Camera ball turret having high bandwidth data transmission to external image processor

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage, a gimbal-mounted turret having one or more degrees of freedom relative to the fuselage, a camera disposed in the gimbal-mounted turret for motion therewith in the one or more degrees of freedom, and a central video image processor disposed exteriorly of the gimbal-mounted turret, the central video image processor configured to receive and process image data from the camera.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
 a fuselage;   a gimbal-mounted turret having one or more degrees of freedom relative to the fuselage;   a camera disposed in the gimbal-mounted turret for motion therewith in the one or more degrees of freedom; and   a central video image processor disposed exteriorly of the gimbal-mounted turret, the central video image processor configured to receive and process image data from the camera.   
     
     
         2 . The UAV of  claim 1 , wherein the central video image processor includes one or more of the following modules: a de-mosaicing module, a video conditioning module, individual frame display information module, and template matching module. 
     
     
         3 . The UAV of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional camera mounted to the aircraft and coupled to the central video image processor, the central video image processor configured to receive and process image data from the additional camera. 
     
     
         4 . The UAV of  claim 1 , wherein the additional camera is a landing camera. 
     
     
         5 . A surveillance method comprising:
 capturing image information using a gimbaled camera mounted in a turret exterior to an aircraft fuselage;   transmitting the captured image information to a central image processor disposed in the aircraft fuselage; and   processing the transmitted captured image information in the central image processor.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising transmitting information processed by the central image processor to a remote location. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising capturing image information using an additional camera mounted exteriorly of the fuselage and transmitting the captured image information from the additional camera to a central image processor disposed in the aircraft fuselage. 
     
     
         8 . A device comprising:
 means for capturing image information using a gimbaled camera mounted in a turret exterior to an aircraft fuselage;   means for transmitting the captured image information to a central image processor disposed in the aircraft fuselage; and   means for processing the transmitted captured image information in the central image processor.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising means for transmitting information processed by the central image processor to a remote location. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising means for capturing image information using an additional camera mounted exteriorly of the fuselage and transmitting the captured image information from the additional camera to a central image processor disposed in the aircraft fuselage.