US3986682A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ibis guidance and control system
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1974-09-17
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Granted: 1976-10-19
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Expires: 1994-09-17
Abstract
Abstract A guidance system for automatically boresighting a small field-of-view, lresolution image, sensed by an infrared missile imaging sensor, to a large field-of-view, high-resolution image, sensed by an imaging sensor located within an airplane. The image sensed by each sensor is applied to a digital correlator which makes a bit-by-bit digital correlation of the images. The image sensed by the large field-of-view aircraft sensor is monitored on a CRT. Cross-hairs are placed at the centerpoint of the area in the monitored aircraft sensor image which has the highest correlation with the missile sensor image. Thus the boresight of the missile sensor is ostensibly located in the monitored, aircraft, sensor image. This system may be used to slave automatically one sensor boresight to another. Where a plurality of missiles are carried by one plane, the boresight of each missile may be located in the large field-of-view aircraft monitor.
Inventors
- 👤 Eugene H. Dryden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 20:11
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G7/00; F41G7/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A guidance system for boresighting a small field-of-view imaging sensor to a large field-of-view sensor comprising: first imaging sensor means with a field-of-view; second imaging sensor means with a field-of-view substantially smaller than the field-of-view of said first imaging sensor means; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the larger first sensor field-of-view by digitally comparing the array of elements forming the image sensed by said second sensor with equal size arrays taken from the larger field-of-view image developed by said first sensor means until the highest correlation area within this first sensor field-of-view has been determined, and then calculating the boresight error between the center point coordinates for the first sensor image and the center coordinates for this highest correlation area; cathode-ray tube display means for displaying the image sensed by said first imaging sensor means and locating and placing the center crosshairs of said second imaging sensor means within this image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A guidance system for boresighting a small field-of-view imaging sensor to a large field-of-view sensor comprising: first imaging sensor means with a field-of-view; second imaging sensor means with a field-of-view substantially smaller than the field-of-view of said first imaging sensor means; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the larger first sensor field-of-view by digitally comparing the array of elements forming the image sensed by said second sensor with equal size arrays taken from the larger field-of-view image developed by said first sensor means until the highest correlation area within this first sensor field-of-view has been determined, and then calculating the boresight error between the center point coordinates for the first sensor image and the center coordinates for this highest correlation area; cathode-ray tube display means for displaying the image sensed by said first imaging sensor means and locating and placing the center crosshairs of said second imaging sensor means within this image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
101 words
An aircraft-missile guidance system for bore-sighting a small field-of-view missile sensor image to a large field-of-view aircraft sensor image comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view located in an aircraft; second imaging sensor means with a much smaller field-of-view and low resolution relative to said first imaging sensor means located within a missile carried by the aircraft; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the much larger first sensor field-of-view; display means for displaying the first sensor image and for displaying the position where this second sensor image lies within this first sensor image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
An aircraft-missile guidance system for bore-sighting a small field-of-view missile sensor image to a large field-of-view aircraft sensor image comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view located in an aircraft; second imaging sensor means with a much smaller field-of-view and low resolution relative to said first imaging sensor means located within a missile carried by the aircraft; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the much larger first sensor field-of-view; display means for displaying the first sensor image and for displaying the position where this second sensor image lies within this first sensor image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2, wherein said correlator comprises means for calculating the boresight error between the two fields-of-view; and further comprising means for applying this calculated boresight error to the servo systems controlling the second imaging sensor gimbals for effectively slaving said second imaging sensor means to the boresight of said first imaging sensor means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2, wherein said correlator comprises means for calculating the boresight error between the two fields-of-view; and further comprising means for applying this calculated boresight error to the servo systems controlling the first imaging sensor gimbals for effectively slaving said first imaging sensor means to the boresight of said second imaging sensor means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
99 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of missiles carried by said aircraft, each of said missiles containing said second imaging sensor means; and further wherein said correlator means comprises a separate interface for each of said plurality of missiles for processing their sensor images, and a separate comparing block for comparing each processed, missile-sensor image with the larger first sensor image and determining a bore-sight error to be applied to said display means so that the boresights of a number of said missile-imaging-sensor means may be indicated on said display means simultaneously.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
97 words
An aircraft-missile horesighting system as in claim 5 wherein said separate interface for each of said plurality of missiles comprising a means for digitizing the image signals and a means for storing these digitized signals; and further wherein said separate comparing block for comparing each processed missile sensor image with the larger first sensor image comprises a bit comparator for comparing two parallel image inputs, and a counting means for determining the number of digital "matches" in said bit comparator and determining which area within the larger first sensor image which has the highest digital match number.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2 wherein said imaging sensors are infrared, imaging sensors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
111 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2 wherein said correlator means is a digital cross-correlator comprising: means for digitizing each element forming the images sensed by said imaging sensor means; means for digitally comparing the array of elements forming the image sensed by said second sensor means with a set of equal sized arrays of elements taken from the larger image developed by said first imaging sensor means; means for counting the number of digital matches determined by said comparison means for each individual array and determining the area in the first sensor means image which has the highest number of digital element matches with the second sensor means image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 8 wherein said correlation means further comprises means for calculating the boresight error between the centers of the two sensor images.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2 wherein said display means is a cathode-ray tube.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
157 words
An aircraft-missile boresighting system as in claim 2 wherein said correlator means comprises: means for averaging the signals representing the first sensor image so that its image resolution is degraded to the resolution level of the second sensor image; means for digitizing the signal representing each element making up the images sensed by both of said imaging means into a two-level binary code; means for storing the digitized signals representing the first and second sensor images; means for digitally comparing the array of stored elements representing the image sensed by said second sensor means with a set of equal sized arrays of elements taken from the larger image developed by said first imaging sensor means; means for counting the number of digital "matches" determined by said comparison means for each array and determining the location of the area in the first sensor image which has the highest number of digital element "matches" with the second means image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
119 words
An aircraft missile boresighting system as in claim 11 wherein there are provided a plurality of missiles carried by said aircraft, each of said missiles containing said second imaging sensor means; and further wherein said correlator means is modified so that said means for digitizing the signal and said means for storing the digitized signal may digitize and store images from a plurality of said second imaging sensor means simultaneously, and said means for digitally comparing the arrays of stored elements and said means for counting the number of digital "matches" are duplicated for every one of said second imaging sensor means boresights that is desired to be located within the first sensor image in said display means simultaneously.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
120 words
An aircraft-missile guidance system for bore-sighting a small field-of-view missile sensor image to a large field-of-view aircraft sensor image comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view located in an aircraft; second imaging sensor means with a much smaller field-of-view and low resolution relative to said first imaging sensor means located within a missile carried by the aircraft; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the much larger first sensor field-of-view and calculating the boresight error between the two fields-of-view; means for applying this calculated boresight error to the servo systems controlling the second imaging sensor boresight for effectively slaving said second imaging sensor means to the boresight of said first imaging sensor means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
120 words
An aircraft-missile guidance system for bore-sighting a small field-of-view missile sensor image to a large field-of-view aircraft sensor image comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view located in an aircraft; second imaging sensor means with a much smaller field-of-view and low resolution relative to said first imaging sensor means located within a missile carried by the aircraft; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the much larger first sensor field-of-view and calculating the boresight error between the two fields-of-view; means for applying this calculated boresight error to the servo systems controlling the second imaging sensor boresight for effectively slaving said second imaging sensor means to the boresight of said first imaging sensor means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
122 words
An aircraft-missile guidance system for boresighting a small field-of-view missile sensor image to a larger field-of-view aircraft sensor image comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view located in an aircraft; second imaging sensor means with a much smaller field of view and low resolution relative to said first imaging sensor means located within a missile carried by the aircraft; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the much larger first sensor field-of-view and calculating the boresight error between the two fields-of-view; means for applying this calculated boresight error to the servo systems controlling the first imaging sensor boresight for effectively slaving said first imaging sensor means to the boresight of said second imaging sensor means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
122 words
An aircraft-missile guidance system for boresighting a small field-of-view missile sensor image to a larger field-of-view aircraft sensor image comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view located in an aircraft; second imaging sensor means with a much smaller field of view and low resolution relative to said first imaging sensor means located within a missile carried by the aircraft; correlator means for determining the location of the second sensor field-of-view within the much larger first sensor field-of-view and calculating the boresight error between the two fields-of-view; means for applying this calculated boresight error to the servo systems controlling the first imaging sensor boresight for effectively slaving said first imaging sensor means to the boresight of said second imaging sensor means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
175 words
A guidance system for boresighting a plurality of small field-of-view imaging sensors within a large imaging sensor field-of-view comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view; plurality of second imaging sensor means with fields-of-view substantially smaller than the field-of-view of said first imaging sensor means; correlator means for determining the location of the plurality of second sensor fields-of-view within the larger first sensor field-of-view by digitally comparing the array of elements forming the image sensed by each of said plurality of second imaging sensor means with equal-sized arrays taken from the larger field-of-view image developed by said first sensor means such that a high correlation area within the image sensed by said first sensor means is determined for each of said plurality of second sensor means; display means for displaying the image sensed by said first imaging sensor means; means for applying the coordinates of these high correlation areas within the image sensed by said first sensor means to said display means to mark this area in the image displayed by said display means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
175 words
A guidance system for boresighting a plurality of small field-of-view imaging sensors within a large imaging sensor field-of-view comprising: first imaging sensor means with a large field-of-view; plurality of second imaging sensor means with fields-of-view substantially smaller than the field-of-view of said first imaging sensor means; correlator means for determining the location of the plurality of second sensor fields-of-view within the larger first sensor field-of-view by digitally comparing the array of elements forming the image sensed by each of said plurality of second imaging sensor means with equal-sized arrays taken from the larger field-of-view image developed by said first sensor means such that a high correlation area within the image sensed by said first sensor means is determined for each of said plurality of second sensor means; display means for displaying the image sensed by said first imaging sensor means; means for applying the coordinates of these high correlation areas within the image sensed by said first sensor means to said display means to mark this area in the image displayed by said display means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
127 words
A guidance system for boresighting as in claim 15, wherein said correlator means comprises: means for digitizing each element forming the images sensed by said imaging sensor means; means for digitally comparing each array of elements forming the image sensed by said second sensor means with a set of equal-sized arrays of elements taken from the larger image developed by said first imaging sensor means; separate means for each of said second sensor means for counting the number of digital matches determined by said comparison means when comparing its array of image elements with different, equal-sized arrays taken from said first sensor means image and determining the area in the first sensor image which has the highest number of digital matches with this second sensor means image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-10-19 | 1980-04-19 | 1980-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-10-19 | 1984-04-19 | 1984-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-10-19 | 1988-04-19 | 1988-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |