초록 ▼

Methods and apparatus for fusion of data from optical and radar sensors by error minimization procedure. The method has been applied to the problem of shape reconstruction of an unknown surface at a distance. The method involves deriving an incomplete surface model from an optical sensor. The unknow

Methods and apparatus for fusion of data from optical and radar sensors by error minimization procedure. The method has been applied to the problem of shape reconstruction of an unknown surface at a distance. The method involves deriving an incomplete surface model from an optical sensor. The unknown characteristics of the surface are represented by some parameter. The correct value of the parameter is computed by iteratively generating theoretical predictions of the Radar cross-sections (RCS) of the surface, comparing the predicted and the observed values for the RCS, and improving the surface model from results of the comparison. Theoretical RCS may be computed from the surface model in several ways. One RCS prediction technique is the method of moments. The method of moments can be applied to an unknown surface only if some shape information is available from an independent source. The optical image provides the independent information.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for determining the shape of a remote surface by sensor fusion using incomplete data from a plurality of sensors, comprising the steps of (a) obtaining from a first sensor a first electronic signal representative of the surface, (b) constructing a first electronic model of the surface using

A method for determining the shape of a remote surface by sensor fusion using incomplete data from a plurality of sensors, comprising the steps of (a) obtaining from a first sensor a first electronic signal representative of the surface, (b) constructing a first electronic model of the surface using the first electronic signal, (c) using first electronic model as a guide, constructing for a second sensor a predicted electronic signal also representative of the surface, (d) obtaining from the second sensor an actual electronic signal representative of the surface, (e) minimizing the difference between the predicted electronic signal and the actual electronic signal, (f) constructing an additional electronic model of the surface using the result of step (e) as a guide, (g) using the additional electronic model of the surface in constructing an additional predicted electronic signal for the second sensor, (h) obtaining from the second sensor an additional actual electronic signal representative of the surface, (i) minimizing the difference between the additional predicted electronic signal and the additional actual electronic signal, (j) repeating steps (f) through (i) until the difference between the final predicted electronic signal and the actual electronic signal is below a predetermined threshold level whereby, the shape of the remote surface, represented by the final predicted electronic signal, is determined more accurately than can be done with either the first or second sensor alone, and (k) displaying the shape of the remote surface.