Patent ID: 7586514
Filing Date: 2009-09-08
Classification: F41G

Abstract:
1. An imagery system for transferring digital images of a target from an aircraft having cockpit controls to a video image processing station comprising: a video source mounted on said aircraft, said video source including a charged coupled device camera to obtain target imagery of a battlefield scene including said target in a visible portion of an electromagnetic spectrum, said video source generating a weapons video of said battlefield scene and said target; a digital image processor connected to said video source to receive said weapons video, said digital image processor providing for capture of still images of said target from the weapons video generated by video source, said digital image processor providing for data compression of the still images of said target prior to transmission of the still images of said target to said video image processing station; a display computer connected to said digital image processor to receive the still images of said target, said display computer providing for a display of the still images of said target to a pilot of said aircraft; an up front control set located in a cockpit of said aircraft and connected to said display computer, said up front control set allowing the pilot of said aircraft to enter display commands to control the display of the still images of said target by said display computer; and an integrated remote control unit connected to said up front control set and said digital image processor, said integrated remote control unit interfacing with the cockpit controls for said aircraft allowing the pilot for said aircraft to use the cockpit controls to control an operation of said digital image processor and select the still images of said target for transfer a second radio transmitter/receiver located at said video image processing station, said second radio transmitter/receiver receiving said RF signal, said second radio transmitter/receiver having an encryption unit which decrypts the still images of said target; a laptop computer which includes a serial data link for connecting said laptop computer to said second radio transmitter/receiver, said laptop computer including software which allows a user to manage, manipulate, annotate and print the still images of said target prior to the still images of said target being retransmitted to said aircraft for viewing by the pilot of said aircraft, wherein observers at said video image processing station analyze the still images of said target using said laptop computer, said observers confirming the still images of said target and confirming that coordinates for said target are embedded in the still images of said target that are transmitted back to said aircraft for display to the pilot of said aircraft by said display computer an image transfer time for transmitting the still images of said target to said aircraft being approximately twenty seconds at nominal data compression ratios; and an automatic target handoff system connected to said encryption unit, said automatic target handoff system being adapted to minimize jamming and lessen a probability of detection of said RF signal, while increasing a transfer of accurate target information, wherein said transfer of accurate target information occurs using short data burst as opposed to voice communications to minimize a possibility of jamming and lessen a probability of detection, while increasing the transfer of accurate target information.