US 11,670,003 B2
Spatial light modulator seeker calibration
Owen Daniel Evans, Burnsville, MN (US); Jason Graham, Prior Lake, MN (US); and Robert D. Rutkiewicz, Edina, MN (US)
Assigned to Simmonds Precision Products, Inc., Vergennes, VT (US)
Filed by Simmonds Precision Products, Inc., Vergennes, VT (US)
Filed on May 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/328,843.
Prior Publication US 2022/0375127 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 7/80 (2017.01); H04N 23/55 (2023.01); H04N 23/75 (2023.01)
CPC G06T 7/80 (2017.01) [H04N 23/55 (2023.01); H04N 23/75 (2023.01); G06T 2207/10048 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10152 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging system used in a moving platform for guiding the moving platform, the imaging system comprising:
an enclosure with an objective aperture opening into an interior space of the enclosure;
an optical assembly optically coupling the objective aperture to an imaging sensor within the enclosure;
a spatial light modulator (SLM) mounted to the objective aperture for selectively blocking and admitting illumination through the objective aperture into the interior space;
an illuminator mounted to illuminate the interior space of the enclosure;
an imaging board, wherein the imaging sensor is operatively connected to the imaging board;
a SLM controller operatively connected to the imaging board to control the SLM; and
an illuminator controller operatively connected to the imaging board to control the illuminator, wherein the imaging board includes machine readable instructions configured to cause the imaging board to perform an imaging system calibration, the imaging system calibration comprising:
blocking, with the SLM, illumination outside the enclosure from reaching the interior space;
illuminating, with the illuminator, the interior space; and
capturing, with the imaging sensor, a calibration image using illumination from the illuminator; and wherein the machine readable instructions are further configured to cause the imaging system to provide an imaging mode for guiding the moving platform, wherein in the imaging mode the blocking further includes using the SLM to actively block one or more bright spots from reaching the imaging sensor.