Raytheon Company

Mission Support and Test Services, LLC

National Security Technologies LLC

Mary Morabito O'Neill

William Hale Wellman

David Terry

Gregory K Pierce

Disclosed is a method to passively measure and calculate the strength of turbulence via the index of refraction structure constant Cfrom video imagery gathered by an imaging device, such as a video camera. Processing may occur with any type computing device utilizing a processor executing machine executable code stored on memory. This method significantly simplifies instrumentation requirements, reduces cost, and provides rapid data output. This method combines an angle of arrival methodology, which provides scale factors, with a new spatial/temporal frequency domain method. As part of the development process, video imagery from high speed cameras was collected and analyzed. The data was decimated to video rates such that statistics could be computed and used to confirm that this passive method accurately characterizes the atmospheric turbulence. Caccuracy from this method compared well with scintillometer data through two full orders of magnitude and more capability is expected beyond this verification.

Passive method to measure strength of turbulence

An autofocus system includes an imaging device, a lens system and a focus control actuator that is configured to change a focus position of the imaging device in relation to a stage. The electronic control unit is configured to control the focus control actuator to a plurality of predetermined focus positions, and activate the imaging device to obtain an image at predetermined positions and then apply a spatial filter to the obtained images. This generates a filtered image for the obtained images. The control unit determines a focus score for the filtered images such that the focus score corresponds to a degree of focus in the obtained images. The control unit identifies a best focus position by comparing the focus score of the filtered images, and controls the focus control actuator to the best focus position corresponding to the highest focus score.

Autofocus system and autofocus method for focusing on a surface

An imaging sensor system includes an optics system that images a point feature of a scene at an image plane with a blur-circle image having a blur diameter, and a detector array at the image plane. Special array patterns and signal detector logic are used to improve the accuracy of the determination of the object location. In one form, the detector array is a one-dimensional detector array comprising a plurality of detector subelements each having a width of from about &#xbd; to about 5 blur diameters, and a length of n blur diameters. Each detector subelement overlaps each of two adjacent detector subelements along their lengths. An overlap of each of the two adjacent detector subelements is m blur diameters, and a center-to-center spacing of each of the two adjacent detector subelements is nblur diameters. The value of n is equal to about 3m, and the value of m is equal to about n/2. In another form, the detector is a two-dimensional detector array of detector subelements. The detector subelements are sized and staggered such that an area of the blur-circle image may not simultaneously be split equally among four detector subelements.

Imaging sensor system with staggered arrangement of imaging detector subelements, and method for locating a position of a feature in a scene

An object such as an aircraft in flight is obscured from infrared detection when viewed from an external viewing location. The method includes providing the object having an externally viewable hot region associated therewith, wherein the hot region has a temperature greater than 150&#xb0; C. A source of an obscuring agent is provided, wherein the obscuring agent comprises a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and water vapor. The obscuring agent is ejected from a dispensing location so as to flow between the hot region and the external viewing location. The obscuring agent has a temperature of less than that of the hot region.

Obscuration method for reducing the infrared signature of an object

A position of a feature in a scene is located by forming an image of the feature using a segmented array having a plurality of array subelements. Each of the array subelements has an output signal. The output signals from at least two spatially adjacent array subelements are cooperatively analyzed to establish a data set reflective of an extent to which output signals responsive to the image of the feature are produced from exactly one or from more than one of the adjacent array subelements. The data set is used to reach a conclusion as to a location of the image of the feature on the segmented array. Increased positional accuracy is attained with no loss of sensitivity.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Mary Morabito O'Neill