US 12,214,907 B2
Real-time satellite imaging system
Franklin H. Williams, Jr., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Assigned to Live Earth Imaging Enterprises, L.L.C., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Filed by Live Earth Imaging Enterprises, L.L.C., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Filed on Oct. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/977,867.
Application 17/977,867 is a division of application No. 17/300,019, filed on Feb. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,496,679.
Application 17/300,019 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/974,156, filed on Oct. 23, 2020, abandoned.
Application 16/974,156 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/602,697, filed on Nov. 19, 2019, abandoned.
Application 16/602,697 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/530,557, filed on Jan. 27, 2017, granted, now 10,531,052.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/298,347, filed on Feb. 22, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0140617 A1, May 2, 2024
Int. Cl. B64G 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/1021 (2013.01) [B64G 1/1028 (2023.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first pair of satellites; said first pair of satellites being in orbit around the Earth;
said first pair of satellites having apogees North of the Equator;
a second pair of satellites; said second pair of satellites being in orbit around the Earth;
said second pair of satellites having apogees South of the Equator;
said first and said second pair of satellites providing generally continuous coverage of the polar regions not observable from geostationary orbit;
a plurality of image sensors; said plurality of image sensors each including a telescope; each of said telescopes being configured to produce an image of a field of view of said telescope; said plurality of image sensors for producing a plurality of images:
each of said image sensors including an electrically reactive high index of refraction material plate;
each of said image sensors including a sensor image control element; each of said sensor image control elements including a voltage control element;
each of said voltage control elements being configured to apply a plurality of different voltages across said electrically reactive high index of refraction material plate;
said electrically reactive high index of refraction material plate altering the direction of a plurality of light rays illuminating each of said plurality of focal plane arrays;
each of said image sensors being carried aboard a satellite;
each of said plurality of image sensors being configured to be pointed generally toward Earth;
each of said plurality of said image sensors including a focal plane;
each of said image sensors including a plurality of focal plane arrays:
each of said focal planes including a focal plane array which form a plurality of focal plane arrays;
each of said focal plane arrays being configured to produce a plurality of data;
each of said pluralities of data providing persistent imaging of at least a portion of said generally visible hemisphere of the surface of the Earth;
each of said images being captured as a full image substantially simultaneously; each of said images being associated with one of said telescopes carried aboard one of said satellites:
each of said plurality of images each having resolutions that correspond with an image at nadir having a resolution of at least one-hundred meters; and
a plurality of transmitters: each of said plurality of transmitters being connected to each of said focal plane arrays;
a plurality of parallel to serial bit stream serializers connected to said each of said transmitters; each of said serial bit stream serializers for converting a plurality of parallel inputs from a plurality of detection elements of within said image processor to a serial bit stream in preparation for transmission.