Patent ID: 9189451
Filing Date: 2015-11-17
Classification: B64G,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method performed by a network device, the method comprising: determining an exposure time associated with an image sensor coupled to a spacecraft for capturing an image of a target object orbiting the Earth, the image sensor including a matrix of photo-sensitive pixels; computing a maximum relative angular velocity associated with the target object based on the exposure time and a dimension of a pixel in the matrix of pixels; identifying a first pointing direction of the image sensor for initiating a search for the target object; accessing target object orbital data; generating, based on the first pointing direction and the target object orbital data, a first angular velocity probability distribution map that indicates probabilities of the target object having different angular velocities as viewed by the image sensor when the image sensor is pointing in the first pointing direction; dividing the first angular velocity probability distribution map into a first set of angular velocity regions (AVRs), each AVR having a central angular velocity and having a size corresponding to the computed maximum relative angular velocity, wherein the first set of AVRs includes AVRs of varying sizes, the size of an AVR further based on a magnitude of an angular velocity of the target object at the center of the AVR; selecting a first AVR from the first set of AVRs for scanning by the image sensor; and generating a search schedule that includes a first entry for informing the spacecraft to scan the first AVR, where scanning the first AVR comprises positioning the image sensor at the first pointing direction and rotating the image sensor at an angular speed and direction corresponding to the central angular velocity of the first AVR.