe analysis of the image data, wherein the track period includes an evaluation period and a synchronized period, wherein the image processor is configured to evaluate the at least one candidate laser pulse during the evaluation period and to lock the at least one candidate laser as a tracked laser during the synchronized period.
The multimode seeker 11, wherein the image processor is configured to execute a set of synchronized expose cycles during the synchronized period, and wherein each of the synchronized expose cycle includes at least two synchronized expose pulses and at least one synchronized dark time between the at least two synchronized expose pulses, and wherein the image processor is configured to determine that the candidate laser is at an edge of one of the at least two synchronized expose pulse and adjust a subsequent one of the at least one synchronized cycles if the candidate laser pulse is at the edge of the one of the at least two synchronized expose pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.