Multiplexed multi-view scanning aerial cameras
AssigneeNearmap Australia Pty Ltd.
InventorPaul Lapstun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scanning camera for capturing images along two or more curved scan paths, the scanning camera comprising a camera assembly associated with each scan path, each camera assembly comprising an image sensor and a lens; a scanning mirror; and a drive coupled to the scanning mirror; wherein the drive is operative to rotate the scanning mirror about a spin axis according to a spin angle; the spin axis is tilted relative to each camera optical axis; the scanning mirror is tilted relative to the spin axis and each camera optical axis; the scanning mirror is positioned to reflect an imaging beam into each lens in turn; and each image sensor is operative to capture each image along a respective one of the scan paths by sampling the imaging beam at a corresponding spin angle.
Claims20
A scanning camera for capturing a set of images along at least two curved scan paths on an object plane within an area of interest, each image of the set of images associated with a viewing angle and a viewing direction relative to the object plane, the scanning camera comprising:
- at least one camera assembly associated with a scan path and comprising an image sensor and a lens, the at least one camera assembly having a respective camera optical axis;
- a scanning mirror;
- and
- a drive coupled to the scanning mirror and configured to rotate the scanning mirror about a spin axis according to a spin angle,
- wherein
- the scanning mirror is configured to reflect an imaging beam on a path towards the image sensor, a viewing angle and a viewing direction of the imaging being relative to the object plane varying with the spin angle and a pointing direction of the camera optical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.