Method and system for spatial characterization of an imaging system

A configuration system comprising:

• a calibration target generation module which generates a plurality of sections of a spatially-characterized calibration target to be printed from a template, the sections being combinable to form the calibration target, the calibration target comprising a set of machine-readable and visually-identifiable landmarks and associated location-encoding marks which encode known locations of the landmarks, wherein the template provides for an automated update of the location-encoding marks for each subsequent section of the plurality of sections;
• an image acquisition module which acquires a plurality of test images of the printed calibration target from an associated image capture assembly to be spatially characterized;
• a landmark detection module which detects positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images;
• an information decoding module which detects the location-encoding marks in the acquired test images and decodes the locations of the landmarks from the detected location-encoding marks;
• a spatial characterization module which spatially characterizes the image capture assembly, based on the detected positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images and the respective decoded known locations of the landmarks;
• and
• a processor which implements the calibration target generation module, image acquisition module, landmark detection module, information decoding module, and spatial characterization module.

A configuration system comprising:

• a calibration target generation module which generates a spatially-characterized calibration target to be printed, the calibration target comprising a set of machine-readable and visually-identifiable landmarks and associated location-encoding marks which encode known locations of the landmarks;
• an image acquisition module which acquires a plurality of test images of the printed calibration target from an associated image capture assembly to be spatially characterized;
• a landmark detection module which detects positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images;
• an information decoding module which detects the location-encoding marks in the acquired test images and decodes the locations of the landmarks from the detected location-encoding marks;
• a spatial characterization module which spatially characterizes the image capture assembly, based on the detected positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images and the respective decoded known locations of the landmarks;
• a reconfiguration module which computes a reconfiguration for the associated image capture assembly, based on at least one of the spatial characterization of the image capture assembly and an analysis of a mission-specific target, the reconfiguration for the associated image capture assembly being computed to modify an extent of overlap or spacing between respective fields of view for at least two of the test images;
• and
• a processor which implements the calibration target generation module, image acquisition module, landmark detection module, information decoding module, spatial characterization module, and reconfiguration module.

A configuration method comprising:

• providing a spatially-characterized calibration target, the calibration target comprising a set of machine-readable, visually-identifiable landmarks and associated location-encoding marks which encode known locations of the landmarks;
• and
• for at least one iteration:
• acquiring a plurality of test images of the printed calibration target at a plurality of vertically-spaced positions with an image capture assembly to be spatially characterized,
• detecting positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images,
• decoding the locations of the landmarks from the detected location-encoding marks detected in the acquired test images, and
• with a processor, spatially characterizing the image capture assembly, based on the positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images and the decoded known locations of the landmarks, the spatial characterization comprising computing relative characteristics of at least two of the test images.

A method for configuring an imaging system having a plurality of vertically-spaced fields of view comprising:

• with a template, generating sections of a calibration target, each of the sections of the calibration target comprising a set of machine-readable and visually-identifiable landmarks and associated location-encoding marks which encode known locations of the landmarks;
• joining the sections together to form the calibration target;
• acquiring a plurality of test images of the printed calibration target at a plurality of vertically-spaced positions with an image capture assembly;
• detecting positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images;
• decoding the locations of the landmarks from the detected location-encoding marks detected in the acquired test images;
• with a processor, reconfiguring the image capture assembly comprising computing a reconfiguration predicted to modify an extent of overlap or spacing between respective fields of view for at least two test images when the acquisition of the test images is repeated, based on the positions of the landmarks in the acquired test images and the decoded known locations of the landmarks;
• and
• for the reconfigured image capture assembly, repeating the acquiring of the plurality of test images, detecting positions of the landmarks, and decoding the locations of the landmarks.