Sagem Defense Securite

Safran Electronics & Defense

Airbus Operations (s.a.s.)

Nicolas Roux

Marc Bousquet

Pierrick Guiset

Philippe Foubert

Thierry Touati

Maxime Thiebaut

Remi Cabaret

David Jean

Michel Pealat

Hugues Berthaud

Heloise Berthier

Philippe Patry

Eric Agostini

Guillaume Letellier

Brice Lerat

Jacky Lavoise

Jean-Francois Lafon

Christine Luneau

Thomas Thouvenot

Nathalie Vigneron-Larosa

Héloise Berthier

An observation and designation apparatus includes a first image sensor and a second image sensor that are connected to an electronic image processor circuit connected to a display. The first image sensor and the second image sensor provide fields that are superposed to supply respectively at least a first image and a second image of the same scene. The appliance further includes a laser emitter for emitting a laser beam lying in a predetermined range of wavelengths into a predetermined zone of the field of the second sensor; a region-of-interest filter extending in front of the second sensor. The electronic processor circuit superposes the two images by using the zone of the second image that corresponds to the third region of the filter to register the second image spatially relative to the first image. An observation and designation method makes use of such filtering.

Device and method for observing a scene comprising a target

A decamouflaging method includes: obtaining image representing a scene including a multispectral image including components in the spectral domain ranging from the visible domain to the short-wavelength infrared and a thermal image including a component in the medium infrared and/or the long-wavelength infrared; extracting a sub-part ('window') from each of the images obtained at a given position; applying a contrast accentuation procedure to the window extracted from the multispectral image allowing an improved window to be obtained where contrast between pixels corresponding to the object and pixels not corresponding to the object is accentuated; forming a multicomponent window, the improved window obtained and the window extracted from the thermal image each supplying a component of the multicomponent window; and applying the procedure to the multicomponent window; generating an image by inserting the improved window obtained by applying the procedure to the multicomponent window in a receiving image representing the scene.

Method for decamouflaging an object

Method for viewing a laser spot included in a multispectral image representing an optical field composed of pixels including a plurality of components, the laser spot being produced by a laser pointer and having a wavelength taking values in a range of wavelengths dependent on operating temperatures of the laser pointer. The method includes: obtaining a multispectral image in which each component corresponds to the same instant of acquisition and represents a spectral band in a plurality of spectral bands covering continuously a spectral domain comprising said range of wavelengths; applying a contrast-accentuation procedure to a subpart of the multispectral image comprising the laser spot in order to obtain a subpart in which a contrast between the laser spot and a background is improved; and generating an image allowing display of the laser spot using information obtained following the application of said procedure.

Method for viewing a laser spot

The invention relates to a method for analyzing a multispectral image (), which includes designing a detection image from the values of a revealing function that quantifies a content shift in the multispectral image between two areas. The revealing function is applied between a target area and a background area, inside a window which is determined around each pixel. The revealing function values are determined from integral images of order one, and optionally also of order two, which in turn are calculated only once initially, so that the total amount of calculations is reduced. The analysis method is compatible with a real-time implementation during a capture of consecutive multispectral images which form a video stream, in particular for an environment-monitoring task.

Analysis of a multispectral image

The invention relates to a method for analyzing a multispectral image (), which includes designing a detection image from signal-to-noise ratio values. The signal-to-noise ratio values relate to the content of the multispectral image inside a window which is determined around each pixel, when the contrast in the window is maximized by a Fischer projection. The signal-to-noise ratio values at calculated from integral images of order one and two, which in turn are calculated only once initially, so that the total amount of calculations is reduced. The analysis method is compatible with a real-time implementation during a capture of consecutive multispectral images which form a video stream, in particular for an environment-monitoring task.

The inventive method for viewing of a multi-spectral image by an operator uses contrast optimization by Fisher projection. The Fisher projection is determined and applied within a window (F, F, F, . . . ) that is smaller than a display screen matrix () used by the operator. The window is moved for successive updates of a depiction of the image that is displayed, while creating a remanence of the positions of the earlier windows and elements that were exposed in some of said earlier windows. The implementation of the method is particularly simple and intuitive for the operator, so as to improve the reliability and effectiveness of his or her monitoring.

Method for viewing a multi-spectral image

A search for a target in a multispectral image is made more efficient and more user-friendly by combining a contrast optimization which is performed locally, with a presentation of a detection image which extends over the entire field of observation (). The contrast is optimized inside a window () of reduced size relative to an image matrix () corresponding to the entire field of observation. This window may be moved in conjunction with the direction of observation (D), or it may be selected at will in the image matrix. The detection image may be renewed for each window used, or it may be shared by several windows.

Search for a target in a multispectral image

A display system manages the states of two cursors that are situated on an interactive window of a display screen, as a function of the last actions carried out by the crew.

Growing community of inventors

Boulogne-Billancourt, France

Nicolas Roux