Method for enhancing air-to-ground target detection, acquisition and terminal guidance and an image correlation system

Patent 6507660 Issued on January 14, 2003. Estimated Expiration Date:

May 27, 2019. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

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Inventors

Application

No. 332260 filed on 05/27/1999

US Classes:

382/103Target tracking or detecting

Examiners

Primary: Johns, Andrew W.
Assistant: Nakhjavan, Shervin

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Bokar; Gregory M., Foster; Laura R.

International Class

G06K 009/00

Abstract

A method for enhancing air to ground target detection, acquisition and terminal guidance which includes providing a reference image of a target scene, detecting contrast boundaries, tracing edges along the edge pixels, storing in computer memory endpoints of fitted straight line segments, providing a video image of the target scene, identifying contrast boundaries, scaling and transforming the template, correlating it with the edges of the video image, and converting the target designation in the reference image to the sensor image. A multispectral gradient based image correlation system including a template containing information as to edges, a video image of a target processed by a gradient operator, means for correlating the template and the image edge-to-edge, a means for transferring the target from the template to the image, that provides an enhanced video image with the target within it.