Patents by Inventor Zvi Yavin
Zvi Yavin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20160224842Abstract: An airborne system for performing surveillance of a stationary or moving object on the ground, comprising: two independent image-acquiring devices that are mounted at two extremities of a pod, respectively, a first of said image-acquiring devices is a scanning device which is used for scanning an area of interest and identifying targets therein, and the second of said image acquiring devices is an investigation device which is used for investigating one or more of said identified targets.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2016Publication date: August 4, 2016Inventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin
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Patent number: 9063391Abstract: The invention relates to an airborne reconnaissance system which comprises: (a) optical unit for acquiring light rays from a terrain portion, said optical unit comprises a plurality of optical components that are positioned along an optical path and designed to maneuver said light rays to produce at a focal plane an acquired image of a terrain portion, said acquired image having an area S which is several times larger than the area A of a focal plane array which is positioned at same focal plane; (b) gimbals unit for performing a continuous back and forth across-track scanning movement of a respective line of sight formed between said optical unit and the terrain below the aircraft; (c) a first back-scanning mirror along said optical path, for compensating for said continuous across track movement of the line of sight, said compensation is performed during a respective integration period for a section of said acquired image of area S which falls during said period on said focal plane array; and (d) a second,Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2011Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: RAFAEL ADVANCED DEFENSE SYSTEMS LTD.Inventor: Zvi Yavin
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Publication number: 20150022662Abstract: The invention relates to a method of performing surveillance of an object moving on the ground, which comprises: a) providing two independent image-acquisition devices, wherein at least one of said devices is capable of acquiring high-resolution images, and the second of said devices is capable of acquiring low-resolution images; b) independently acquiring low-resolution and high-resolution images of the same scanned area; c) identifying an object the movement of which it is desired to follow, using the images; d) locating the object identified in at least one image; and e) following the movements of the identified object through a string of low-resolution images.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 1, 2013Publication date: January 22, 2015Inventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin
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Patent number: 8928750Abstract: An airborne reconnaissance system which comprises: (a) A focal plane array positioned at a focal plane of an optical unit, said focal plane array having an area A, and comprises a plurality of optical pixels sensitive to light; (b) Optical unit for acquiring light rays from a terrain portion, said optical unit comprises a plurality of optical components that are positioned along an optical path, and designed to maneuver said light rays to produce at the focal plane an image of said terrain portion, said image having an area which is several times larger than the focal plane array area A; (c) At least one light diversion optical component along said optical path which, for each acquired terrain portion image, switches between several n states, thereby causing in each state different diversion of said light rays within said path, thereby to impinge in each state another fraction of the terrain image on said focal plane array; and (d) Capturing means for recording in each state of the at least one light diversioType: GrantFiled: June 26, 2006Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Rafael-Armament Development Authority Ltd.Inventors: Zvi Yavin, Gabriel Katlan
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Patent number: 8527115Abstract: An airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system; (5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigation system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2007Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd.Inventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin, Bernd Uhl
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Publication number: 20130142500Abstract: The invention relates to an airborne reconnaissance system which comprises: (a) optical unit for acquiring light rays from a terrain portion, said optical unit comprises a plurality of optical components that are positioned along an optical path and designed to maneuver said light rays to produce at a focal plane an acquired image of a terrain portion, said acquired image having an area S which is several times larger than the area A of a focal plane array which is positioned at same focal plane; (b) gimbals unit for performing a continuous back and forth across-track scanning movement of a respective line of sight formed between said optical unit and the terrain below the aircraft; (c) a first back-scanning mirror along said optical path, for compensating for said continuous across track movement of the line of sight, said compensation is performed during a respective integration period for a section of said acquired image of area S which falls during said period on said focal plane array; and (d) a second,Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2011Publication date: June 6, 2013Applicant: RAFAEL ADVANCED DEFENSE SYSTEMS LTD.Inventor: Zvi Yavin
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Patent number: 8223202Abstract: The present invention relates to an airborne reconnaissance system for capturing images in a wide field of regard which comprises: (a) An array of a plurality of n prisms being one next to the other, each prism having an essentially flat and rectangular front surface, and at least an output surface wherein: (a1) a front surface of each of the plurality of prism is being directed toward a different section of a strip of terrain transversal to the flight direction of the aircraft, thereby collecting light rays coming mostly from that terrain strip section; (a2) each output surface of each of the prisms directs light rays which are received through said front prism surface toward a front lens of an optical unit; (b) A focal plane array; (c) Optical unit comprising a front lens, the front lens receiving light separately but simultaneously through the output surfaces of all the prisms, said optical unit comprises addition optics for directing the light received from said lens thereby to produce separate correspondType: GrantFiled: August 14, 2005Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Rafael-Armament Development Authority Ltd.Inventors: Eliezer Rosenblum, Zvi Yavin
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Publication number: 20090009602Abstract: An airborne reconnaissance system which comprises: (a) A focal plane array positioned at a focal plane of an optical unit, said focal plane array having an area A, and comprises a plurality of optical pixels sensitive to light; (b) Optical unit for acquiring light rays from a terrain portion, said optical unit comprises a plurality of optical components that are positioned along an optical path, and designed to maneuver said light rays to produce at the focal plane an image of said terrain portion, said image having an area which is several times larger than the focal plane array area A; (c) At least one light diversion optical component along said optical path which, for each acquired terrain portion image, switches between several n states, thereby causing in each state different diversion of said light rays within said path, thereby to impinge in each state another fraction of the terrain image on said focal plane array; and (d) Capturing means for recording in each state of the at least one light diversioType: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2006Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicant: Rafael-Armament Development Authority Ltd.Inventors: Zvi Yavin, Gabriel Katlan
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Publication number: 20080211912Abstract: An airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system; (5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigation system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2007Publication date: September 4, 2008Applicant: RAFAEL-ARMAMENT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LTD.Inventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin, Bernd Uhl
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Patent number: 7308342Abstract: A airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system; (5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigational system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2006Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd.Inventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin, Bernd Uhl
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Publication number: 20070242135Abstract: The present invention relates to an airborne reconnaissance system for capturing images in a wide field of regard which comprises: (a) An array of a plurality of n prisms being one next to the other, each prism having an essentially flat and rectangular front surface, and at least an output surface wherein: (a1) a front surface of each of the plurality of prism is being directed toward a different section of a strip of terrain transversal to the flight direction of the aircraft, thereby collecting light rays coming mostly from that terrain strip section; (a2) each output surface of each of the prisms directs light rays which are received through said front prism surface toward a front lens of an optical unit; (b) A focal plane array; (c) Optical unit comprising a front lens, the front lens receiving light separately but simultaneously through the output surfaces of all the prisms, said optical unit comprises addition optics for directing the light received from said lens thereby to produce separate correspondType: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2005Publication date: October 18, 2007Applicant: RAFAEL-ARMAMENT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LTD.Inventors: Eliezer Rosenblum, Zvi Yavin
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Publication number: 20070129853Abstract: A airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system; (5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigational system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2006Publication date: June 7, 2007Applicant: RAFAEL-ARMAMENT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LTD.Inventors: Israel GREENFELD, Zvi YAVIN, Bernd UHL
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Patent number: 7136726Abstract: An airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system; (5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigation system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2003Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd.Inventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin, Bernd Uhl
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Publication number: 20050177307Abstract: An airborne reconnaissance system comprising: (1) Gimbals having at least two degrees of freedom; (2) At least one array of light sensors positioned on the gimbals, for being directed by the same within at least two degrees of freedom; (3) Map storage means for storing at least one Digital Elevation Map of an area of interest, divided into portions; (4) Inertial Navigation System for real-time providing to a gimbals control unit navigation and orientation data of the aircraft with respect to a predefined global axes system;(5) Portion selection unit for selecting, one at a time, another area portion from the area of interest; and (6) servo means for directing the gimbals. The system uses data from the inertial navigation system and from the digital elevation map for real-time calculating direction to selected area portions, and for maintaining the direction during integration of light from the terrain, and for producing corresponding images of area portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2003Publication date: August 11, 2005Applicant: Rafael-Armament Development Authority LTDInventors: Israel Greenfeld, Zvi Yavin, Bernd Uhl
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Patent number: 5383645Abstract: A stabilized payload including:a first gimbal arranged for rotation about a first axis and mounted onto a support;a dual gimbal mounting assembly supported on the first gimbal for supporting a sensor; andan environmental protective housing mounted on the first gimbal and enclosing the dual gimbal mounting assembly.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1992Date of Patent: January 24, 1995Assignee: State of Israel-Ministry of Defence Armament Development Authority, RafaelInventors: Hai Pedut, Zvi Yavin, Shlomo Djerassi, Avihu Goral