Method for centroiding and tracking a distorted optical image

US8212996B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. · US

Inventors

• Anuradha Bhargava · Reading, US
• Harold T. Wright · Stockton-on-Tees, GB
• Kazimierz T. Grzeslak · Bedford, US
• Arnold Kravitz · St. Petersburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 20, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 3, 2012
• Expiry date: Oct 20, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S7/495
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A centroiding method is provided for an optical tracking system including a laser used for countermeasuring purposes in which a pencil thin laser beam is accurately positioned onto a target through the use of centroiding techniques for ascertaining the position not only of the target but also the laser beam, with the centroiding techniques resulting in a sub-pixel level resolution. The sub-pixel resolution permits utilization of smaller cost-effective focal plane arrays by giving the small focal plane array a resolution associated with much larger focal plane arrays.