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US 2021/0148705 A1Published application
Real-time satellite imaging system
OwnerFranklin H. Williams, JR.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for Real-time Satellite Imaging System (10) are disclosed. More particularly, one embodiment of the present invention an imaging sensor (14) on a geostationary satellite having one or more co-collimated telescopes (18). The telescopes (18) illuminate focal planes (22) which are sparsely populated with focal plane arrays (24). The focal plane arrays (24) record the entire observable Earth hemisphere at one time, at least once every ten seconds, or more often.
Claims19
An apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor;
- said image sensor including a plurality of co-collimated telescopes;
- said co-collimated telescopes being configured to produce a plurality of images of the same field of view;
- said image sensor being carried aboard a satellite in geostationary orbit;
- said image sensor being configured to be pointed generally toward Earth;
- said image sensor including a focal plane;
- said focal plane including a plurality of focal plane arrays;
- said focal plane arrays being configured to produce a plurality of data;
- said focal plane arrays being sparsely populated upon said focal plane of each of said co-collimated telescopes;
- said plurality of data including of a plurality of images of a generally entire visible hemisphere of the surface of the Earth;
- said plurality of data providing persistent imaging of said generally entire visible hemisphere of the surface of the Earth;
- said plurality of images each being captured as full images substantially simultaneously;
- said plurality of images each having resolutions that correspond with an image at nadir having at least one hundred meter resolution.
10 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor;
- said image sensor including a telescope;
- said telescope being configured to produce an image of the field of view;
- said image sensor including an electrically reactive high index of refraction material plate;
- said image sensor including a sensor image control element;
- said sensor image control element including a voltage control element;
- said voltage control element being configured to apply a plurality of different voltages across said electrically reactive high index of refraction material plate;
- said electrically reactive high index of refraction material plate altering the direction of a plurality of light rays illuminating each of said plurality of focal plane arrays;
- said image sensor being carried aboard a satellite in geostationary orbit;
- said image sensor being configured to be pointed generally toward Earth;
- said image sensor including a focal plane;
- said focal plane including a focal plane array;
- said focal plane array being configured to produce a plurality of data;
- said plurality of data providing persistent imaging of at least a portion of said generally visible hemisphere of the surface of the Earth;
- said image being captured as a full image substantially simultaneously;
- said plurality of images each having resolutions that correspond with an image at nadir having a resolution of at least hundred meters
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.