Patents Assigned to DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
  • Patent number: 10542193
    Abstract: A method of performing non-uniformity correction for an imaging system includes receiving image data from a detector. The method also includes retrieving stored correction coefficients from the memory. The method also includes retrieving a stored factory calibration reference frame. The method also includes acquiring an operational calibration reference frame. The method also includes computing updated correction coefficients based on the stored correction coefficients, the stored factory calibration reference frame, and the operational calibration reference frame. The method also includes computing the non-uniformity correction based on the updated correction coefficients. The method also includes forming a corrected image by applying the non-uniformity correction to the image data. The method further includes outputting the corrected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: DRS NETWORK & IMAGING SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Marteney, Richard L. Southerland, Kristina F. Jeppson, George Skidmore
  • Patent number: 10462388
    Abstract: A method of correcting an infrared image including a plurality of pixels arranged in an input image array, a first pixel in the plurality of pixels having a first pixel value and one or more neighbor pixel with one or more neighbor pixel values. The first pixel and the one or more neighbor pixels are associated with an object in the image. The method includes providing a correction array having a plurality of correction pixel values, generating a corrected image array by adding the first pixel value to a correction pixel value in the correction array, and detecting edges in the corrected image array. The method also includes masking the detected edges in the corrected image array, updating the correction array, for each correction pixel value in the correction array and providing an output image array based on the correction array and the input image array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: John R. Bailey, Rustin W. Allred
  • Patent number: 10425540
    Abstract: A method of operating optical systems includes forming a stitched image of a field of regard using a first optical device. The stitched image of the field of regard comprises a plurality of sub-images associated with a first field of view. The method also includes receiving an image of a second field of view from a second optical device and determining a location of the image of the second field of view in the stitched image. The method further includes communicating an indicator to the second optical device. The indicator is to the location of the image of the second field of view in the stitched image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: DRS NETWORK & IMAGING SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Antonio Vernon Bacarella, Kenneth Pietrasik, Brian Backer, Jon Piatt
  • Patent number: 10362244
    Abstract: A multi-sensor camera system includes a first optical sensor having a focus mechanism. The focus of the first optical sensor is adjusted using the focus mechanism. The multi-sensor camera system also includes a second optical sensor mounted inside the focus mechanism of the first optical sensor. The radial distance between optical axes of the first and second optical sensors is not limited by the focus mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Henry W. Neal, Richard L. Southerland, Samuel E. Ivey, Rachel Laird
  • Publication number: 20190219836
    Abstract: A multi-axis motor includes a first elongate magnet member disposed in a first orientation and a second elongate magnet member disposed in a second orientation orthogonal to the first orientation and mechanically coupled to the first elongate magnet member. The first elongate magnet member is operable to adjust a first axis of a fine axis structure. The second elongate magnet member is operable to adjust a second axis of the fine axis structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Brian R. Pekarek, Milton A. Woodall, Jim Royalty
  • Patent number: 10302960
    Abstract: A multi-axis motor includes a first elongate magnet member disposed in a first orientation and a second elongate magnet member disposed in a second orientation orthogonal to the first orientation and mechanically coupled to the first elongate magnet member. The first elongate magnet member is operable to adjust a first axis of a fine axis structure. The second elongate magnet member is operable to adjust a second axis of the fine axis structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: DRS NETWORK & IMAGING SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Brian R. Pekarek, Milton A. Woodall, Jim Royalty
  • Publication number: 20190110005
    Abstract: Methods of and systems for generating a temperature map of a scene are provided. The method may include receiving thermal data of the scene, wherein the thermal data includes a plurality of frames of thermal infrared data. A mapping may be created for each frame of the plurality of frames based on the digital thermal infrared data. The method further comprises generating the temperature map using the mapping, wherein the temperature map is generated prior to a contrast enhancement process and separately transmitting the temperature map and the digital thermal infrared data in a data channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Richard L. Southerland, Douglas A. Blettner, David C. Hutchison, Henry W. Neal
  • Publication number: 20190014272
    Abstract: Methods of and systems for providing temperature data in a video stream are provided. The method includes receiving a video stream having a plurality of video frames with a first frame rate and receiving temperature data including a temperature map associated with the video stream and having a plurality of temperature frames with a second frame rate, which can be slower than the first frame rate. To interlace the temperature data, a subset of temperature frames in the plurality of temperature frames can be extracted. The method further includes transmitting each temperature frame in the subset of temperature frames with the plurality of video frames in a data stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: David C. Hutchison, Ralph K. Williamson
  • Publication number: 20190014225
    Abstract: A method of operating optical systems includes forming a stitched image of a field of regard using a first optical device. The stitched image of the field of regard comprises a plurality of sub-images associated with a first field of view. The method also includes receiving an image of a second field of view from a second optical device and determining a location of the image of the second field of view in the stitched image. The method further includes communicating an indicator to the second optical device. The indicator is to the location of the image of the second field of view in the stitched image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Antonio Vernon Bacarella, Kenneth Pietrasik, Brian Backer, Jon Piatt
  • Patent number: 10121912
    Abstract: Methods and structures of photodetectors are described. The structure may include a readout integrated circuit substrate having an internally integrated capacitor. The structure may additionally include an external capacitor overlying the readout integrated circuit substrate. The external capacitor may be coupled with the internally integrated capacitor of the readout integrated circuit substrate, and configured to operate in parallel with the internally integrated capacitor of the readout integrated circuit substrate. The structure may also include a detector overlying the external capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Kirk D. Peterson, Eugene E. Krueger, Cari A. Ossenfort, Daniel B. Jardine, George D. Skidmore
  • Publication number: 20180309941
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for generating hyperspectral images, which may correspond to a three dimensional image in which two dimensions correspond to a spatial field of view and a third dimension corresponds to a frequency domain absorption spectrum. Disclosed systems and methods include those employing dual optical frequency comb Fourier transform spectroscopy and computational imaging for generation of hyperspectral images. Such a combination advantageously allows for imaging systems to exhibit low size, weight, and power, enabling small or handheld sized imaging devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Marco A. Lopez, Eden Y.C. Mei, Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: 10108001
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a wider FOV for a telescope system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a telescope includes a primary mirror having an orifice, where an optical path originates from an object positioned in front of the primary mirror and reflects off the primary mirror. A secondary mirror is disposed adjacent to the primary mirror, where the optical path reflects off the secondary mirror and passes through the orifice in the primary mirror. The telescope includes a set of extended field corrector optics disposed along the optical path, the extended field corrector optics positioned to reflect light incident from the secondary mirror, where the set of extended field corrector optics includes two corrector mirrors. A tertiary mirror is disposed along the optical path and adjacent to the extended field corrector optics, the tertiary mirror positioned to reflect the light incident from the extended field corrector optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Harvey M. Spencer
  • Patent number: 10104314
    Abstract: A method for generating a temperature map of a scene may include receiving thermal data of the scene, wherein the thermal data includes a plurality of frames of thermal infrared data. A mapping may be created for each frame of the plurality of frames based on the digital thermal infrared data. The method further comprises generating the temperature map using the mapping, wherein the temperature map is generated prior to a contrast enhancement process and separately transmitting the temperature map and the digital thermal infrared data in a data channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Richard L. Southerland, Douglas A. Blettner, David C. Hutchison, Henry W. Neal
  • Patent number: 10104241
    Abstract: A method of operating optical systems includes forming a stitched image of a field of regard using a first optical device. The stitched image of the field of regard comprises a plurality of sub-images associated with a first field of view. The method also includes receiving an image of a second field of view from a second optical device and determining a location of the image of the second field of view in the stitched image. The method further includes communicating an indicator to the second optical device. The indicator is to the location of the image of the second field of view in the stitched image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Antonio Vernon Bacarella, Kenneth Pietrasik, Brian Backer, Jon Piatt
  • Publication number: 20180270429
    Abstract: A method of operating a video camera includes capturing a scene of imaging data using a focal plane array (FPA) module of the video camera. The scene of imaging data is characterized by a first bit depth. The method also includes processing, using an image processing module coupled to the FPA module, the scene of imaging data to provide display data characterized by a second bit depth less than the first bit depth. The method further includes forming a super frame including the display data and the scene of imaging data and outputting the super frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Christison, Chris Reed, Bracey J. Blackburn
  • Patent number: 10070075
    Abstract: Methods of and systems for providing temperature data in a video stream are provided. The method includes receiving a video stream having a plurality of video frames with a first frame rate and receiving temperature data including a temperature map associated with the video stream and having a plurality of temperature frames with a second frame rate, which can be slower than the first frame rate. To interlace the temperature data, a subset of temperature frames in the plurality of temperature frames can be extracted. The method further includes transmitting each temperature frame in the subset of temperature frames with the plurality of video frames in a data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: David C. Hutchison, Ralph K. Williamson
  • Patent number: 10055825
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to systems and methods to intelligently reduce the dynamic range of a signal. Using a histogram analysis of the signal, significant and insignificant portions of the original dynamic range can be identified. Compaction can then be focused on the insignificant portions of the dynamic range, resulting in significant dynamic range reduction with less signal loss. By compacting the little used portions of the original signal, the dynamic range of the rest of the signal can be largely maintained which results in little loss to signal fidelity, and thus mitigates saturation, quantization, signal mutual suppression, and other issues observed in prior art methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Haiying Liu, James Pittman
  • Patent number: 10057512
    Abstract: A method of correcting an infrared image including a plurality of pixels arranged in an input image array, a first pixel in the plurality of pixels having a first pixel value and one or more neighbor pixel with one or more neighbor pixel values. The first pixel and the one or more neighbor pixels are associated with an object in the image. The method includes providing a correction array having a plurality of correction pixel values, generating a corrected image array by adding the first pixel value to a correction pixel value in the correction array, and detecting edges in the corrected image array. The method also includes masking the detected edges in the corrected image array, updating the correction array, for each correction pixel value in the correction array and providing an output image array based on the correction array and the input image array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: John R. Bailey, Rustin W. Allred
  • Patent number: 10009553
    Abstract: A method of operating a video camera includes capturing a scene of imaging data using the video camera, wherein the imaging data is characterized by a first bit depth and processing the imaging data to provide display data characterized by a second bit depth less than the first bit depth. The method also includes framing the imaging data and the display data and outputting the framed imaging and display data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Christison, Chris Reed, Bracey J Blackburn
  • Patent number: 9919921
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel nano- and micro-electromechanical devices and novel methods of preparing them. In one aspect, the invention includes methods of preparing a nanodevice. In certain embodiments, the methods comprise coating a polymer layer with a first at least one thin solid material layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD), thus forming an ALD-generated layer. In other embodiments, the methods comprise patterning the first at least one thin solid material layer to form a nanodevice. In yet other embodiments, the methods comprise releasing the nanodevice from the polymer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, DRS Network & Imaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Victor M. Bright, Steven George, Joseph J. Brown, Nathan T. Eigenfeld, Jason M. Gray, George Dee Skidmore