Sensor shift for remote sensing
AssigneeDigitalGlobe, Inc.
InventorVictor Solanyk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for improving the quality of images captured by a remote sensing overhead platform such as a satellite. Sensor shifting is employed in an open-loop fashion to compensate for relative motion of the remote sensing overhead platform to the Earth. Control signals are generated for the sensor shift mechanism by an orbital motion compensation calculation that uses the predicted ephemeris (including orbit dynamics) and image geometry (overhead platform to target). Optionally, the calculation may use attitude and rate errors that are determined from on-board sensors.
Claims15
A remote sensing platform for imaging an area spaced apart from the remote sensing platform, the remote sensing platform comprising:
- a remote sensing platform body;
- an image sensor positioned on the remote sensing platform body and that moves in a first plane relative to the remote sensing platform body and including relative to movement of the remote sensing platform body, wherein the first plane is an x-y plane and the movement of the image sensor within the first plane is in response to and controlled by control signals;
- a controller that provides the control signals for movement of the image sensor relative to the remote sensing platform body, the control signals being based on movement of the remote sensing platform body relative to the area to be imaged, wherein, during image capture, the image sensor is movable by the control signals in the first plane relative to the remote sensing platform body and thereby including relative to movement of the remote sensing platform body in each one of and in any combination of along a straight line within the first plane, along a curved line within the first plane, and a rotational movement within the first plane;
- wherein the image sensor is an area array image sensor having a quantity of rows of pixels that is at least one-tenth of a quantity of pixels in each row of pixels;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to move the image sensor through a sequence of positions within the first plane such that the image sensor captures an image of the same area in each of the positions.
A method for imaging an area spaced apart from a remote sensing platform, the method comprising:
- calculating, by a controller, a desirable movement pattern of an image sensor of the remote sensing platform relative to the area to be imaged based on movement of the remote sensing platform relative to the area to be imaged, the desirable movement pattern corresponding to the image sensor being movable during image capture and in a first plane relative to a remote sensing platform body and including relative to movement of the remote sensing platform body, wherein the first plane is an x-y plane and the image sensor is movable within the first plane in each one of and in any combination of along a straight line within the first plane, along a curved line within the first plane, and a rotational movement within the first plane;
- controlling, by the controller, the image sensor to move along the desirable movement pattern within the first plane;
- wherein the image sensor is an area array image sensor having a quantity of rows of pixels that is at least one-tenth of a quantity of pixels in each row of pixels;
- and
- wherein the controlling comprises moving the image sensor through a sequence of positions within the first plane such that the image sensor captures an image of the same area in each of the positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.