Method and system for parallactically synced acquisition of images about common target

A method for linked targeting of a subject of interest by a plurality of imaging devices disposed at mutually displaced positions, the method comprising:

• establishing at least first and second imaging devices respectively defining first and second fields of view;
• actuating the first imaging device to capture a first image bounded by the first field of view, with the first field of view disposed at a first angular orientation for predetermined targeting alignment with the subject of interest, a portion of the first image being extracted as a target image corresponding to the subject of interest;
• setting the second imaging device to angularly orient the second field of view thereof based on the first angular orientation;
• actuating the second imaging device to capture a second image bounded by the second field of view;
• and,
• executing target selection processing upon the second image to adaptively link the target image to a corresponding portion of the second image, the target selection processing detecting appearance of the subject of interest within the second image responsive to a target feature finder operation based on the target image;
• wherein the target feature finder operation includes:
• generating a reference Difference of Gaussian (DoG) for at least one portion of the second image and a target DoG for the target image;
• cross-correlating the reference and target DoG's for a predefined set of computational scale spaces and octaves;
• summing the cross-correlations generated for each of the computational scale spaces and octaves;
• and,
• determining a maximum value of the summed cross-correlations to represent a most likely appearance location for the target of interest within the second image.

A method for parallactically aligned targeting of a subject of interest by a plurality of imaging devices disposed at mutually displaced positions, the method comprising:

• establishing a lead imaging device and at least one guided imaging device respectively at mutually displaced imaging positions;
• actuating the lead imaging device to acquire a target image corresponding to the subject of interest disposed at a predetermined relative position within a field of view thereof;
• actuating the guided imaging device to acquire a reference image with the subject of interest appearing within a field of view thereof;
• executing in a processer a target feature finder to detect the subject of interest within the reference image, the target feature finder comparatively processing image features of the target and reference images acquired by the lead and guided imaging devices;
• actuating at least one of the lead and guided imaging devices to acquire at least one subsequent reference image;
• acquiring an angular orientation measurement of the guided imaging device field of view relative to a known reference point when the subsequent reference image is acquired, to thereby guide angular adjustment of the guided imaging device field of view and thereby dispose the subject of interest at a predetermined relative position within the guided imaging device field of view;
• and
• compensating for offset in instantaneous orientation of the target and reference images respectively captured by the lead and guided imaging devices.

A method for linked imaging of a common target by a plurality of imaging devices disposed at mutually displaced positions, the method comprising:

• establishing at least first and second imaging devices respectively defining first and second fields of view (FOV);
• actuating the first imaging device to capture a first FOV image through the first field of view, the first field of view disposed responsive to an inertial measurement unit at a first angular orientation for predetermined targeting alignment with the subject of interest, a portion of the first FOV image being extracted as a target image corresponding to the subject of interest;
• adjusting the second imaging device to angularly orient the second field of view thereof according to at least one measurement of the inertial measurement unit;
• actuating the second imaging device to capture a second FOV image through the second field of view;
• and,
• executing target selection processing upon the second FOV image to adaptively link the target image to a corresponding portion of the second FOV image, the target selection processing including a target feature finder operation to detect appearance of the subject of interest within the second FOV image;
• wherein the target selection processing compensates for offset in instantaneous orientation of the first and second FOV images respectively captured by the first and second imaging devices.

A system for linked targeting of a subject of interest by a plurality of imaging devices disposed at mutually displaced positions, the system comprising:

• a plurality of imaging devices including at least:
• a first imaging device defining a first field of view, the first imaging device capturing a first image bounded by the first field of view, with the first field of view disposed at a first angular orientation for predetermined targeting alignment with the subject of interest, a portion of the first image being extracted as a target image corresponding to the subject of interest, and
• a second imaging device defining a second field of view, the second imaging device set to angularly orient the second field of view thereof based on the first angular orientation, and capturing a second image bounded by the second field of view;
• and
• a target feature finder module executing target selection processing upon the second image to adaptively link the target image to a corresponding portion of the second image, the target selection processing detecting appearance of the subject of interest within the second image responsive to a target feature finder operation based on the target image;
• wherein the target selection processing compensates for offset in instantaneous orientation of the first and second images respectively captured by the first and second imaging devices.

A system for linked targeting of a subject of interest by a plurality of imaging devices disposed at mutually displaced positions, the system comprising:

• a plurality of imaging devices including at least:
• a first imaging device defining a first field of view, the first imaging device capturing a first image bounded by the first field of view, with the first field of view disposed at a first angular orientation for predetermined targeting alignment with the subject of interest, a portion of the first image being extracted as a target image corresponding to the subject of interest, and
• a second imaging device defining a second field of view, the second imaging device set to angularly orient the second field of view thereof based on the first angular orientation, and capturing a second image bounded by the second field of view;
• and
• a target feature finder module executing target selection processing upon the second image to adaptively link the target image to a corresponding portion of the second image, the target selection processing detecting appearance of the subject of interest within the second image responsive to a target feature finder operation based on the target image;
• wherein the target feature finder operation includes:
• generating a reference Difference of Gaussian (DoG) for at least one portion of the second image and a target DoG for the target image;
• cross-correlating the reference and target DoG's for a predefined set of computational scale spaces and octaves;
• summing the cross-correlations generated for each of the computational scale spaces and octaves;
• and,
• determining a maximum value of the summed cross-correlations to represent a most likely appearance location for the target of interest within the second image.