Auto-focus tracking for remote flying targets

1. A system, comprising:

an interface configured to:

receive two or more images; and

a processor configured to:

determine a bounding box for an object in the two or more images;

determine an estimated position for the object in a future image; and

determine an estimated focus setting and an estimated pointing direction for a lens system, comprising to:

generate one or more focus curves based on one or more images of a test target under a variety of operating conditions, wherein the one or more focus curves include a continuous plot of focus quality and focal setting, and wherein the variety of operating conditions include one or more of the following: a plurality of distances over a monitoring range, a plurality of temperatures appropriate to an operating environment of the system, and/or a plurality of radar cross sections and camera zoom settings appropriate to a selected camera and radar units of the system;

create a lookup table based on the one or more focus curves; and

determine the estimated focus setting using the lookup table, comprising to:

determine a linear relationship based on an ideal focus motor offset and a temperature of the operating environment of the system;

identify a correct focus motor offset based on the linear relationship and a current temperature of the operating environment of the system; and

add the correct focus motor offset to the estimated focus setting to obtain a corrected estimated focus setting, wherein the estimated focus setting is determined based on the lookup table.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the estimated position includes determining a prior estimated position.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the prior estimated position is evaluated with respect to a prior actual position in an image of the two or more images.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising determining an estimated zoom setting for the lens setting.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising receiving a radar data.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the estimated focus setting is based at least in part on the radar data.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the estimated zoom setting is based at least in part on the radar data.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the estimated zoom setting is based at least in part on a radar cross section of the object from the radar data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to an object not being identifiable in a recent image of the two or more images over a period of time, change to tracking a next priority object.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to an object not being identifiable in a recent image of the two or more images and the object being identifiable in a radar data, indicate to reacquire tracking.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein reacquiring tracking includes changing a zoom setting outward.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein changing the zoom setting outward occurs in response to a range of the object being less than a threshold range.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein reacquiring tracking includes not changing a zoom setting outward.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein not changing the zoom setting outward occurs in response to a range of the object being more than or equal to a threshold range.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to an object being identifiable in a recent image of the two or more images and the object not being identifiable in a radar data, indicate to maintain tracking.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein maintaining tracking includes indicating range data is suspect due to loss of the object in the radar data.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising providing the estimated focus setting and the estimated pointing direction to the lens system.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving two or more images; and

determining, using a processor, a bounding box for an object in the two or more images;

determining an estimated position for the object in a future image; and

determining an estimated focus setting and an estimated pointing direction for a lens system, comprising:

generating one or more focus curves based on one or more images of a test target under a variety of operating conditions, wherein the one or more focus curves include a continuous plot of focus quality and focal setting, and wherein the variety of operating conditions include one or more of the following: a plurality of distances over a monitoring range, a plurality of temperatures appropriate to an operating environment of the system, and/or a plurality of radar cross sections and camera zoom settings appropriate to a selected camera and radar units of the system;

creating a lookup table based on the one or more focus curves; and

determining the estimated focus setting using the lookup table, comprising:

determining a linear relationship based on an ideal focus motor offset and a temperature of the operating environment of the system;

identifying a correct focus motor offset based on the linear relationship and a current temperature of the operating environment of the system; and

adding the correct focus motor offset to the estimated focus setting to obtain a corrected estimated focus setting wherein the estimated focus setting is determined based on the lookup table.

19. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving two or more images; and

determining, using a processor, a bounding box for an object in the two or more images;

determining an estimated position for the object in a future image; and

determining an estimated focus setting and an estimated pointing direction for a lens system, comprising:

generating one or more focus curves based on one or more images of a test target under a variety of operating conditions, wherein the one or more focus curves include a continuous plot of focus quality and focal setting, and wherein the variety of operating conditions include one or more of the following: a plurality of distances over a monitoring range, a plurality of temperatures appropriate to an operating environment of the system, and/or a plurality of radar cross sections and camera zoom settings appropriate to a selected camera and radar units of the system;

creating a lookup table based on the one or more focus curves; and

determining the estimated focus setting using the lookup table, comprising:

determining a linear relationship based on an ideal focus motor offset and a temperature of the operating environment of the system;

identifying a correct focus motor offset based on the linear relationship and a current temperature of the operating environment of the system; and

adding the correct focus motor offset to the estimated focus setting to obtain a corrected estimated focus setting, wherein the estimated focus setting is determined based on the lookup table.