Methods and system for communication and displaying points-of-interest

1. A method for indicating, within a display of an arbitrary perspective view input from an imaging device, a location based upon a coordinate within a shared reference image, the method comprising:

(a) providing a shared reference image of a region overlapping at least part of the field of view of the perspective view, the shared reference image having a defined coordinate system;

(b) correlating the perspective view with the shared reference image so as to generate a mapping between said perspective view and said shared reference image;

(c) employing said mapping to derive a location of a given coordinate of the shared reference image within the perspective view;

(d) indicating the location on said display; and

(e) in a case where said location of the given coordinate of the shared reference image lies outside the perspective view, automatically re-aligning the imaging sensor to bring said location within the perspective view.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said coordinate of the shared reference image is a location of a landing point for landing an airborne platform carrying the imaging device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said correlating includes:

(a) correlating said perspective view with a reference view having a field of view wider than said perspective view so as to generate a first mapping transformation; and

(b) correlating said reference view with said shared reference image so as to generate a second mapping transformation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said coordinate system is a geographical coordinate system.

5. A method for transferring information between two users viewing a common region of interest from different viewing directions, each user viewing the region of interest as a perspective view derived from an image sensor and presented on a display, the method comprising:

(a) for each user:

(i) providing a shared reference image of a region overlapping at least part of the field of view of the perspective view, the shared reference image having a defined coordinate system, and

(ii) correlating the perspective view with the shared reference image so as to generate a mapping between said perspective view and said shared reference image;

(b) inputting from the first user a location within the first user's perspective view designated as a point-of-interest location;

(c) processing the input location, by use of the first user's mapping, to derive a coordinate in the shared reference image corresponding to the point-of-interest location;

(d) processing the coordinate, by use of the second user's mapping, to derive a location of the coordinate within the second user's perspective view; and

(e) indicating the point-of-interest location on the second user's display.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said correlating includes:

(a) correlating said perspective view with a reference view having a field of view wider than said perspective view so as to generate a first mapping transformation; and

(b) correlating said reference view with said shared reference image so as to generate a second mapping transformation.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

(a) inputting from the second user a location within the second user's perspective view designated as a second point-of-interest location;

(b) processing the input location, by use of the second user's mapping, to derive a coordinate in the shared reference image corresponding to the second point-of-interest location;

(c) processing the coordinate, by use of the first user's mapping, to derive a location of the coordinate within the first user's perspective view; and

(d) indicating the point-of-interest location on the first user's display.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said processing the input location is performed using a processing system at a first location, and wherein said processing the coordinate is performed using a processing system at a second location, the method further comprising transmitting the coordinate from the first location to a second location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said transmitting is performed wirelessly.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said transmitting includes transmitting additional information relating to a point-of-interest at the point-of-interest location.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein said coordinate system is a geographical coordinate system.

12. A system for indicating a location based upon a coordinate defined relative to a shared reference image, the system comprising:

(a) an imaging sensor;

(b) an imaging sensor controller configured for controlling at least a direction of regard of said imaging sensor;

(c) a display;

(d) a display driver for receiving images from said image sensor and displaying said images on said display;

(e) a data storage device for storing data corresponding to a shared reference image of a region at least partially overlapping a field of view of said image sensor, said shared reference image having a defined coordinate system; and

(f) a processing system associated with said imaging sensor, said data storage device and said display driver, said processing system being configured for:

(i) correlating a perspective view generated by said imaging sensor with said shared reference image so as to generate a mapping between said perspective view and said shared reference image;

(ii) employing said mapping to derive a location of a given coordinate of said shared reference image within the perspective view;

(iii) actuating the display driver to indicate the location in the context of said images on said display; and

(iv) activating said imaging sensor controller such that, in a case where said location of the given coordinate lies outside the field of view of the imaging sensor, said imaging sensor controller automatically re-aligns said imaging sensor to bring said location within the field of view.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a communication interface associated with said processing system and configured for receiving said coordinates from a point-of-interest designating source.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein said imaging sensor has a given operative field of view, and wherein said processing system is configured for correlating said perspective view with said shared reference image by:

(a) correlating said perspective view with a reference view having a field of view wider than said given operative field of view so as to generate a first mapping transformation; and

(b) correlating said reference view with said shared reference image so as to generate a second mapping transformation.

15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising an input device associated with said display driver for user designation of a point-of-interest location within said perspective view.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said processing system is further configured for employing said mapping to derive a coordinate in said shared reference image corresponding to a point-of-interest location designated by use of said input device.