US 4,405,943 A · Low bandwidth closed loop imagery control and communication system for remotely piloted vehicle

Abstract

In a video imaging and transmission system, the entire field of view of camera equipment aboard a remotely piloted vehicle is imaged as high resolution data. This high resolution data is digitized and stored in memory aboard the remote vehicle. In order to reduce the bandwidth of the information which is to be transmitted to a ground-based operator, only a selected portion of the stored high resolution data, corresponding to the output of oculometer and head position equipment that monitors the operator's look angle at a display, is read out from memory and transmitted as high resolution data. The remaining portion of the image provided on the operator's display is comprised of low resolution data derived from the high resolution data stored in memory. Because the high resolution data is obtained from memory and not from the camera equipment directly, the camera is effectively decoupled from the data link. As such, the system permits the camera to be a single movable sensor or an array of multiple fixed sensors. It also substantially increases the speed of operation of the system.

Claims47

Dependent claims

A system for displaying, at a local station a high resolution image of a portion of scene optically imaged at a remote station comprising:

at said remote station,
a memory;
first means for generating high resolution data representative of said optically imaged scene to be displayed and storing said data in said memory;
second means for selectively accessing said memory to read out therefrom a first portion of said data as high resolution image information and a second portion of said data as low resolution image information;
and
third means for transmitting signals corresponding to said first portion of said data containing said high resolution image information and said second portion of said data containing said low resolution image information to said local station;
and
at said local station,
fourth means for generating signals representative of a prescribed portion of said scene for which a high resolution image is to be displayed;
and
fifth means for transmitting signals representative of the signals generated by said fourth means to said remote station to cause said second means to selectively access said memory to read out therefrom as high resolution image information that portion of said data corresponding to said prescribed portion of said scene.

8 more elements

A system for displaying, at a local station, a high resolution image of a portion of scene optically imaged at a remote station comprising:

at said remote station,
a memory;
first means for generating high resolution data representative of said optically imaged scene to be displayed and storing said data in said memory;
second means for selectively accessing said memory to read out therefrom a first portion of said data as high resolution image information and a second portion of said data as low resolution image information;
and
third means for transmitting signals corresponding to said first portion of said data containing said high resolution image information and said second portion of said data containing said low resolution image information to said local station;
and
at said local station,
display means for visually displaying the images representative of said first and second portions of said data;
fourth means for sensing the location on said display means the visual observation by the operator and, in response thereto, generating signals identifying that portion as requiring high resolution image information;
and
fifth means for transmitting signals representative of the signals generated by said fourth means to said remote station to cause said second means to selectively access said memory to read out therefrom as high resolution image information that portion of said data corresponding to said prescribed portion of said scene.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Low bandwidth closed loop imagery control and communication system for remotely piloted vehicle

Life of this patent

Low bandwidth closed loop imagery control and communication system for remotely piloted vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims47