Aircraft Optronic Equipment Distributed Aperture Camera System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed aperture systems for aircraft piloting require numerous and expensive cameras to create a panoramic strip without significant defects, leading to weight and complexity issues.
Innovation Solution
A simplified distributed aperture system using six cameras, with three cameras in each set arranged to provide enhanced horizontal and vertical fields of view, allowing for increased panoramic coverage without increasing the number of cameras, and featuring an electronic processor unit for stereoscopic image display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a large number of cameras are used to create a panoramic strip without substantial defects, then the quality of the panoramic strip is improved, but the weight and cost of the system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the field of view parameters of the cameras, specifically using cameras with a field of view that is greater horizontally than vertically. This parameter change allows achieving panoramic coverage with fewer cameras while maintaining image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent rotates at least one of the outer cameras relative to the other cameras to change the orientation dimension. This rotational adjustment enables the cameras to capture a wider panoramic field of view without adding more cameras, thus resolving the contradiction between panoramic quality and camera quantity
2Area of moving object
If the field of view in bearing is increased by adding more cameras, then the panoramic coverage is improved, but the weight and size of the equipment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses cameras with a field of view that is greater horizontally than vertically, changing the field of view parameters to achieve wider bearing coverage without adding more cameras, thus avoiding increased weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the camera system dynamically adjustable by allowing rotation of at least one outer camera relative to the other cameras. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to optimize panoramic coverage without permanently increasing the number of cameras or the equipment weight
3Measurement precision
If sophisticated servocontrol is installed between the helmet and the camera, then the guidance accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical servocontrol system with an electronic/image processing-based system. By using multiple cameras to capture images simultaneously and processing these images to generate the panoramic strip, the system eliminates the need for complex mechanical servocontrol mechanisms while maintaining guidance accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Optronic equipment for assisting with piloting an aircraft includes a first set of three cameras arranged on the aircraft to generate a panoramic strip from data transmitted by the three cameras of the first set and a second set of three cameras arranged on the aircraft to generate a panoramic strip from data transmitted by the three cameras of the second set, at least one of the cameras that occupies an extreme position on the aircraft relative to the cameras of the first and second sets being arranged so as to have a field of view that is greater horizontally than vertically.