Messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm Gmbh

Messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm Gesellschaft MIT Beschrankter Haftung

Messerschmitt-boelkow-blohm Gmbh

Otto Hofmann

Walter Kroy

Peter Nave

A method and apparatus are disclosed for scanning a surface of an object, transversely to a direction of motion. A scanner is provided for flying over the object at a flight altitude and flight velocity, having a system focal length, a scanning element rotating at a rotation speed which scans a surface over a scanning angle and a detector row, arranged at right angles to the scanning direction. A detector row is provided with a plurality of equal size individual detectors, which are capable of generating fundamental object pixels of a size which depends upon the distance from the object up to a maximum scanning distance. A standard object pixel, of a size corresponding to a fundamental object pixel, is driven at the maximum scanning distance. For each scanning sweep, via a sampling process, a uniform grid is formed which is composed of standard object pixels of a size corresponding to a fundamental object pixel at the maximum scanning distance in several lines and without gaps and/or overlaps. Uniform grids of consecutive sweeps have no gaps and overlaps between each other. A sampling process is performed for forming a uniform grid, independent of an actual flight altitude, and an actual flight velocity for each scanning sweep. The system focal length and the rotational speed of the scanner are controlled as functions of an actual flight altitude and flight velocity so that uniform grids, of consecutive scanning sweeps, have no gaps and/or overlaps between each other.

Method and apparatus for scanning a terrain surface

The invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for scanning the terrain surface and other objects transversely to the flight direction or direction of motion of the scanner with a detector row arranged perpendicularly to the direction of scanning and containing several individual detectors of equal size, wherein the terrain- or object strip to be scanned is divided into various distance ranges, within which the fundamental detector signals within the detector row as well as of consecutive exposure periods are collated respectively in such a way by averaging, that the collated individual signals form or cover respectively one object pixel of approximately constant magnitude independent of the scanning distance, and wherein these object pixels stand always at right angles with respect to the scanning beam and where each scanning sweep produces a terrain- or object strip with approximately equal object pixel size as well as constant object pixel number along the width and length of the scanned strip. This method and apparatus eliminates the known deficiency of opto-mechanical scanners, whose scanned strips have changeable strip widths as a function of the scanning distance.

Method and apparatus for scanning an object

A spherical space, especially a hemispherical space, is scanned by an optical scanner for the presence of a target in the scanned spaced. The optical scanner includes an objective lens (4) which scans the space through an optical deflector (1 or 7) arranged upstream of the objective lens and rotatable about two axes, one of which is the optical axis (2, 3) of the objective lens. At least one tiltable prism (5) is arranged downstream of the objective lens (4). At least one row of sensors (6) is arranged downstream of the prism (5) for converting received optical signals into respective electrical signals which are processed under control of a central processing unit (CPU) including a computer and memory (21). Drives (9, 16) controlled by the CPU rotate the deflectors (1 or 7) about the two axes (2, 3) extending perpendicularly to each other. The imaging speed at which an image passes the detector row (6) is always constant independently of the instantaneous viewing or scanning direction.

Apparatus for the optical scanning of a spherical or semispherical space

The determination of the orientation parameters of a missile by means of a three-line scanner requires the generation of scanning traces which are oriented at a specific angle with respect to the direction of flight. In the present invention the scanning traces are produced with a two or four part scanning prism, whose reflecting surfaces are arranged at a specific angel .beta. with respect to the axis of rotation of the scanning prism.

Scanning prism

A method and apparatus for recording the image of an object, for instance the earth's surface, from a flying body, in this case an earth satellite. The flying body flies over the object at an altitude. Herein, the object is scanned in lines by a line scanner. The viewing angle .alpha. of the liner scanner with respect to the direction of flight v is increased during the scanning process, whereby a higher resolution capacity is attained. Preferably several line sensors are used in the line scanner, which are arranged on a carrier, which is displaced during the flight of the flying body relative to a length in the direction of flight v. The displacement occurs by way of a cyclically functioning drive.

Method and apparatus for image recording of an object

In the disclosed device, a lens arrangement focuses light upon a detecting sensor arrangement as a vehicle passes over an object, such as the ground, whose surface is to be determined. An optical device slews the path of light to the lens arrangement from left to right relative to the direction of vehicle movement. In one embodiment, a four-part prism rotating on an axis along the direction of vehicle movement passes light through three lenses angled down, for, and aft the vertical and separate radiation detectors simultaneously sense radiation from the earth's surface. In another embodiment, a rotating hexagonal prism has outer reflecting surfaces skewed normal, for, and aft, so that a single lens views sequential signals and applies them to a radiation detector. The signals are sampled, held, digitally converted, recorded, and stored.

Apparatus for acquisition of the surface shape of a distant object by

A stereophotogrammetric surveying and evaluation method is presented. A camera is carried over the terrain of interest, the camera having three sensor lines arranged transversely or obliquely to the line of flight. From the resulting three overlapping line image strips both elevational terrain data and camera orientation data are statistically obtained.

Stereophotogrammetric surveying and evaluation method

A device for use on aircraft or spacecraft provides data corresponding to the course and orientation of the craft, and a digital display of the terrain over which the craft is travelling. The device includes at least first, second and third sensor lines consisting of parallel rows of photosensitive semiconductor elements arranged transversely of the flight path of the craft. The sensor lines provide line images corresponding to terrain images directed onto the lines, and the lines are spaced apart from each other so that a first terrain image sensed by the lines during a first scanning period partially overlaps a second terrain image sensed by the lines during a second, successive scanning period. The device also includes a lens system for continuously directing the terrain images onto the lines, and systems for reading out and storing the line images from the sensor lines during each scanning period and for correlating certain picture reference points in the second terrain image with the same picture reference points in the first terrain image. A computer then operates to determine the orientation of the second terrain image in accordance with intersections, at each of the picture reference points on the terrain, of homologous image rays produced during the first and second scanning periods.

Device for aircraft and spacecraft for producing a digital terrain

A sensor device of the type to be carried on aircraft or spacecraft which avel along an arbitrary flight path, operates to provide data corresponding to the course and orientation of the craft, and a digital display of the terrain over which the craft is traveling. The device includes at least first, second and third sensor lines comprising rows of photosensitive semiconductor elements, arranged transversely of the flight path in an image plane. Each of the sensor lines provides line images corresponding to a terrain image projected onto the sensor line. At least one of the sensor lines extends in the image plane to form angles relative to the other sensor lines, so that the terrain line images produced by the angled sensor line intersect the terrain line images produced by the other sensor lines. This arrangement results in establishing clearly defined connecting points of the images, and provides high accuracy in the determination of the orientation data and of the terrain.

Photogrammetric device for aircraft and spacecraft for producing a

In the disclosed apparatus, a reference image sensor continuously scans a lmed atlas of images representing terrain being overflown while a second sensor simultaneously scans the terrain. A correlator compares the signal and the reference image sensor describes a course, corresponding to that of the flying body, over the film, in response to control signals based upon the correlation results. The reference image sensor reads only the area of the film around the course.

Precision navigation apparatus

The analog output signals of a photoelectric image converter or transducer are passed through an analog-to-digital converter and then corrected to take various irregularities of the optical sensor elements of the transducer into account. A reference signal and a dark signal are subtracted from the individual image point signals. The difference is then multiplied by a factor representing the slope of the characteristic response curve of the respective optical sensor element. The so corrected signal may be used for further processing or it may be subjected to a further correction operation.

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Kirchstockach, Germany

Otto Hofmann