Abstract: The present disclosure relates to imaging systems, aerial refueling aircraft, and methods relating to the processing of images. An example imaging system includes at least one camera, a display, and a controller. The controller includes at least one processor and a memory. The controller is configured to carry out operations. The operations include receiving at least one image from the at least one camera. The operations additionally include adjusting the at least one image to provide at least one adjusted image. Adjusting the at least one image includes applying: a local adaptive histogram equalization filter, a global gamma correction filter, and a local contrast filter. The operations also include outputting the at least one adjusted image to the display.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to imaging processing devices, aerial refueling aircraft, and methods relating to the processing of images. An example imaging processing device includes a programmable circuit, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), that is reprogrammed based on selected circuit data so as to construct a circuit configured to provide image processing on at least one image. The image processing includes receiving the at least one image. The image processing also includes adjusting the at least one image, to provide at least one adjusted image. Adjusting the at least one image includes applying: a local adaptive histogram equalization filter, a global gamma correction filter, and a local contrast filter.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to imaging processing devices, aerial refueling aircraft, and methods relating to the processing of images. An example imaging processing device includes a programmable circuit, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), that is reprogrammed based on selected circuit data so as to construct a circuit configured to provide image processing on at least one image. The image processing includes receiving the at least one image. The image processing also includes adjusting the at least one image, to provide at least one adjusted image. Adjusting the at least one image includes applying: a local adaptive histogram equalization filter, a global gamma correction filter, and a local contrast filter.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to imaging systems, aerial refueling aircraft, and methods relating to the processing of images. An example imaging system includes at least one camera, a display, and a controller. The controller includes at least one processor and a memory. The controller is configured to carry out operations. The operations include receiving at least one image from the at least one camera. The operations additionally include adjusting the at least one image to provide at least one adjusted image. Adjusting the at least one image includes applying: a local adaptive histogram equalization filter, a global gamma correction filter, and a local contrast filter. The operations also include outputting the at least one adjusted image to the display.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a processor (e.g., FPGA) configured to cause the apparatus to perform a number of operations. The apparatus may be caused to receive input data for a digital image represented by point samples at respective sample locations, reconstruct the digital image from the input data for presentation by a display including display pixels, and output the reconstructed digital image. The reconstruction may include a number of operations for each of at least some of the display pixels. In this regard, the apparatus may be caused to perform a convolution-based, point-sample encoding of a selected display pixel to generate an encoding that identifies point samples of the digital image nearby the selected display pixel. And the apparatus may be caused to interpolate a value of the selected display pixel from at least some of the identified point samples using the generated encoding.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for target detection in hyperspectral images are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of detecting a target in a hyperspectral image includes spectrally unmixing the hyperspectral image into segments, each segment having at least one of similar spectral composition, similar textural composition, and similar variation, and spectrally unmixing at least one of the segments. The method further includes creating a clutter rejection filter for at least one segment, filtering at least one segment, and calculating target abundances in at least one segment. In alternate embodiments, channel reduction can be performed on the hyperspectral image and also on at least one segment. In further embodiments, data associated with the location of possible targets in the segments may be compiled. In yet another embodiment, this data may be compressed by cross referencing data from all segments and eliminating redundancies.

Abstract: A collision sense and avoidance system and method and an aircraft, such as an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) and/or Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV), including the collision sense and avoidance system. The collision sense and avoidance system includes an image interrogator identifies potential collision threats to the aircraft and provides maneuvers to avoid any identified threat. Motion sensors (e.g., imaging and/or infrared sensors) provide image frames of the surroundings to a clutter suppression and target detection unit that detects local targets moving in the frames. A Line Of Sight (LOS), multi-target tracking unit, tracks detected local targets and maintains a track history in LOS coordinates for each detected local target. A threat assessment unit determines whether any tracked local target poses a collision threat. An avoidance maneuver unit provides flight control and guidance with a maneuver to avoid any identified said collision threat.

Abstract: A hardware system for passively detecting wires from a mobile transportation system is provided. The hardware system includes a main processor in the hardware system that uses plural commands to manage a preprocessor module and a linker module, wherein the pre-processing module pre-processes a digital image taken from a digital camera of the transport system and reduces non-wire like clutter from the digital image and identifies pixels that can be classified as wire like; and the linker module links the identified pixels to determine if a wire like structure is present and a binary output from the linker module is sent to an output select module that allows a user to select a video output.

Abstract: Method and system for passively detecting wires from a mobile transport system is provided. The method includes, pre-processing a digital image taken from a digital camera of the transport system, wherein the pre-processing is performed by a pre-processing module to reduce non-wire like clutter from the digital image; identifying pixels that can be classified as wire like by using a segment finder module on the digital image that has been pre-processed by the pre-processing module; and linking the identified pixels to determine if a wire like structure is present, wherein a linker module links the pixels that can be classified as wire like, to generate a wire overlay.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for target detection in hyperspectral images are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of detecting a target in a hyperspectral image includes spectrally unmixing the hyperspectral image into segments, each segment having at least one of similar spectral composition, similar textural composition, and similar variation, and spectrally unmixing at least one of the segments. The method further includes creating a clutter rejection filter for at least one segment, filtering at least one segment, and calculating target abundances in at least one segment. In alternate embodiments, channel reduction can be performed on the hyperspectral image and also on at least one segment. In further embodiments, data associated with the location of possible targets in the segments may be compiled. In yet another embodiment, this data may be compressed by cross referencing data from all segments and eliminating redundancies.