Extensible architecture for surveillance and targeting imaging systems and methods

1. An imaging system comprising:

a front end module comprising:

a thermal imager comprising a focal plane array (FPA) configured to capture first video data representing thermal images of a scene;

a logic device configured to process the first video data to obtain first processed video data;

a sensor interface circuit configured to receive the first video data from the thermal imager and transmit the first video data to the logic device; and

a front end interface circuit configured to receive front end output video data from the logic device and transmit the front end output video data, wherein the front end output video data is based at least on the first processed video data; and

a back end module comprising:

a back end interface circuit configured to receive the front end output video data from the front end module via the front end interface circuit;

a processor configured to provide a video output, wherein the video output is based on the front end output video data; and

one or more input/output circuits configured to interface with one or more input/output components of the imaging system,

wherein the back end interface circuit, the processor, and the one or more input/output circuits are provided as a system-on-module (SOM);

wherein the front end module further comprises a visible-light imager configured to capture second video data representing visible light images of the scene,

wherein the logic device comprises:

a thermal processing circuit configured to process the first video data to obtain the first processed video data; and

a visible-light processing circuit configured to process the second video data to obtain second processed video data; and

a combining circuit configured to generate fused video data based at least on the first processed video data and the second processed video data,

wherein the front end interface circuit comprises the combining circuit and the front end interface circuit is configured to transmit the fused video data as the front end output video data:

wherein the SOM comprises a display driver, and the system further comprises a display coupled to the SOM; and

wherein the SOM is manufactured as a separate component before being coupled to the front end module.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the front end module further comprises:

a first interface circuit configured to transmit the first processed video data; and

a second interface circuit configured to receive the first processed video data from the first interface circuit and transmit the first processed video data to the visible-light processing circuit; and

the logic device is configured to perform dead pixel replacement in obtaining the first processed video data.

3. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the visible-light processing circuit is configured to process the second video data based at least in part on the first processed video data; and

wherein the logic device is configured to perform digital detail enhancing comprising bi-linear filtering.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal processing circuit comprises:

a first processing circuit configured to process the first video data based on a first integration time to obtain first integration output data;

a second processing circuit configured to process the first video data based on a second integration time to obtain second integration output data, wherein the first integration time is shorter than the second integration time; and

a third processing circuit configured to generate the first processed video data based at least on the first integration output data and the second integration output data.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the front end module further comprises an infrared imager configured to capture third video data representing infrared images of the scene, wherein the logic device further comprises an infrared processing circuit configured to process the third video data to obtain the third processed video data, and wherein the combining circuit is configured to generate the fused video data based at least on the first processed video data, the second processed video data, and the third processed video data.

6. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the thermal imager comprises an uncooled thermal imager or a cooled thermal imager, and wherein the infrared imager comprises a near infrared imager.

7. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the front end module comprises a plurality of front end devices, wherein the SOM is configurable for the front end devices, and wherein the front end devices comprise the thermal imager, the visible-light imager, and the infrared imager.

8. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the front end devices further comprise at least one of a laser rangefinder or a high-definition micro-light emitting diode display.

9. A method of assembling the imaging system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

coupling the thermal imager to the sensor interface circuit;

coupling the sensor interface circuit to the thermal processing circuit;

coupling the visible-light imager to the visible-light processing circuit;

coupling the visible-light processing circuit to the thermal processing circuit;

coupling the thermal processing circuit to the combining circuit;

coupling the combining circuit to the back end interface circuit; and

configuring the back end module based on the thermal imager and the visible-light imager.

10. A method comprising:

capturing, by a thermal imager comprising a focal plane array, first video data representing thermal images of a scene;

providing, by a sensor interface circuit, the first video data to a logic device;

processing, by the logic device, the first video data to obtain first processed video data;

providing, by a front end interface circuit, front end output video data to a processor via a back end interface circuit, wherein the front end output video data is based at least on the first processed video data;

generating, by the processor, a video output based at least on the front end output video data; and

providing the video output to one or more input/output circuits, wherein the one or more input/output circuits interface with one or more input/output components,

wherein the back end interface circuit, the processor, and the one or more input/output circuits are provided as a system-on-module (SOM); and

wherein the method further comprises:

capturing, by a visible-light imager, second video data associated with visible light images of the scene;

processing, by a visible-light processing circuit of the logic device, the second video data to obtain second processed video data; and

generating, by a combining circuit of the logic device, fused video data based at least on the first processed video data and the second processed video data,

wherein:

the first video data is processed by a thermal processing circuit of the logic device,

the front end interface circuit comprises the combining circuit;

the SOM comprises a display driver, and is coupled to a display; and

the SOM is manufactured as a separate component before being coupled to the front end module.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

performing dead pixel replacement by the logic device to obtain the first processed video data;

transmitting, by a first interface circuit, the first processed video data;

receiving, by a second interface circuit from the first interface circuit, the first processed video data; and

transmitting, by the second interface circuit, the first processed video data to the visible-light processing circuit.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing digital detail enhancing comprising bi-linear filtering by the logic device to obtain the first processed video data;

wherein the processing the second video data is based at least in part on the first processed video data.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processing the first video data comprises:

processing, by a first processing circuit of the thermal processing circuit, the first video data based on a first integration time to obtain first integration output data;

processing, by a second processing circuit of the thermal processing circuit, the first video data based on a second integration time to obtain second integration output data, wherein the first integration time is shorter than the second integration time; and

generating, by a third processing circuit of the thermal processing circuit, the first processed video data based at least on the first integration output data and the second integration output data.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

capturing, by an infrared imager, third video data associated with infrared images of the scene; and

processing, by an infrared processing circuit of the logic device, the third video data to obtain the third processed video data,

wherein the generating the fused video data is based at least on the first processed video data, the second processed video data, and the third processed video data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the thermal imager comprises an uncooled thermal imager or a cooled thermal imager, and wherein the infrared imager comprises a near infrared imager.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the SOM is configurable for a plurality of front end devices, and wherein the front end devices comprise the thermal imager, the visible-light imager, and the infrared imager.

17. The imaging system of claim 6 , wherein the logic device is configured to perform dead pixel replacement in obtaining the first processed video data.