Composite multispectral polarization sensor

Abstract

To provide a composite multi-spectral polarization (CMSP) sensor.SOLUTION: It is disclosed that a combined multi-spectral and polarization (CMSP) sensor enhances contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The CMSP sensor comprises a multi-spectral and polarization (MSP) filter, a single focal plane array (FPA), and a controller. The FPA comprises a plurality of detectors and the MSP filter comprises at least a first bandpass filter having a first frequency range and a second bandpass filter having a second frequency range that is distinct from the first frequency range, a first polarization filter having a first polarization value, and a second polarization filter having a second polarization value that is distinct from the first polarization value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Background Art

[0001] An image system using an electro-optical sensor can be used to determine one or more characteristics of an object when the electro-optical sensor receives an electromagnetic radiation signal from the object or an electromagnetic radiation signal reflected by the object. A multispectral sensor is an electro-optical sensor that captures images of electromagnetic radiation at a number of wavelengths. These multispectral sensors can be used in several different cameras that capture images at wavelengths of red, green, blue, and intermediate colors, as well as images at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and infrared (IR) wavelengths. Generally, the use of this type of multispectral sensor in multispectral imaging is useful for many things, including terrain classification, detection of specific substances (minerals, paints, metals, vehicles, roads, building materials, oil spills, soil types, etc.), and characterization of the atmosphere, clouds, weather, and climate.

[0002] To improve these types of image sensors, the image sensors also include polarization sensors. Polarization images utilize a polarization sensor that divides the received light in the captured image into various polarization planes (e.g., vertical, horizontal, 45-degree polarization channels, etc.). Since artificial materials tend to polarize light more strongly than natural materials, by appropriately processing these polarization channels, it is possible to generate a depolarization ratio (DOLP) image that "makes artificial objects stand out" against the noise background of the captured image.

[0003] Unfortunately, known types of image sensors that utilize both multispectral sensors and polarization sensors are complex and require separate cameras and one or more optical beam splitters that divide the image light captured from a condenser (i.e., a telescope) into different spectral bands and polarization channels. In an example of an operation, a portion of the collected image light passes through a focusing optical system and is directed towards a first camera that operates as a multispectral image sensor, and another portion of the collected image light is directed towards another camera that operates as a polarization image sensor. In this example, each camera is implemented as a focal plane array (FPA), and these known image systems utilize a compound optical system and at least two FPAs.

[0004] Thus, there is a need for a new type of image sensor that can provide multispectral and polarized images without requiring complex optical systems or multiple FPAs. [Overview of the project]

[0005] A composite multispectral polarization (CMSP) sensor is disclosed. The CMSP sensor comprises a multispectral polarization (MSP) filter, a single focal plane array (FPA), and a controller. The FPA comprises multiple detectors, and the MSP filter comprises a first band filter having at least a first frequency range, a second band filter having a second frequency range different from the first frequency range, a first polarizing filter having a first polarization state, and a second polarizing filter having a second polarization state different from the first polarization state. The controller communicates signals with the MSP filter and the single FPA, and the controller A specific portion of the scene has a first detector and a first alignment of a single FPA, and while the first band filter is between the specific portion of the scene and the first detector, the capture of a first image of the scene, which is to be registered, begins. In response to determining that a specific portion of the scene has a second detector and a second alignment of a single FPA, and the second alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and that a second bandfilter is located between the specific portion of the scene and the second detector, a second image of the scene is captured while the specific portion of the scene has the second detector and the second alignment, and saving of the second image to be registered is initiated. In response to determining that a specific portion of the scene has a third detector and a third alignment of a single FPA, and the third alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and that the first polarization filter is located between the specific portion of the scene and the third detector, a third image of the scene is captured while the specific portion of the scene has the third detector and the third alignment, and saving of the third image to be registered is initiated. The system is configured to generate a multispectral polarization composite image using at least the first, second, and third images, and to construct the multispectral polarization composite image as a hypercube image by co-adding the first, second, and third images, thereby increasing the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the multispectral polarization composite image.

[0006] Other devices, apparatus, systems, methods, features, and advantages of the concepts described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art by examining the drawings and detailed description below. All such additional devices, apparatus, systems, methods, features, and advantages are contained herein, within the scope of this disclosure, and are intended to be protected by the appended claims.

[0007] The concepts described in this disclosure can be better understood by referring to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to exact scale, but rather the focus is on illustrating the principles of the concepts described in this disclosure. In the drawings, similar reference numbers refer to the corresponding parts across different drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a system block diagram of one embodiment of the implementation of a composite multiplespectral polarization (CMSP) sensor according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a system block diagram of one embodiment of the controller implementation described herein. [Figure 3] This is a top view of one embodiment of the implementation of the focal plane array (FPA) shown in Figure 1, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] This is a top view of one embodiment of the implementation of a multispectral polarization (MSP) filter according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4B]This is a top view of one embodiment of the implementation of the laminated type spectral filter of the MSP filter shown in Figure 4A, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a side view of one embodiment of the implementation of the FPA shown in Figure 2A and the MSP filter shown in Figure 4A according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a system diagram of an embodiment of the operation of a satellite-based CMSP sensor according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the operation method of the CMPS sensor shown in Figure 1, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8A] This is a system block diagram of a first alignment embodiment between a scene target and the first detector of the FPA shown in Figure 3, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8B] This is a system block diagram of a second embodiment of the alignment between the scene target and the second detector of the FPA shown in Figure 3, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8C] This is a system block diagram of a third embodiment of the alignment between the scene target and the third detector of the FPA shown in Figure 3, according to the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Disclosed is a composite multispectral polarization (CMSP) sensor. The CMSP sensor enhances the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of acquired images of a scene. The CMSP sensor comprises a multispectral polarization (MSP) filter, a single focal plane array (FPA), and a controller. The FPA comprises multiple detectors, and the MSP filter comprises a first band filter having at least a first frequency range, a second band filter having a second frequency range different from the first frequency range, a first polarizing filter having a first polarization state, and a second polarizing filter having a second polarization state different from the first polarization state. The controller communicates with the MSP filter and the single FPA, and the controller A specific portion of the scene has a first detector and a first alignment of a single FPA, and while a first band filter is between the specific portion of the scene and the first detector, the capture of a first image of the scene, which is to be registered, begins. In response to determining that a specific portion of the scene has a second detector and a second alignment of a single FPA, and the second alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and that a second bandfilter is located between the specific portion of the scene and the second detector, a second image of the scene is captured while the specific portion of the scene has the second detector and the second alignment, and saving of the second image to be registered is initiated. In response to determining that a specific portion of the scene has a third detector and a third alignment of a single FPA, and the third alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and that the first polarization filter is located between the specific portion of the scene and the third detector, a third image of the scene is captured while the specific portion of the scene has the third detector and the third alignment, and saving of the third image to be registered is initiated. The system is configured to generate a multispectral polarization composite image using at least the first, second, and third images, and to construct the multispectral polarization composite image as a hypercube image by co-adding the first, second, and third images, thereby increasing the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the multispectral polarization composite image.

[0010] Generally, a CMSP sensor superimposes a single FPA of a camera onto an MSP filter that includes a series of spectral and polarizing filters. The single FPA is typically a large pixel format superimposed with a polarizing filter and a series of spectral filters that extend across major bands of spectral frequencies (e.g., VNIR (visible near infrared) + SWIR (short wave infrared), MWIR (mid wave infrared), or LWIR (long wave infrared)).

[0011] Polarizing filters may include orthogonal polarization bands or, for example, gradually increasing variable polarization filter bands that vary from -90 degrees to 90 degrees. Polarization at visible, MWIR, and LWIR wavelengths provides strong identification for detecting artifacts in a background of natural noise in a scene; therefore, polarizing filters add an additional mode for identifying targets in a scene from background noise. In one embodiment, measurements of various painted boards in a scene oriented at a 45-degree angle perpendicular to the line of sight (LOS) of a CMSP sensor produce linearly polarized degrees (DOLP) corresponding to a difference of 2 to 6 Kelvin. Thus, by adding various polarizing filters to the MSP filter, the CMSP sensor can perform DOLP measurements, adding a complementary detection mode for detecting targets in a scene scanned by the CMSP sensor.

[0012] By utilizing a CMSP sensor, a spectral image cube can be formed by scanning a field of view (FOV) across a ground swath while the CMSP sensor collects a series of image frames of multiple scenes of landmasses along the ground swath. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor on the CMSP sensor provides precise positional information and enables real-time onboard subpixel alignment of the captured image frames of multiple scenes and co-additions (stacking) of the image frames. This process is generally a time-delayed integration (TDI) process in the digital domain. As an alternative to or enhancement of the IMU sensor, a well-established registration process can also determine the alignment of the captured frames to subpixel precision.

[0013] In another embodiment, instead of scanning a FOV across a landmass, the CMSP sensor can also be used to scan an empty swath while the CMSP sensor collects a series of image frames of multiple scenes of the sky along a swath scanned across the sky.

[0014] In this embodiment, the CMSP sensor enables the formation of a time series of spectral image cubes by processing each iteration of the spectral sequence separately. Differential processing techniques prepare for the detection of sub-pixel-level motion of the target object in the scene by detecting the number of pixels the object moves between the acquisition times associated with the first and second iterations, as a function of the ground sample distance (GSD).

[0015] In one embodiment of the operation, the CMSP sensor is typically positioned on a moving mobile platform and scans a scene away from the CMSP sensor. If the mobile platform is, for example, a satellite, spacecraft, aircraft, or unmanned aerial vehicle, the scene is on the ground. Alternatively, if the CMSP sensor is fixed to the ground, it may scan the sky using a gimbal-type device or electronic scanning.

[0016] In one embodiment of the operation, the CMSP sensor has an FOV, and while a series of image frames are collected from the scene, the FOV is swept across the ground scene in a “push broom” type mode from an airborne or space mobile platform. This series of image frames is raw image data, which is processed to form an image of a large area of ​​the ground scene in a number of light wavelengths and polarization states. In this embodiment, the CMSP sensor is configured to acquire this raw image data by an MSP filter that includes both a spectral filter and a polarizing filter. As a result, the CMSP sensor can simultaneously produce two image outputs, spectral sensing mode and polarization sensing mode, using only a single camera device such as a single FPA and a single optical device such as a telescope. As already described, this disclosure is not limited to images of landmasses on Earth, but can be applied to imaging objects in space, including planets, asteroids, satellites and rocket bodies, and extrasolar objects.

[0017] One skilled in the art will understand that a multispectral sensor (commonly known as a "spectral sensor") captures images at a number of wavelengths of light (where wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency). A spectral sensor is an extension of an RGB (red, green, blue) camera and can capture images at more intermediate colors, including ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and various infrared (IR) wavelengths. Generally, multispectral images are useful in many applications, such as terrain classification, detection of specific substances (minerals, paints, metals, vehicles, roads, building materials, oil spills, soil types, etc.), and characterization of the atmosphere, clouds, weather, and climate. Further, a polarization image generally divides the received light into vertical, horizontal, ±45-degree polarization channels, and a circular polarization channel. As already explained, generally, artificial materials tend to polarize light more strongly than natural materials. Thus, processing the different polarization channels to generate a DOLP image "makes artifacts stand out" against a noisy background.

[0018] Unlike two known approaches for generating two multispectral polarization images, the CMSP sensor uses less complex hardware, has fewer optical systems, and uses a single FPA for a single main spectral band (i.e., VNIR+SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR). The CMSP sensor eliminates the need for separate cameras (one for multispectral image capture and another for polarization image capture), an optical beam splitter that divides the light received from a condenser (i.e., a telescope), and a first set of focusing optics that directs the first portion of the divided light to the spectral image sensor of the first camera (i.e., the first FPA), and a first set of focusing optics that directs the second portion of the divided light to the polarization image sensor of the second camera (i.e., the second FPA).

[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a system block diagram of an embodiment of an implementation of a CMSP sensor 100 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the CMSP sensor 100 is disposed on a mobile platform 102. The CMSP sensor 100 includes an MSP filter 104, a single FPA 106, and a controller 108 that communicates signals with the MSP filter 104 and the single FPA 106. The MSP filter 104 includes at least a first band filter having a first frequency range, a second band filter having a second frequency range different from the first frequency range, a first polarization filter having a first polarization value, and a second polarization filter having a second polarization value different from the first polarization value.

[0020] The FPA 106 includes a plurality of detectors 110, and the FPA 106, the plurality of detectors, and the MSP filter 104 form a camera 112. The controller 108 is configured to begin capturing a first image of scene 114 while a particular portion of scene 114 has a first detector and a first alignment of the plurality of detectors 110 of a single FPA 106, and a first band filter is between the particular portion of scene 114 and the first detector. The controller 108 is also configured to begin saving a second image of scene 114 in response to a determination that a particular portion of scene 114 has a second detector and a second alignment of a single FPA 106, and the second alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and a second band filter is between the particular portion of scene 114 and the second detector. The second image is captured while a particular portion of the scene has a second detector and a second alignment. Furthermore, the controller 108 is also configured to initiate saving of a third image of scene 114 in response to a determination that a particular portion of scene 114 has a third detector and a third alignment of a single FPA 106, the third alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and the first polarization filter is located between the particular portion of scene 114 and the third detector. The third image is captured while the particular portion of scene 114 has the third detector and the third alignment. Furthermore, the controller 108 is further configured to generate a multispectral polarization composite image 116 using at least the first image, the second image, and the third image.

[0021] The CMSP sensor 100 may also include a telescope 118, a line-of-sight (LOS) measurement device 120, a motion device 122, a motion detector 124, and storage 125. The LOS measurement device 120 may include an IMU. The motion device 122 is configured to physically move and orient the telescope 118 toward the scene 114, and the motion detector 124 is configured to measure the movement of the telescope 118. As an alternative to or enhancement of the IMU, the system may also include an image registration processing function that evaluates relative pointing vectors between images with sub-pixel precision.

[0022] In this embodiment, the controller 108 communicates with the FPA 106, the detector 110, the telescope 118, the LOS measurement device 120, the motion device 122, and the motion detector 124. The FPA 106 also communicates with the motion device 122, the motion detector 124, and the storage 125. The storage 125 is a storage device such as memory, which communicates with the controller 108. In this embodiment, the telescope 118 may be part of the camera 112 and has a field of view (FOV) 126 directed towards the scene 114. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the scene 114 may have a target object 128 (e.g., a specific part 128 of the scene 114) detected by the CMSP sensor 100.

[0023] Those skilled in the art will understand that the circuits, components, modules, and / or devices of the CMSP sensor 100 or associated with the CMSP sensor 100 communicate with one another, where communication refers to any kind of communication and / or connection between the circuits, components, modules, and / or devices, enabling one circuit, component, module, and / or device to send and receive signals and / or information to another. The communication and / or connection may be along any signal path between the circuits, components, modules, and / or devices, enabling the transmission of signals and / or information from one circuit, component, module, and / or device to another, and the signal path may include wireless or wired signal paths. The signal path may be a physical path (e.g., a wire, electromagnetic waveguide, cable, terminal (e.g., a mounted and / or electromagnetic terminal, or a mechanically connected terminal), semiconductor or dielectric material, or other similar physical connector or coupling). Furthermore, the signal path may be a non-physical path. Non-physical paths are information paths that pass through free space (in the case of electromagnetic propagation) or digital components, where communication information is sent in various digital formats from one circuit, component, module, and / or device to another, without passing through a direct electromagnetic connection.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of the implementation of the controller 108 according to this disclosure. The controller 108 may include or be part of an arithmetic unit 200, which may include one or more processors 202, memory 204, and one or more communication interfaces 206. The memory 204 may include a machine-readable medium 208 on the memory 204 that stores instructions 210, and when instructions are executed by the arithmetic unit 200, the controller 108 can perform various operations.

[0025] In this embodiment, the arithmetic unit 200 includes one or more processors 202 (e.g., a microprocessor, single-core processor, multi-core processor, microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), a logic device (e.g., a programmable logic device configured to perform processing operations), a digital signal processing (DSP) device, one or more memories for storing executable instructions (e.g., software, firmware, or other instructions), and / or a processing device and / or any other suitable combination of memory 204 for executing instructions to perform any of the various operations described herein. One or more processors 202 communicate with memory 204 and other devices (i.e., FPA 106, LOS measurement device 120, motion device 122, motion detector 124, and telescope 118) via one or more communication interfaces 206 adapted to the interface and performing the methods and processing steps described herein. One or more communication interfaces 206 include a wired or wireless communication bus within the mobile platform 102.

[0026] In various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that processing operations and / or instructions may be integrated into software and / or hardware as part of one or more processors 202, or as code (e.g., software or configuration data) stored in memory 204. Embodiments of the processing operations and / or instructions 210 disclosed herein are stored in a machine-readable medium 208 (e.g., memory 204, hard drive, compact disk, or flash memory) in a non-transient manner, which can be executed by one or more processors 202 (e.g., a computer such as a logic system or processor-based system) to perform the various methods disclosed herein. In this embodiment, the machine-readable medium 208 is shown to reside in memory 204 within the arithmetic unit 200, but those skilled in the art will understand that the machine-readable medium 208 may be located on other memory outside the arithmetic unit 200. In another embodiment, the machine-readable medium 208 may be included as part of one or more processors 202.

[0027] In this embodiment, memory 204 may include one or more memory devices (e.g., one or more memories) for storing data and information. One or more memory devices may include various types of memory, including volatile or non-volatile memory devices such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable read-only memory), flash memory, or other types of memory. Memory 204 may include one or more memory devices inside the arithmetic unit 200 and / or one or more memory devices located outside the arithmetic unit 200. One or more processors 202 are adapted to execute software (i.e., instructions 210) stored in memory 204 in order to perform various methods, processes, and operations as described herein.

[0028] Figure 3 shows a top view of one embodiment of the implementation of the FPA300 according to the present disclosure. The FPA300 includes a plurality of detectors 302 along the surface 304 of the FPA300. In this embodiment, for illustrative purposes, the FPA300 is shown to have a first detector 306, a second detector 308, and a third detector 310 along a first row of detectors at a first edge of the surface 304.

[0029] Figure 4A shows a top view of an implementation of the MSP filter 400 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the MSP filter 400 includes a composite type spectral filter overlay 402 comprising a plurality of band filters, including at least a first band filter and a second band filter, the band filters of the plurality of band filters having a frequency range that varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies. The MSP filter 400 also includes a plurality of polarizing filters 404, including a first polarizing filter 406, a second polarizing filter 408, and a third polarizing filter 410, the polarizing filters of the plurality of polarizing filters 404 having a polarization range selected from the group consisting of, for example, vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, and -45 degree polarization. In this embodiment, the MSP filter 400 may include any number of laminated wood filter overlays, but for ease of explanation in this embodiment, the MSP filter 400 is shown as four laminated wood filter overlays, with a first spectral filter 402, a second spectral filter 412, a third spectral filter 414, and a fourth spectral filter 416 depicted.

[0030] Figure 4B is a top view of an embodiment of the implementation of a laminated-type spectral filter of the MSP filter 400 according to the present disclosure (i.e., a laminated-type filter overlay 417 which may be, for example, a first spectral filter 402, a second spectral filter 412, a third spectral filter 414, and a fourth spectral filter 416). In this embodiment, the laminated-type filter overlay 402 may include a plurality of band filters, from a first band filter 418, a second band filter 420, to an Nth band filter 422, where N can be any number based on the design of the MSP filter 400. For illustrative purposes only, only four spectral filters (i.e., the first spectral filter 402, the second spectral filter 412, the third spectral filter 414, and the fourth spectral filter 416) are shown, but it should be understood that there can be two to a large number of spectral filter sets based on the design of the MSP filter 400. In the operation, these spectral filters may be repeated many times, and spectral image hypercubes may be formed by each repeated use of the spectral filters, or alternatively, a single spectral image hypercube may be formed from all interactions. In this disclosure, by repeatedly generating images of the scene to generate spectral image hypercubes, the CMSP sensor 100 can detect moving targets or images in the scene by subtracting the generated spectral images to determine what is different in the spectral images of the scene. Figure 5 shows a side view of the FPA 300 and MSP filter 104 according to this disclosure.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first frequency range is associated with a first color, and the second frequency range is associated with a second color different from the first color. In addition, the MSP filters 104, 400 include laminated type spectral filters 402, 412, 414, or 416, which include a series of spectral filters and a series of polarizing filters 404, and the band filters of the series of spectral filters 402, 412, 414, or 416 have a frequency range that varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies. Furthermore, the polarizing filters of the series of polarizing filters 404 may have a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, -45 degree polarization, other linear polarization, right-hand circular polarization, and left-hand circular polarization.

[0032] Referring now to Figure 6, a system diagram of an embodiment of the operation of the CMSP sensor 100 on satellite 600 according to the present disclosure is shown. Satellite 600 is an embodiment of a mobile / vehicle platform on which the CMSP sensor 100 is deployed and moves. In this embodiment, the vehicle is shown as satellite 600, but as already described, the vehicle may be, for example, a manned or unmanned aircraft, a balloon, or other similar vehicle. Satellite 600 typically flies along a straight path 602 at a constant speed and altitude over landmass 604 and observes scene 606 along the swath 608 of landmass 604. The CMSP sensor 100 is typically deployed on satellite 600 and scans scene 606 away from the CMSP sensor 100 on satellite 600. In one embodiment of the operation, the CMSP sensor 100 has an FOV 126, and while a series of image frames are collected from scene 606, the FOV 126 is swept across scene 606 over landmass 604 from satellite 600 in a "push-bloom" type mode. Alternatively, instead of sweeping the FOV 126 across scene 606 over landmass 604 in a push-bloom type mode, the LOS of the FOV 126 may be mechanically or electronically scanned across landmass 604 (or across the sky) without moving the CMSP sensor 100. Furthermore, the MSP filter 104 may be moved across the FPA 106.

[0033] As already explained, this series of image frames is raw image data, which is processed to form an image of a large area of ​​scene 606 with a wide range of light wavelengths and linear polarizations. As a result, the CMSP sensor 100 can simultaneously generate two image outputs, spectral sensing mode and polarization sensing mode, using only a single camera device 112, which includes a single FPA 106 and a single optical device such as a telescope 118.

[0034] In this embodiment, the FPA 300 of the CMSP sensor 100 may be small (e.g., having approximately 256 detectors) or very large (e.g., having 10,000 or more detectors). In this particular embodiment, the FPA 300 of the CMSP sensor 100 has a total of 4096 detectors 302 divided into 15 spectral channels, each spectral channel corresponding to a band filter (i.e., 418-422) of the laminated wood filter overlay 402, 412, 414, or 416. Each spectral channel can spread across approximately 250 pixel rows of detectors 302 in the FPA 300.

[0035] During operation, each point in Scene 606 is measured N times at each pixel as the combined FOV 126 of Camera 112 and Telescope 118 traverses Scene 606 and Swath 608 at approximately 1 GSD per exposure of Camera 112, where N is approximately equal to the number of pixels divided by the number of channels plus an arbitrary buffer. The image frames received from Scene 606 are registered and co-added to construct a hypercube (i.e., spectral image cube). Generally, co-adding of received image frames increases the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) by the square root of N and suppresses spatial non-uniform residual noise of any FPA 300. In addition, this process is repeated multiple times (e.g., 3 times), and three polarization measurements (e.g., at 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and -45 degrees) are performed at each point in Scene 606. In another embodiment, the polarization measurements may alternatively be right-hand circular polarization and left-hand circular polarization.

[0036] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 700 for operating a CMSP sensor 100 with captured image data according to the present disclosure. The method includes capturing a first image of scene 114 or 606 by the CMSP sensor 100 while a particular portion of scene 114 or 606 has a first alignment with a first detector 306 of FPA 106, 300, and a first band filter 418 is between the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 and the first detector 306, and saving the first image of scene 114 or 606 704.

[0037] Next, method 700 determines 706 whether a particular portion of scene 114 or 606 is aligned with the second detector 308 and the second bandfilter 420. In response to the determination that a particular portion of scene 114 or 606 has a second alignment with the second detector 308 of a single FPA 106, 300, and that the second alignment substantially coincides with the first alignment, and that the second bandfilter 420 is between the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 and the second detector 308, method 708 captures another (e.g., a second) image while the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 has the second alignment with the second detector 308. Method 700 then saves 710 the second image of scene 114 or 606. In this embodiment, the second bandfilter 420 has a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range of the first bandfilter 418. Method 700 then repeats step 706.

[0038] Alternatively, if method 700 determines 706 that a particular portion of scene 114 or 606 is not aligned with the second detector 308 and the second band filter 420, method 700 then determines 712 whether the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 has a third alignment with the third detector 310 of a single FPA 106, 300 and whether the first polarizing filter 406 is between the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 and the third detector 310. If the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 is aligned with the third detector 310 having the first polarizing filter 406 between the particular portion of scene 114 or 606 and the third detector 310, then another (e.g., a third) image of scene 114 or 606 having the third detector 310 and the third alignment is captured 714. Method 700 then saves a third image of scene 114 or 606 716, and the method repeats step 706. Alternatively, if Method 700 determines 712 that a particular portion of scene 114 or 606 does not have a third alignment with a third detector 310 of a single FPA 106, 300, then Method 700 then determines 718 whether a particular portion of scene 114 or 606 has an alignment with another detector of FPA 106, 300. If so, Method 700 repeats 706. Otherwise, Method 700 uses at least the first, second, and third images to generate a multispectral polarization composite image 116 720 and terminates the process.

[0039] In this embodiment, the first frequency range is associated with a first color, and the second frequency range is associated with a second color different from the first color. In addition, the MSP filter 104 or 400 includes a composite type spectral filter 402, 412, 414, or 416 comprising a series of spectral filters and a series of polarizing filters 404, the band filters of the series of spectral filters 402, 412, 414, or 416 having a frequency range that varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies. Furthermore, the polarizing filters of the series of polarizing filters 404 may have a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, -45 degree polarization, additional linear orientation, or optionally, left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization.

[0040] Method 700 may further include adjusting one or more components of the CMSP sensor 100 to produce a second alignment between a specific portion of the scene 114, 606 and the second detector 308.

[0041] Focusing on Figure 8A, a system block diagram of an embodiment of the first alignment 800 between the target object 128 of scene 606 and the first detector 306 of the FPA 300 is shown according to the present disclosure. In Figure 8B, a second alignment 802 is shown between the target object 128 and the second detector 308 according to the present disclosure. In Figure 8C, a third alignment 804 is shown between the target object 128 and the third detector 310 according to the present disclosure. In this first embodiment shown in Figure 8A, the target object 128 is aligned with the first detector 306, and the first band filter 418 and CMSP sensor 100 generate a first image 806, which is stored in storage 125. In this second embodiment shown in Figure 8B, the target object 128 is aligned with the second detector 308, and the second band filter 420 and CMSP sensor 100 generate a second image 808, which is stored in storage 125. Furthermore, in this third embodiment shown in Figure 8C, the target object 128 is aligned with the third detector 310, and the first polarizing filter 406 and CMSP sensor 100 generate a third image 810, which is stored in storage 125. Once the third image 810 is stored, the CMSP sensor 100 can generate a basic composite image 116. Generally, it should be understood that the CMSP sensor 100 repeats this process for all pixel rows of the FPA 106 before generating a high-quality composite image 116.

[0042] In this embodiment, the MSP filter 206 was described as moving on a mobile platform such as satellite 600 across scene 606, and as the MSP filter 206 moves along the swath 608 using a push-bloom type mode, the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 are generated. However, the CMSP sensor 100 may alternatively use a scanning type operating mode, in which case the camera 112 mechanically or electronically scans the swath 608. Furthermore, the CMSP sensor 100 may also be on a non-mobile platform that also utilizes a scanning type operating mode, in which case the camera 112 mechanically or electronically scans the swath 608 of the land mass 604 or the sky. In these scanning embodiments, the CMSP sensor 100 generates the first image 806 by positioning the camera 112 (or FPA 200) target at a first position oriented toward the scene 606, and generates the second image 808 by positioning the FPA 200 target at a second position oriented toward the scene 606. The process may be repeated for a number of target angles oriented toward the scene 606 to generate a number of images from the scene.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the MSP filter 206 is described as being fixed on the FPA 200 to generate the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 when the FPA 200 receives image data (such as electromagnetic energy) from the scene 606. However, the CMSP sensor 100 may alternatively shift the position of the MSP filter 206 along the FPA 200 so that individual different bandpass filters or polarizing filters are aligned between the scene 606 and a specific detector of the FPA 200.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first detector 306 may initially be in a first alignment 800 corresponding to a first band filter 418 located between a specific portion of the scene 606 (i.e., the target object 128) and the first detector 306. However, in this embodiment of the second alignment, the second alignment corresponds to the first alignment 800, but in this case, the first band filter 418 is shifted away from the first detector 306 and the second band filter 420 is shifted above the first detector 306, so that the second band filter 420 is located between the specific portion of the scene 606 128 and the first detector 306.

[0045] Furthermore, exemplary and non-exclusive embodiments of this disclosure are described in the following paragraphs. In the embodiments described herein, the CMSP sensor 100 is A camera 112 having a single FPA 106 equipped with multiple detectors 110, 302, MSP filters 104, 400 comprising a series of spectral filters 402 and a series of polarizing filters 404, wherein the series of spectral filters 402 comprises at least a first band filter 418 having a first frequency range and a second band filter 420 having a second frequency range different from the first frequency range, and the series of polarizing filters 404 comprises at least a first polarizing filter 406 having a first polarization value and a second polarizing filter 408 having a second polarization value different from the first polarization value, A controller 108 that communicates with MSP filters 104, 400 and single FPAs 106, 300, wherein the controller 108 is configured to initiate the capture 702 of a first image 806 of scene 114, 606 while a specific portion 128 of scene 114, 606 has a first detector 306 and a first alignment 800 of the single FPAs 106, 300, and the first band filter 418 is between the specific portion 128 of scene 114, 606 and the first detector 306, and the scene 114 , a specific portion of 606 has a second detector 308 and a second alignment 802 of a single FPA 106, 300, and the second alignment 802 substantially coincides with the first alignment 800, and in response to the determination 706 that the second bandfilter 420 is between a specific portion 128 of scene 114, 606 and the second detector 308, the saving 710 of the second image 808 of scene 114, 606 is initiated, capturing the specific portion of scene 114, 606 while it has the second detector 308 and the second alignment 802, and scene 1 A specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 has a third detector 310 and a third alignment 804 of a single FPA 106,300, the third alignment 804 substantially coincides with the first alignment 800, and in response to the determination 712 that the first polarizing filter 406 is between the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the third detector 310, a third image 810 of scene 114,606 is saved 712 that the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 is captured while having the third detector 310 and the third alignment 804. Controller 108 starts by generating a multispectral polarization composite image 116 using at least the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810, and the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 are co-added to construct the multispectral polarization composite image 116 as a hypercube image, thereby increasing the CNR of the multispectral polarization composite image 116. It is equipped with.

[0046] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 described in the previous paragraph, the first frequency range is associated with a first color, and the second frequency range is associated with a second color that is different from the first color.

[0047] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the MSP filter 104, 400 includes a composite type spectral filter 402 which includes a series of spectral filters and a series of polarizing filters 404, and the band filter of the series of spectral filters has a frequency range which varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies.

[0048] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the polarizing filters of the series of polarizing filters 404 have a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, -45 degree polarization, other optional linear polarization angles, right-hand circular polarization, and left-hand circular polarization.

[0049] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the controller is further configured to adjust the position of one or more components of the CMSP sensor so that a second detector generates a second alignment of a specific part of the scene.

[0050] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the MSP filter comprises a filter array, and the controller is configured such that the position of one or more components of the CMSP sensor is adjusted by shifting the position of the filter array based on the physical dimensions of the first band filter, and the first detector and the second detector are the same detector.

[0051] Optionally, the CMSP sensor in one of the previous paragraphs further includes a telescope 118 that communicates with an MSP filter and controller.

[0052] Optionally, the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs further includes an optical line-of-sight measuring device 120 configured to generate line-of-sight (LOS) movement data of the optical sensor.

[0053] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the LOS measurement device includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

[0054] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the CMSP sensor further includes a motion device 122 configured to physically move and orient the telescope toward the scene, and a motion detector 124 configured to measure the movement of the telescope.

[0055] Optionally, in one of the previous paragraphs, the CMSP sensor 100 generates a first image 806 by positioning the target of the FPA 200 at a first position oriented toward scene 606, and generates a second image 808 by positioning the target of the FPA 200 at a second position oriented toward scene 606.

[0056] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the second detector is the first detector 306, the second alignment corresponds to the first alignment 800 in which the second bandfilter 420 is between a specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the first detector 306, the first bandfilter 418 is shifted away from the first detector 306 and the second bandfilter 420 is shifted to be positioned above the detector 306.

[0057] Optionally, in one of the previous paragraphs, the CMSP sensor 100 registers the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 to generate the first alignment 800, the second alignment 802, and the third alignment 804.

[0058] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the CMSP sensor is configured on a mobile platform 102 selected from a group consisting of satellites, spacecraft, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ships.

[0059] In the embodiments described herein, the CMSP sensor 100 is An MSP filter 104 comprising at least a first band filter 418 having a first frequency range, a second band filter 420 having a second frequency range different from the first frequency range, a first polarizing filter 406 having a first polarization value, and a second polarizing filter 408 having a second polarization value different from the first polarization value, FPA106 equipped with multiple detectors 110, A controller 108 that communicates with an MSP filter 104 and a single FPA 106, wherein the controller 108 is configured to initiate the capture 702 of a first image 806 of scene 114,606 while a specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 has a first detector 306 and a first alignment 800 of a single FPA 106,300, and the first band filter 418 is between the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the first detector 306, and the specific portion of scene 114,606 The second band filter 420 has a second detector 308 and a second alignment 802 of a single FPA 106, 300, the second alignment 802 substantially coincides with the first alignment 800, and in response to the determination 706 that the second band filter 420 is between a specific portion 128 of scene 114, 606 and the second detector 308, the second image 808 of scene 114, 606 is captured while having the second detector 308 and the second alignment 802, and the saving 710 of the second image 808 of scene 114, 606 is initiated, and scene 114, 606 A particular portion 128 of the scene 114,606 has a third detector 310 and a third alignment 804 of a single FPA 106,300, the third alignment 804 substantially coincides with the first alignment 800, and in response to the determination 712 that the first polarizing filter 406 is between the particular portion 128 of the scene 114,606 and the third detector 310, the storage 716 of the third image 810 of the scene 114,606 was opened, which captured the particular portion 128 of the scene 114,606 having the third detector 310 and the third alignment 804. To begin, a multispectral polarization composite image 116 is generated using at least the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810. The first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 are co-added to construct the multispectral polarization composite image 116 as a hypercube image. A controller 108 increases the CNR of the multispectral polarization composite image 116 by co-adding the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810. It is equipped with.

[0060] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the controller 108 comprises a memory 204, one or more processing processors 202, and a machine-readable medium 208 on the memory 204, the machine-readable medium 208 storing instructions 210 that, when executed by one or more processors 202, cause the controller 108 to perform operations including capturing a first image 806, a second image 808, and a third image 810, and to generate a multispectral polarization composite image 116.

[0061] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the first frequency range is associated with a first color, and the second frequency range is associated with a second color that is different from the first color.

[0062] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the MSP filter 104, 400 includes a composite type spectral filter 402 which includes a series of spectral filters and a series of polarizing filters 404, and the band filter of the series of spectral filters has a frequency range which varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies.

[0063] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the polarizing filters of the series of polarizing filters 404 have a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, -45 degree polarization, other optional linear polarization angles, right-hand circular polarization, and left-hand circular polarization.

[0064] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the controller is further configured to adjust the position of one or more components of the CMSP sensor to produce a second alignment of a specific part of the scene with the second detector.

[0065] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the MSP filter comprises a filter array, and the controller is configured such that the position of one or more components of the CMSP sensor is adjusted by shifting the position of the filter array based on the physical dimensions of the first band filter, and the first detector and the second detector are the same detector.

[0066] Optionally, the CMSP sensor in one of the previous paragraphs further includes a telescope 118 that communicates with an MSP filter and controller.

[0067] Optionally, the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs further includes an optical line-of-sight measuring device 120 configured to generate line-of-sight (LOS) movement data of the optical sensor.

[0068] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the LOS measurement device includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

[0069] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the CMSP sensor further includes a motion device 122 configured to physically move and orient the telescope toward the scene, and a motion detector 124 configured to measure the movement of the telescope.

[0070] Optionally, in the CMSP sensor 100 in one of the previous paragraphs, the CMSP sensor is configured on a mobile platform 102 selected from a group consisting of satellites, spacecraft, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ships.

[0071] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the method 700 for capturing image data is: The CMSP sensor 100 captures a first image 806 of scene 114,606 while a specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 has a first detector 306 and a first alignment 800 of FPA 106,300, and a first band filter 418 is between the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the first detector 306. In response to the determination 706 that a specific portion of scene 114,606 has a second detector 308 and a second alignment 802 of a single FPA 106,300, the second alignment 802 substantially coincides with the first alignment 800, and the second bandfilter 420 is between the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the second detector 308, the saving 710 of the second image 808 of scene 114,606 is initiated, which captured the specific portion of scene 114,606 while it had the second detector 308 and the second alignment 802. In response to the determination 712 that a specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 has a third detector 310 and a third alignment 804 of a single FPA 106,300, the third alignment 804 substantially coincides with the first alignment 800, and the first polarizing filter 406 is between the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the third detector 310, the saving 716 of a third image 810 of scene 114,606 is initiated, which was captured while the specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 had the third detector 310 and the third alignment 804. A multispectral polarization composite image 116 is generated using at least the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810, and the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 are co-added to construct the multispectral polarization composite image 116 as a hypercube image, thereby increasing the CNR of the multispectral polarization composite image 116.

[0072] Optionally, in method 700 in one of the previous paragraphs, the first frequency range is associated with a first color, and the second frequency range is associated with a second color that is different from the first color.

[0073] Optionally, in method 700 in one of the previous paragraphs, the MSP filter 104, 400 includes a composite type spectral filter 402, which includes a series of spectral filters and a series of polarizing filters 404, and the band filter of the series of spectral filters has a frequency range that varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies.

[0074] Optionally, in method 700 in one of the previous paragraphs, the polarizing filters of the series of polarizing filters 404 have a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, and -45 degree polarization.

[0075] Optionally, method 700 in one of the previous paragraphs further includes adjusting one or more components of the CMSP sensor 100 to produce a second alignment of a specific portion of the scene 114, 606 with the second detector 308.

[0076] Optionally, in method 700 in one of the previous paragraphs, the second detector is the first detector 306, the second alignment corresponds to the first alignment 800 in which the second bandfilter 420 is between a specific portion 128 of scene 114,606 and the first detector 306, the first bandfilter 418 is shifted away from the first detector 306 and the second bandfilter 420 is shifted to be above the detector 306.

[0077] Optionally, in method 700 in one of the previous paragraphs, the first image 806, the second image 808, and the third image 810 are registered to generate the first alignment 800, the second alignment 802, and the third alignment 804.

[0078] It should be understood that various aspects or details of this disclosure may be modified without deviating from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is not exhaustive and does not strictly limit the content of the disclosure to the disclosed form. Furthermore, the above description is for illustrative purposes only and not for limitation. Modifications and changes may be made in accordance with the above description or may be achieved by performing this disclosure. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although the technology is described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological effects, it should be understood that the accompanying claims are not necessarily limited to the features or effects described above. Rather, the features and effects are exemplary implementations of such technology.

[0079] To the extent that the words “includes / including,” “has,” and “contains,” and their variations are used in this text, these words, like the word “comprises,” are intended to be inclusive, as open transition words that do not exclude any additional or other components. Furthermore, conditional statements such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless otherwise specified, are understood in the context that a particular embodiment includes a particular feature, component, and / or step, while other embodiments do not. Thus, such conditional statements are generally not intended to suggest that a particular feature, component, and / or step is required in some way for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic (whether with input or prompts) for determining whether a particular feature, component, and / or step is included or performed in any particular embodiment. Conjunctions such as "at least one of X, Y, or Z" should be understood to indicate that the item or term may be X, Y, Z, or a combination thereof, unless otherwise specified.

[0080] In some alternative implementations, one or more functions described within a block may occur in a different order than that shown in the diagram. For example, in some cases, two consecutively shown blocks may be executed almost simultaneously, or sometimes blocks may be executed in reverse order depending on the functions they contain. Furthermore, additional blocks may be added to those shown in the flow diagram or block diagram. Moreover, the operations of the exemplary processes are shown in individual blocks and summarized by reference to these blocks. These processes are shown as blocks of a logical flow, and each block may represent one or more operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In relation to software, an operation represents a computer-executable instruction stored in one or more computer-readable storage media, which, when executed by one or more processors, performs the described operation. Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, modules, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular function or implement a particular abstract data type. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to be interpreted as restrictive, and any number of the described operations may be performed in any order, in any combination of any order, divided into multiple suboperations, and / or performed in parallel in order to implement the described process. The described process may be performed by one or more devices, such as one or more internal or external CPUs or GPUs, and / or by resources associated with one or more hardware logic, such as FPGAs, DSPs, or other types of accelerators.

[0081] All of the methods and processes described above may be embodied and fully automated through software code modules executed by one or more general-purpose computers or processors. The code modules may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. Some or all of the methods may be embodied in specialized computer hardware.

Claims

1. A composite multiple spectral polarization (CMSP) sensor (100), A camera (112) having a single focal plane array (FPA) (106, 300) equipped with multiple detectors (110, 302), A multispectral polarization (MSP) filter (104, 400) comprising a series of spectral filters (402) and a series of polarizing filters (404), wherein the series of spectral filters (402) comprises at least a first band filter (418) having a first frequency range and a second band filter (420) having a second frequency range different from the first frequency range, and the series of polarizing filters (404) comprises at least a first polarizing filter (406) having a first polarization value and a second polarizing filter (408) having a second polarization value different from the first polarization value, A controller (108) that communicates with the MSP filter (104, 400) and the single FPA (106, 300), wherein the controller (108) starts capturing (702) a first image (806) of the scene (114, 606) while a specific portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) has a first alignment (800) with the first detector (306) of the single FPA (106, 300), and the first band filter (418) is between the specific portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the first detector (306). The configuration is such that the particular portion of the scene (114, 606) has a second detector (308) and a second alignment (802) of the single FPA (106, 300), the second alignment (802) substantially coincides with the first alignment (800), and in response to the determination (706) that the second band filter (420) is between the second portion of the scene (114, 606) and the second detector (308), a second image (808) of the scene (114, 606) is obtained, wherein the particular portion of the scene (114, 606) has the second detector Initiating storage (710) of a second image (808) captured while having the output (308) and the second alignment (802), in response to the determination (712) that the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) has the third detector (310) and the third alignment (804) of the single FPA (106, 300), the third alignment (804) substantially coincides with the first alignment (800), and the first polarizing filter (406) is between the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the third detector (310), the scene A third image (810) of n (114, 606), wherein the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) is captured while the third detector (310) and the third alignment (804) are being saved (716), and a multispectral polarization composite image (116) is generated (720) using at least the first image (806), the second image (808), and the third image (810), which are aligned with subpixel precision,A controller (108) is provided to construct the multispectral polarization composite image (116) as a hypercube image, by adding the first image (806), the second image (808), and the third image (810) pixel by pixel, thereby increasing the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the multispectral polarization composite image (116). A composite multispectral polarization (CMSP) sensor (100) is provided with the following features.

2. The first frequency range is associated with a first color, and the second frequency range is associated with a second color different from the first color. The MSP filter (104, 400) includes a composite type spectral filter (402) comprising the series of spectral filters and the series of polarizing filters (404), wherein the first and second band filters of the series of spectral filters have a frequency range that varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies. The CMSP sensor (100) according to claim 1, wherein the series of polarizing filters (404) has a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, -45 degree polarization, linear polarization angle by other options, left-hand circular polarization, and right-hand circular polarization.

3. The controller is further configured such that the position of one or more components of the CMSP sensor is adjusted to produce a second alignment between the specific portion of the scene and the second detector. The CMSP sensor (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the MSP filter comprises a filter array, and the controller is configured to adjust the position of one or more components of the CMSP sensor by shifting the position of the filter array based on the physical dimensions of the first band filter, and the first detector and the second detector are the same detector.

4. A CMSP sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a telescope (118) that communicates signals with the MSP filter and the controller, and an optical line-of-sight measuring device (120) configured to generate line-of-sight (LOS) movement data of an optical sensor, wherein the LOS measuring device includes an inertial measuring unit (IMU).

5. The CMPS sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a telescope (118) that communicates signals with the MSP filter and the controller, the CMPS sensor further comprising a motion device (122) configured to physically move and orient the telescope toward the scene, and a motion detector (124) configured to measure the movement of the telescope.

6. The CMSP sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the CMSP sensor (100) generates a first image (806) by positioning a target of the FPA (200) at a first position oriented toward the scene (606), and generates a second image (808) by positioning a target of the FPA (200) at a second position oriented toward the scene (606).

7. The CMSP sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second detector is the first detector (306), and the second alignment corresponds to the first alignment (800) where the second band filter (420) is between the specific portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the first detector (306), the first band filter (418) is shifted away from the first detector (306), and the second band filter (420) is shifted to be positioned above the first detector (306).

8. The CMSP sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first image (806), the second image (808), and the third image (810) are registered to generate the first alignment (800), the second alignment (802), and the third alignment (804).

9. The CMSP sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the CMSP sensor is configured on a mobile platform (102) selected from the group consisting of satellites, spacecraft, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ships.

10. A CMSP sensor (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a single focal plane array (FPA) (106) having a plurality of detectors (110).

11. A method for capturing image data (700), wherein the method is The method includes capturing a first image (806) of a scene (114, 606) by a composite multiplespectral polarization (CMSP) sensor (100) while a specific portion (128) of a scene (114, 606) has a first detector (306) and a first alignment (800) of a single focal plane array (FPA) (106, 300), and a first band filter (418) is between the specific portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the first detector (306), In response to the determination (706) that the particular portion of the scene (114, 606) has a second detector (308) and a second alignment (802) of the single FPA (106, 300), the second alignment (802) substantially coincides with the first alignment (800), and the second bandfilter (420) is between the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the second detector (308), the storage (710) of the second image (808) of the scene (114, 606) is initiated, which is a second image (808) of the scene (114, 606) captured while the particular portion of the scene (114, 606) has the second detector (308) and the second alignment (802), In response to the determination (712) that the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) has a third detector (310) and a third alignment (804) of the single FPA (106, 300), the third alignment (804) substantially coincides with the first alignment (800), and the first polarizing filter (406) is between the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the third detector (310), the storage (716) of the third image (810) of the scene (114, 606) is initiated, which is a third image (810) of the scene (114, 606) captured while the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) has the third detector (310) and the third alignment (804), A method for capturing image data (700) comprising generating a multispectral polarization composite image (116) (720) using at least the first image (806), the second image (808), and the third image (810), and adding the first image (806), the second image (808), and the third image (810), which are aligned with subpixel precision, pixel by pixel to construct the multispectral polarization composite image (116) as a hypercube image, thereby increasing the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the multispectral polarization composite image (116).

12. The method according to claim 11 (700), wherein a first frequency range is associated with a first color, and a second frequency range is associated with a second color different from the first color, and the MSP filter (104, 400) includes a composite type spectral filter (402) comprising a series of spectral filters and a series of polarizing filters (404), the first and second band filters of the series of spectral filters having a frequency range that varies from infrared (IR) frequencies to ultraviolet frequencies, and the polarizing filters of the series of polarizing filters (404) having a polarization range selected from the group consisting of vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, +45 degree polarization, and -45 degree polarization.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12 (700), further comprising adjusting one or more components of the CMSP sensor (100) to generate a second alignment of the particular portion of the scene (114, 606) and the second detector (308).

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13 (700), wherein the second detector is the first detector (306), the second alignment corresponds to the first alignment (800) where the second band filter (420) is between the particular portion (128) of the scene (114, 606) and the first detector (306), the first band filter (418) is shifted away from the first detector (306), and the second band filter (420) is shifted to be positioned above the first detector (306).

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14 (700), wherein the first image (806), the second image (808), and the third image (810) are registered to generate the first alignment (800), the second alignment (802), and the third alignment (804).

Images