US 11,455,742 B2 · Imaging systems including real-time target-acquisition and triangulation features and human-machine interfaces therefor

Abstract

Imaging systems that automatically calculate, in real time, relative locations of acquired targets relative to datum targets. In some embodiments, an imaging system of this disclosure can be instantiated as a handheld imaging device having a live-view imaging system or a thermal imaging system, or both. Some embodiments include a ranging system that fires upon the release of a hard button to minimize movement of the imaging system during target acquisition. Some embodiments include speed estimating and/or time of arrival estimating features. Some embodiments can communicate with an external device, such as a central controller device. A central controller device of this disclosure may include triangulation, speed estimating, and/or time of arrival estimating features. Some embodiments of a central control device may allow users to set up and make mission assignments. Some embodiments allow sharing of data among devices, in some cases only on a mission-by-mission basis.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

an imaging system that includes:
a live-view imaging system configured to display a live-view image of a scene to a user;
a target-acquisition system configured so that the user can acquire a spatial location of a first target in the scene while viewing the live-view image;
a triangulation system configured to:
allow the user to make the first target a triangulation target;
allow the user to identify a datum target having a spatial location;
and
calculate a difference between the spatial locations of the datum target and the triangulation target;
and
a display system configured to display the difference in real time,
wherein the triangulation system is configured so that the user identifies the datum target by selecting the datum target from a list of targets.

8 more elements

A system, comprising:

an imaging system that includes:
a live-view imaging system configured to display a live-view image of a scene to a user,
a target-acquistion system configured so that the user can acquire a spatial location of a first target in the scene while viewing the live-view image;
a triangulation system configured to:
allow the user to make the first target a triangulation target,
allow the user to identify a datum target having a spatial location;
and
calculate a difference between the spatial locations of the datum target and the triangulation target;
and
a display system configured to display the difference in real time;
wherein the imaging system is a handheld imaging device containing each of the live-view imaging system, the target-acquistion system, the triangulation system, and the output device;
wherein the system further comprises a human-machine interface (HMI) system that includes a plurality of user-actuatable controls, wherein each of the live-view imaging system, the target-acquistion system, and triangulation system is configured so as to be user controlled via the user-actuatable controls;
wherein the HMI system is configured so that the triangulation system is engaged in response to a first user-actuation of a first user-actuatable control of the plurality of user-actuatable controls, and, when the user engages the triangulation system by actuating the first user-actuated control, the triangulation system makes the first target the datum target;
wherein the HMI system is configured so that a second user-actuation of the first user-actuated control sequentially following the first user-actuation engages the target-acquisition system to allow the user to acquire the spatial coordinates of the first target;
wherein the triangulation system is configured to calculate the difference between the spatial locations of the datum target and the triangulation target automatically after the target-acquisition system acquires the first target, and
wherein the HMI system is configured so that a third user-actuation of the first user-actuated control sequentially following the second user-actuation causes the triangulation system to use the first target as the datum target.

13 more elements

A system, comprising:

an imaging system that includes:
a live-view imaging system configured to display a live-view image of a scene to a user,
a target-acquistion system configured so that the user can acquire a spatial location of a first target in the scene while viewing the live-view image;
a triangulation system configured to:
allow the user to make the first target a triangulation target,
allow the user to identify a datum target having a spatial location;
and
calculate a difference between the spatial locations of the datum target and the triangulation target;
and
a display system configured to display the difference in real time;
wherein the imaging system is a handheld imaging device containing each of the live-view imaging system, the target-acquisiton system, the triangulation system, and the output device;
and
wherein the imaging system is a handheld imaging device containing each of the live-view imaging system, the target-acquistion system, the triangulation system, and the output device;
and
wherein the imaging system includes a visual display system comprising a visual display having a live-view-image region and an information-display region, the live-view-image region provided to display the live-view image, and the information-display region provided to display spatial location data for each of the first, triangulation, and datum targets.

12 more elements

A system, comprising:

an imaging system that includes:
a live-view imaging system configured to display a live-view image of a scene to a user,
a target-acquistion system configured so that the user can acquire a spatial location of a first target in the scene while viewing the live-view image;
a triangulation system configured to:
allow the user to make the first target a triangulation target,
allow the user to identify a datum target having a spatial location;
and
calculate a difference between the spatial locations of the datum target and the triangulation target;
and
a display system configured to display the difference in real time;
the system further comprising:
a central controller device that includes:
an electronic display;
at least one microprocessor;
a communications system operatively configured to communicate with one or more external devices and in operative communication with the at least one microprocessor;
a memory in operative communication with the at least one microprocessor, the memory containing machine-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor:
display on the display a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays a map and a plurality of targets acquired by at least one of the one or more external devices;
allow the user to select one of the targets as a datum target;
allow the user to select one of the targets as a triangulation target;
calculates a difference between the spatial locations of the datum target and the triangulation target;
and
display the difference on the electronic display via the GUI.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Imaging systems including real-time target-acquisition and triangulation features and human-machine interfaces therefor

Life of this patent

Imaging systems including real-time target-acquisition and triangulation features and human-machine interfaces therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims37