Embedded Atomic Clock for Mosaic Image Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image mosaicing techniques face challenges with imprecise time stamping and latency issues when capturing large area images from multiple platforms, such as remote sensing satellites, leading to difficulties in processing and analysis due to variable time delays between image tiles.
Innovation Solution
An imaging system with an embedded atomic clock integrated into the camera provides precise time code data, which is multiplexed with pixel values to create an interleaved data stream, enabling accurate synchronization and stitching of image tiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If image mosaicing is performed using multiple platforms with separate time stamping, then coverage area is increased, but time precision deteriorates due to latency between platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the time stamping function into the image sensor by integrating an atomic clock directly with the focal plane array. This combination ensures that time information and image data are captured simultaneously at the same location, eliminating latency issues between separate platforms and ensuring precise time synchronization across all image tiles in the mosaic.
2Device complexity
If time stamping is performed separately from image capture, then device complexity is reduced, but time synchronization accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The atomic clock is integrated directly with the focal plane array in a single device unit. This merging of time stamping and image capture functions ensures that time information is recorded at the exact moment each photon is detected, eliminating synchronization errors that would occur with separate time stamping systems.
3Device complexity
If image data and time data are transmitted separately, then data processing is simplified, but synchronization accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges time code data and pixel value data into a single multiplexed data stream. This integrated transmission approach ensures that time information and image data remain synchronized throughout the entire data pipeline, from capture through transmission to storage, eliminating synchronization errors that would arise from separate data channels.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system includes a camera having a lens and a focal planar array (FPA) for capturing at least one image frame having a plurality of sub-image frames. Each sub-image frame includes multiple pixel values corresponding to photonic intensities of the captured image frame. An embedded atomic clock (EAC) is integrated in one single unit with the camera for providing time code data. A multiplexer combines the multiple pixel values of one sub-image frame with the time code data, and an input/output module provides both, the time code data and the multiple pixel values of the sub-image frame as an output data stream.