IP Library Granted Patent US 11,431,888
Granted Patent B2
US 11,431,888 · App. 17/332,591 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Auto-focus method for a remote sensing satellite and the satellite therefor

Inventors: Shiau-Jing Liu (Hsinchu, TW); Yu-Lin Tsai (Hsinchu, TW); Li-Fen Huang (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: National Applied Research Laboratories
H04N5/23212G06T7/0002G06T7/80G06T2207/10032G06T2207/10148G06T2207/30168
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,431,888
App. No.
17/332,591
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Auto-focus method and a remote sensing satellite are disclosed. The satellite comprises at least a focal plane assembly (FPA) and a focus adjusting apparatus, the auto-focus method comprises: processing a point spread function (PSF) estimation to a multiple regions of a first image to generate multiple first estimated point spread functions; generating a first average point spread function according to the first estimated point spread functions; processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the first average PSF function and defining a first focus number; processing a PSF estimation to multiple regions of a second image to generate multiple second estimated PSF functions; generating a second average point spread function according to the second estimated point spread functions; processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the second average point spread function and defining a second focus number; and comparing the first focus number and the second focus number.

Claims (29)

1. An auto-focus method for a remote sensing satellite, wherein the remote sensing satellite includes at least one focal plane assembly and a focus adjusting apparatus, and the method comprises steps of:

processing a point spread function (PSF) estimation to multiple regions of a first image to generate a plurality of first estimated point spread functions;

generating a first average point spread function according to the first estimated point spread functions;

processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the first average point spread function and defining a first focus number of the first image;

controlling the focus adjusting apparatus to regulate the focus of the focal plane assembly to obtain a second image;

processing the PSF estimation to multiple regions of the second image to generate a plurality of second estimated point spread functions;

generating a second average point spread function according to the second estimated point spread functions;

processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the second average point spread function and defining a second focus number of the second image; and

comparing the first focus number and the second number to determining if the focus status of the second image being better than the first image in order to determine if continuing to regulate the focus of the focal plane assembly.

2. An auto-focus method comprising steps of:

processing a point spread function (PSF) estimation to multiple regions of a first image to generate a plurality of first estimated point spread functions;

generating a first average point spread function according to the first estimated point spread functions;

processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the first average point spread function and defining a first focus number of the first image;

processing the PSF estimation to multiple regions of a second image to generate a plurality of second estimated point spread functions;

generating a second average point spread function according to the second estimated point spread functions;

processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the second average point spread function and defining a second focus number of the second image; and

comparing the first focus number and the second number to determining if the focus status of the second image being better than the first image.

3. A remote sensing satellite, comprising:

a focal plane assembly for collecting a first image and a second image;

an image processing block coupled to the focal plane assembly, and executing steps of:

processing a point spread function (PSF) estimation to multiple regions of the first image to generate a plurality of first estimated point spread functions;

generating a first average point spread function according to the first estimated point spread functions;

processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the first average point spread function and defining a first focus number of the first image;

processing the PSF estimation to multiple regions of the second image to generate a plurality of second estimated point spread functions;

generating a second average point spread function according to the second estimated point spread functions;

processing a Gaussian curve fitting to the second average point spread function and defining a second focus number of the second image; and

comparing the first focus number and the second number to generate a focus regulation status result;

a focus adjusting apparatus coupled to the focal plane assembly and the image processing block to regulate the focus of the focal plane assembly according to the focus regulation status result;

wherein, the focus adjusting apparatus regulates the focus of the focal plane assembly such that the focus of the first image and the focus of the second image are different.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
To: TAIWAN SPACE AGENCY
Reel/Frame 064736/0365 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2021
From: LIU, SHIAU-JING; TSAI, YU-LIN; HUANG, LI-FEN
To: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
Reel/Frame 056405/0052 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 109118345 · Jun 1, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210377439A1 · Dec 2, 2021