Airborne reconnaissance system
US7136726B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 22, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 14, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 9, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01C21/1656
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system; (5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigation system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.