The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 11, 1998
Filed:
May. 25, 1995
Boyd B Bushman, Lewisville, TX (US);
Lockheed Corporation, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Abstract
A method and system of image modulation detection of an aircraft exhaust plume by time sequence differentiation is provided. The method comprises the steps of forming two sequential images of the field of view in which an exhaust plume to be detected is located, and forming a differential image from the sequential images showing components of the aircraft's exhaust plume that are modulating at a rate greater than the frame rate of the detection system. The nonmodulating components such as the sky hills, and even the missile body are eliminated from the differential image. Only the plume remains and only the plume is detected. Therefore there is not false alarm note. Each image is formed by a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel images a portion of the field of view. A value is assigned to each pixel in each of the sequential images that corresponds to one or more characteristics of the pixel. The value of each pixel in one sequential image is subtracted from the value of the corresponding pixel in the other sequential image to produce a value for a resultant pixel. The differential image is formed by imaging the resultant pixels that have a non-zero value, wherein the differential image shows components of the aircraft's exhaust plume that are modulating at a rate greater than the frame rate of the detection system.