Detecting objects in obscured environments via speckle correlation
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorAlan Heins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for provided for determining the presence of an object within a region of interest. A broadband laser is projected at a selected location in the region of interest. Reflected light from the selected location in the region of interest is received at a receiver. The received light is dispersed by wavelength across a first axis at a dispersive element. The received light is dispersed by return angle across a second axis at a defocuser. The received light is imaged to provide an image, and a metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle is measured in the image to determine the presence of the object.
Claims20
A method for determining the presence of an object within a region of interest, comprising:
- projecting a broadband laser at a selected location in the region of interest;
- receiving reflected light from the selected location in the region of interest at a receiver;
- dispersing the received light by wavelength across a first axis at a dispersive element;
- dispersing the received light by return angle across a second axis at a defocuser;
- imaging the received light to provide an image;
- measuring a metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the image to determine the presence of the object;
- and
- alerting an operator if it is determined that the object is present in the region of interest.
A system for determining the presence of an object within a region of interest, comprising:
- a broadband laser that projects light at a selected location in the region of interest;
- a receiver that receives reflected light from the selected location in the region of interest, the receiver comprising:
- a dispersive element that disperses the received light by wavelength across a first axis;
- a defocuser that disperses the received light by return angle across a second axis;
- an imager that images the received light to provide an image;
- and
- an image analysis component that measures a metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the image to determine the presence of the object, the image analysis component determining that an object is present if the metric exceeds a threshold value.
A method for determining the presence of an object within a region of interest, comprising:
- projecting a broadband laser at a selected location in the region of interest;
- receiving reflected light from the selected location in the region of interest at a receiver;
- dispersing the received light by wavelength across a first axis at a dispersive element;
- dispersing the received light by return angle across a second axis at a defocuser;
- imaging the received light to provide an image;
- and
- measuring a metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the image to determine the presence of the object;
- wherein measuring the metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the image to determine the presence of the object comprises determining a coefficient of multiple correlation of the return angle and the wavelength on an intensity of the reflected light in the image.
A method for determining the presence of an object within a region of interest, comprising:
- projecting a broadband laser at a selected location in the region of interest;
- receiving reflected light from the selected location in the region of interest at a receiver;
- dispersing the received light by wavelength across a first axis at a dispersive element;
- dispersing the received light by return angle across a second axis at a defocuser;
- imaging the received light to provide an image;
- and
- measuring a metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the image to determine the presence of the object;
- wherein measuring the metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the image to determine the presence of the object comprises determining a correlation length between the return angle and the wavelength in the image.
A method for determining the presence of an object within a region of interest, comprising:
- projecting a broadband laser at a selected location in the region of interest;
- receiving reflected light from the selected location in the region of interest at a receiver;
- dispersing the received light by wavelength across a first axis at a dispersive element;
- dispersing the received light by return angle across a second axis at a defocuser;
- imaging the received light to provide a first image;
- measuring a first metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the first image to determine the presence of the object;
- selecting a new location in the region of interest;
- projecting the broadband laser at the new location;
- receiving reflected light from the new location in the region of interest at the receiver;
- dispersing the received light from the new location by wavelength across the first axis at the dispersive element;
- dispersing the received light from the new location by return angle across the second axis at the defocuser;
- imaging the received light from the new location to provide a second image;
- and
- measuring a second metric representing a correlation between the wavelength and the return angle in the second image to determine the presence of the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.