Passive underwater odometry using a video camera
First Claim
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1. A method of real-time estimation of velocity of an underwater vehicle, comprising:
- as the underwater vehicle is traveling underwater, capturing two-dimensional video of an underwater structure using a non-stereo video camera mounted on the underwater vehicle;
selecting first and second two-dimensional image frames from the two-dimensional video, the first and second two-dimensional image frames are captured at different times;
enhancing the first and second two-dimensional image frames to produce enhanced first and second two-dimensional image frames, wherein enhancing the first and second two-dimensional image frames comprises generating an empirical probability density function or model of the water the underwater vehicle is traveling in, and using the empirical probability density function or model to modify the first and second two-dimensional image frames in situ to match an expected probability density function or model; and
estimating the velocity of the underwater vehicle using the enhanced first and second two-dimensional image frames.
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described where odometry information that is obtained from a video camera mounted on an underwater vehicle is used to estimate the velocity of the underwater vehicle. The techniques described herein estimate the velocity of the underwater vehicle passively without emitting sound or other energy from the underwater vehicle.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of real-time estimation of velocity of an underwater vehicle, comprising:
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as the underwater vehicle is traveling underwater, capturing two-dimensional video of an underwater structure using a non-stereo video camera mounted on the underwater vehicle; selecting first and second two-dimensional image frames from the two-dimensional video, the first and second two-dimensional image frames are captured at different times; enhancing the first and second two-dimensional image frames to produce enhanced first and second two-dimensional image frames, wherein enhancing the first and second two-dimensional image frames comprises generating an empirical probability density function or model of the water the underwater vehicle is traveling in, and using the empirical probability density function or model to modify the first and second two-dimensional image frames in situ to match an expected probability density function or model; and estimating the velocity of the underwater vehicle using the enhanced first and second two-dimensional image frames. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of real-time estimation of velocity of a vehicle, comprising:
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as the vehicle is traveling past a structure, capturing two-dimensional video of the structure using a non-stereo video camera mounted on the vehicle; selecting first and second two-dimensional image frames from the two-dimensional video, the first and second two-dimensional image frames are captured at different times; enhancing the first and second two-dimensional image frames to produce enhanced first and second two-dimensional image frames, wherein enhancing the first and second two-dimensional image frames comprises generating an empirical probability density function or model of the medium the vehicle is traveling in, and using the empirical probability density function or model to modify the first and second two-dimensional image frames in situ to match an expected probability density function or model; and estimating the velocity of the vehicle using the enhanced first and second two dimensional image frames.
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Specification