US 5,604,534 A · Direct digital airborne panoramic camera system and method

Abstract

An airborne direct digital panoramic camera system and method in which an in-line electro-optical sensor eliminates the need for photographic film and film transport apparatus normally associated with prior art airborne reconnaissance cameras and yet still retains the very high image resolution quality which is so important in intelligence operations and commercial geographic information systems (GIS), mapping and other remote sensing applications. The system provides a simpler, more efficient and less costly panoramic camera by utilizing a lens in conjunction with the electro-optical line array sensor wherein the lens can be simpler and less expensive than a framing camera because it essentially requires quality focus in only one dimension and by eliminating the burden and delay necessitated in film processing and development. The massive amounts of digital data generated by the camera are compressed and any motion or panoramic errors are easily correctable in the digital data, while such errors were nearly impossible to correct in a cost effective fashion from film images. The compressed digital image data may be stored and retrieved later for utilization in computer type networks or alternatively can be transmitted from the aircraft to a ground station for prompt utilization.

Claims42

Dependent claims

In a direct digital airborne whisk broom-type panoramic camera having an optical system for focusing a ground area to be imaged onto a focal plane, image motion compensation means for correcting aircraft motion during camera operation, a rockably mounted sensor arm for housing a lens and optical train, drive means for moving said sensor arm across the line of flight of the aircraft during camera operation, the improvement comprising:

electro-optical multi-port line array sensor means for converting images of said ground area to be imaged into analog electric image signals having an analog initial image data rate in the order of 150 to 450 million pixel signals per second,
means for fixedly mounting said electro-optical sensor means on said sensing arm at the focal plane of the camera,
image signal processing means for digitizing said analog image signals,
data compression means for compressing said digitized image signals, and
memory means for storing said compressed digitized image signals whereby the overall image data rate is substantially reduced before storage.

2 more elements

A method for generating and processing remote image data from a direct digital air-borne panoramic camera having a predetermined frame and picture cycle time of operation comprising the steps of:

generating analog image signals by exposing a multi-output port line array of pixel elements having in the order of 8 to 16 output data ports to illumination from an area to be imaged,
converting said analog image signals into digital image signals,
first reducing the output data rate of said digital image signals as a function of the frame cycle time and picture cycle time of said camera operations,
further reducing the rate of said digital image data by subjecting the digital data to a compression algorithm process, and recording the compressed digital data in a digital memory device whereby the image data rate is substantially reduced before storage.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Direct digital airborne panoramic camera system and method

Life of this patent

Direct digital airborne panoramic camera system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42