• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    Panoramic vision system with image correction in refueling operations and similar. The invention relates to a system for obtaining a continuous image of the environment of an operation such as refueling in flight from a camera (6) (or two in case of claiming a redundant system, since the geometry of the invention thus it allows it) based on a vertical positioning thereof and focused vertically towards a composite lens (7), together with an electronic adaptation of the image obtained for its mapping to a horizontal rectangle (10). The electronics also includes the implementation of a super resolution algorithm and a communication system to transmit the carrier signals of the image information, once its resolution has been increased by the indicated procedure, all included in a mechanical structure in the form of a cylinder (3) which allows the placement of the elements forming part of the invention in the appropriate relative positions. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)
    公开号:ES2545542A1
    申请号:ES201400189
    申请日:2014-03-11
    公开日:2015-09-11
    发明作者:Alberto ADARVE LOZANO
    申请人:Alberto ADARVE LOZANO；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
    The present invention relates to a panoramic vision system with image correction, intended for obtaining a continuous view of the environment in, for example, refueling operations and critical operations.
    The object of the invention is to achieve a reduction in the number of cameras necessary for panoramic vision, while maintaining a global image without discontinuities and with the possibility of redundancy, necessary in all situations in which it is intended to monitor operations with a certain level of criticality, all in order to facilitate the supervision operation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    In some aircraft that perform refueling in flight, or at other points with similar strategic needs, it is necessary to have an image that allows obtaining information about all the surroundings of the system through the use of cameras. Such refueling operations can be carried out by hoses and baskets or by using a Boom or high flow fuel supply device.
    The number of aircraft involved in a refueling can be multiple and they can refuel at different points of the tanker even at the same time. It is therefore very desirable to have a general picture of the operations scenario, which can greatly help to avoid collisions and coordinate these operations in an orderly and controlled manner.
    Generally several cameras are used to obtain the desired panoramic image. The images coming from them are joined in one or more monitors to provide the indicated global image.
    When the cameras used are high cost, reducing this number implies a significant reduction in the cost of the entire system and the use of a single camera to obtain a global image of the environment means a significant reduction to be assessed.
    Another factor of considerable relevance, is to obtain an image as continuous as possible And without appreciable distortions that allows, with a single glance, to see the position of all the airplanes that at that time can be found in the operation scenario.
    At present, the systems that generate an image of the environment of the operation or refueling operations are based on the use of several cameras, generally three, with viewing angles of around eighty degrees sexagesimal in the horizontal plane, together with the corresponding angle in the vertical plane according to its aspect ratio, which allows obtaining images of the environment and composing them either electronically or geometrically on corresponding monitors or monitors, generally also three, which provide the overall overview of the surroundings of the refueling zone
    The images from these cameras suffer from the defect of not providing continuous images of the environment because they are placed at different points in space. The result is that the images contain duplicated areas, among other defects, resulting in the appearance of parts of the aircraft involved in refueling that are repeated on two monitors at the same time. In addition, on certain occasions the important area of the operation falls in those areas of intersection between the visions of adjacent cameras, which leads to an effort and an inconvenience from the operator
    or supervisor of the operation that has to mentally compose the images of two adjacent monitors to have a complete image of some of the planes to be refueling or of the area of interest.
    Un: as above described in US Patent 20110147529 A1.
    Also the cameras used are duplicated in order to have a day and night image that allow refueling operations during both time intervals. All this results in a system of six cameras involved in obtaining the image of interest. Likewise, and due to the sensitivity of night cameras, it is necessary to use illuminators, not visible with the naked eye, to obtain sufficient photons that allow, at night, to have images of sufficient quality.
    All of the above ends, little by little with a tendency to use cameras of greater sensitivity and even with an operation in ranges of the spectrum of illumination that are outside those easily attainable for the ordinary citizen since they are generally high operations tactical value and military character.
    In short, everything points to the use of high-priced cameras, whose number is of great interest to be able to reduce while improving the quality, uniformity and continuity of the image obtained. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
    The system of the invention is intended to use one or two single cameras for monitoring around the entire aircraft, so that the use of one of the cameras is sufficient to obtain a panoramic image of the entire contour, allowing two cameras to be used for redundancy, since this is necessary in certain operations to ensure that a simple failure does not imply the suspension of the operation, while increasing the reliability of the system.
    The reduction of the number of cameras to a single one, entails a reduction in the resolution, in total number of pixels, of the global environment image. Moreover, the use of a camera to obtain a panoramic image around our reference point implies not only distributing the pixels of the sensor between the entire area to be monitored but also the shape of the sensor, usually rectangular, implies an additional waste of pixels because the image projected by our lens is circular. Also, the central area of this circle cannot be exploited, since it reflects the image of the camera itself and is not part of the environment of interest. All of the above implies a considerable reduction in the average resolution of our image that must and can be compensated as will be explained below and which is part of the object of this invention.
    The basic system proposed consists of a camera in vertical arrangement although in its preferred implementation two cameras are used to provide redundancy to the system and because the geometry of the invention allows it.
    The two cameras are arranged in a vertical position although in different directions both pointing to each side together with the use of two lenses that generate a 360 degree view around the axis of the same.
    Once the peripheral image is obtained, the deformation introduced by all the lenses must be compensated. This is done by means of a circuit based on fpga programmed for that purpose, so that from the values of the obtained pixels it generates by means of a geometric transformation algorithm the rectangular image of the environment that is required from the circular crown of origin.
    Finally, a rectangular image of the surrounding panorama is obtained. This should be submitted to a super-resolution algorithm that improves the quality of the images obtained.
    We can move the image on the monitor to observe it from points that allow to easily determine any collision situation with other aircraft. And thus have a global situation view that will contemplate complete observations and with a lower workload with respect to those provided by several cameras located in the fuselage.
    Specifically, the system of the invention allows to obtain a quality image, continuous and without duplication of fragments thereof, of up to 3600 around the system itself, allowing to know the state of occupation of the space surrounding a plane that performs refueling operations , in order to avoid collisions between the aircraft and equipment involved in such operations as well as to achieve better coordination of such operations.
    As regards the assembly of the system, it will be located in the lower central part of the tank aircraft, that is, from which the refueling is carried out, comprising the following fundamental parts:
    1.-A structural box that supports and contains all the elements that make up the rest of the system while maintaining them in the appropriate positions necessary to obtain the desired images while giving the whole a shape with adequate characteristics from the point of view aerodynamic.
    2.-Preferably, said box has a cylindrical shape, arranged vertically, with an upper support, whereby the system is fixed to the plane thanks to a set of screws arranged vertically through two grooves for this purpose.
    3.-Inside the previous box there is at least one chamber arranged with its axis, that is, the axis perpendicular to the plane of its sensor, vertically, that is, perpendicular to the plane of the tanker that would be parallel to the earth. Without loss of generality this camera may be looking downward pointing towards a composite lens.
    4.-The composite lens can be of the catadioptric type, including a mirror with a suitable shape, understood as such a paraboloid, hyperbolic, conical or even spherical, and an additional focusing lens that can be a simple biconvex or composite lens. The composite lens can also be of the wide-angle type of the so-called fisheye, by means of which the images surrounding the camera with a vertical angle of even 180 degrees are projected onto the sensor. Being in both cases the horizontal angle of 360 degrees. In the first case the images are reflected by a mirror placed in front of the camera with some of the indicated forms while in the second case, the images are diffracted into the simple lenses that make up the so-called composite lens.
    In both cases the image of interest obtained on the sensor is in the form of a circle or more specifically a circular crown with an initial deformation of the projected images that is corrected in the steps described below, by means of a mapping that is performed electronically or by software.
    5.-An electronics that is responsible for performing the aforementioned mapping in order to convert the initial circular crown into a rectangle that shows the surrounding space of our system. Electronics can be based on algorithms that run on a processor or consist of specific hardware. In our preferred implementation, this functionality is obtained from an electronics based on the use of a Kintex type fpga to which the signal from the camera sensor arrives and whose output thanks to the interconnections made within it, directly obtains the Rectangular image desired. The result is a stretch that allows images to be obtained without the deformation introduced by the lens.
    6.-An electronics that is responsible for increasing the resolution through "super resolution" techniques based on the fact that our system is subjected to a constant vibration that allows to obtain additional pixels of each point of the image along frames or Consecutive frames and that allows us to therefore increase the number of these pixels per unit area, generating a higher resolution image using the resources of the fpga than that obtained by traditional methods.
    7.-An electronic transmission and communications that is responsible for sending the successive pictures of the image to a remote point elsewhere in the plane. Preferably, this electronics also has a fiber optic converter that allows to send without appreciable losses, the images obtained with the quality of origin in addition to the corresponding voltage adapters and protections to supply power to the different stages of the described electronics.
    The entire system described here goes inside the box explained in point 1 and held at the bottom of the tanker plane, from where you will have a view of the entire periphery of the latter I the flight. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    To complement the description that will then be made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description. where for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:
    Figure 1 shows the scheme corresponding to a tanker aircraft with the location of the system of the invention, in correspondence with the lower part of said aircraft.
    Figure 2.- Shows the scheme corresponding to the system of the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
    As can be seen in the aforementioned figures, the system of the invention, applicable to a tanker aircraft (1), as shown in Figure 1, is provided for its location in the lower part (2) of said aircraft.
    Specifically, the system comprises a cylindrical configuration box (3), so that said cylindrical body (3) is connected to another cylindrical body (4) of shorter length and is affected by holes (5) through which takes the fixation or grip of the system assembly to the bottom (2) of the tanker aircraft (1), making that fixation by means of screws, rivets or similar elements.
    The referred assembly constitutes a rotating platform that corresponds to the union between the system itself and the point where it is desired to be installed, being a rotating part that allows the assembly to orient itself with a specific turn.
    In the cylindrical body (3) one or two complete chambers (6) are set that focus in opposite directions, specifically towards respective composite lenses formed by an adjustment lens (7) and a catadioptric or fisheye type lens (8) having the first type a mirror treatment that allows to see with the cameras, reflected on its surface any object (9) around it.
    Additionally, the system is complemented with the electronics (10) responsible for "mapping" the surface obtained with the lens, by means of a geometric transformation, to obtain an image rectangle, this same electronics being able to improve the resolution through a super algorithm -resolution and make the transmission of images and
    10 communications with the outside of the invention, all of them together with their respective feeds.
    权利要求:
    Claims (1)
    [1]
    1a ._ Panoramic vision system with image correction, which being designed to obtain a continuous view of the environment, for example in refueling operations and critical operations, characterized in that it comprises at least one camera (6) arranged vertically, focusing perpendicular to the direction of flight of the corresponding aircraft (1), in combination with a lens (7) projecting the image on a sensor, obtaining an image in the entire environment with a vertical field of view determined by the shape of the lens (7), where peripheral vision is capable of reaching up to 3600 around the system itself; having planned an electronic mapping of the image obtained through the lens, in order to eliminate any distortion and improve both its resolution and quality.
    2 .- Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements that participate in the whole system are arranged inside a cylindrical body (3).
    3a. Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two cameras (6), equal but oriented in opposite directions, with their corresponding lenses (7) axially housed inside the cylindrical body (3 ), complementing with the transmission electronics of the camera signals (6).
    4th ._ Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens (7) of the camera (6) is formed by a conical-shaped mirror and an additional lens to focus the image obtained on the sensor the camera.
    5a ._ Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens (7) of the camera (6) is formed by a parabolic mirror, complemented by an additional lens to focus the image obtained on the camera sensor
    6a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1a,
    characterized in that the lens (7) of the camera (6) is formed by a mirror formed by a hyperbolic mirror, complemented by an additional lens to focus the image obtained on the camera sensor.
    7a ._ Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens (7) of the camera (6) is formed by a paraboloid-shaped mirror, complemented by an additional lens to focus the image obtained on The camera sensor.
    8a.- Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens (7) of the camera (6) is formed by a spherical mirror, complemented by an additional lens to focus the image obtained on the camera sensor
    9a ._ Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens (7) of the camera (6) is a composite lens, wide angle.
    10a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission of the signal by the system is fiber optic.
    11 a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronics are complemented with a sub-system for improving the resolution of the image obtained by means of a programmable circuit based on FPGAs.
    12a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the algorithms to be used are implemented in an electronics based on programmed circuits (FPGAs).
    13a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the algorithms to be used are implemented by means of software and executed by processors provided for that purpose.
    14a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1a,
    characterized in that the system is capable of including more than two cameras arranged in
    the same vertical axis (6).
    15-15.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the cameras (6) is color vision, while the other is vision in the spectrum outside the spectrum visible by the human eye .
    16a.-Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1a,
    10 characterized in that the image mapping is performed by a processor complemented with specific software.
    17a ._ Panoramic vision system with image correction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical body (3) is capable of rotating around a vertical axis 15, orienting the system in the horizontal plane parallel to the plane.
    类似技术:
    公开号 | 公开日 | 专利标题
    US10992847B2|2021-04-27|Image device for generating a 360 degree depth map
    US9052571B1|2015-06-09|Wide-area aerial camera systems
    JP5349055B2|2013-11-20|Multi-lens array system and method
    JP6483492B2|2019-03-13|Aerial equipment
    CN101271187B|2012-04-25|Non-dead angle binocular solid all-directional vision sensing equipment
    US10324367B2|2019-06-18|Aerial panoramic oblique photography apparatus
    ES2394588T3|2013-02-04|Panoramic projection device, and execution procedure on this device
    US10710707B2|2020-07-14|Unmanned aerial vehicle
    ES2545542B1|2016-06-21|Panoramic vision system with image correction in refueling operations and the like
    US4390253A|1983-06-28|Pitch and roll motion optical system for wide angle display
    JP2007279115A|2007-10-25|Visual display
    CN107505722A|2017-12-22|A kind of multiple degrees of freedom visual field synthesizes Method of Adjustment
    CN103338333B|2016-04-13|Optimal configuration method for orientation element of aerial camera
    CN104483750A|2015-04-01|Large-image-plane interscan time-sharing imaging optical system
    US20160349603A1|2016-12-01|Display system
    CN106840402B|2018-04-10|A kind of sweeping and In-flight calibration component for being used for double optical spectrum imagers
    CN107027338A|2017-08-08|Imaging system, methods and applications
    RU2009121313A|2010-12-10|Multi-angle Television System
    RU2694458C1|2019-07-15|Device for near-spacecraft relative position control
    US9268202B1|2016-02-23|Image generator and projector
    CN204719321U|2015-10-21|The reflective panoramic imaging device of a kind of two panels
    CN203758509U|2014-08-06|Four-camera large breadth load sensing system based on unmanned aerial vehicle platform
    ES2654598T3|2018-02-14|System to generate a composite video image and procedure to obtain a composite video image
    RU2538037C2|2015-01-10|Sighting system
    JP2021521045A|2021-08-26|Unmanned aerial vehicles and related systems and methods for stereoscopic imaging
    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    WO2015136138A1|2015-09-17|
    ES2545542B1|2016-06-21|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    US6201574B1|1991-05-13|2001-03-13|Interactive Pictures Corporation|Motionless camera orientation system distortion correcting sensing element|
    US5691765A|1995-07-27|1997-11-25|Sensormatic Electronics Corporation|Image forming and processing device and method for use with no moving parts camera|
    US6831680B1|1999-11-18|2004-12-14|Coastal Optical Systems, Inc.|Method and system of monitoring an aircraft using a fisheye lens system|
    CN107358579B|2017-06-05|2020-10-02|北京印刷学院|Game war fog-lost realization method|
    法律状态:
    2016-06-21| FG2A| Definitive protection|Ref document number: 2545542 Country of ref document: ES Kind code of ref document: B1 Effective date: 20160621 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    ES201400189A|ES2545542B1|2014-03-11|2014-03-11|Panoramic vision system with image correction in refueling operations and the like|ES201400189A| ES2545542B1|2014-03-11|2014-03-11|Panoramic vision system with image correction in refueling operations and the like|
    PCT/ES2015/070172| WO2015136138A1|2014-03-11|2015-03-11|Panoramic viewing system with image correction in refuelling and similar operations|
    [返回顶部]