System for and method of synchronous acquisition of pulsed source light in performance of monitoring aircraft flight operation
USRE44604E1 · kind E1 · reissue
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 23, 2012 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 23, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC —)General
Abstract
A system for and a method of synchronous acquisition of pulsed source light performs monitoring of aircraft flight operation. Diode sources of illumination (18, 108, 208) are pulsed (16, 106, 206) at one-half the video frame rate of an imaging camera (36, 136, 236). Alternate frames view the world-scene with lights of interest pulsed on, and then off, respectively. Video differencing (34, 134, 234) eliminates the background scene, as well as all lights not of interest. Suitable threshholding over a resulting array of camera pixel-differences acquires the desired lights and represents them as point symbology on a display (40, 140, 240). In an enhanced vision landing system embodiment, the desired lights (symbols) overlay or are fused on a thermal image of the scene; alternatively, the symbols overlay a visible scene (TV) image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.