Method and system for providing docking guidance to a pilot of a taxiing aircraft
First Claim
1. A system for providing docking guidance to a pilot of a taxiing aircraft, the system comprising:
- a camera configured for mounting at a camera location on the taxiing aircraft, the camera configured to generate a two-dimensional image of a scene external to the taxiing aircraft, the generated two-dimensional image comprising pixel data generated by the two-dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels; and
a digital processor configured to identify first and second sets of pixel coordinates within the generated two-dimensional image of the scene external to the taxiing aircraft, the identified first and second sets of pixel coordinates corresponding to two vertically-separated and two laterally-separated indicia, respectively, of an alignment fiducial indicating a parking location for the taxiing aircraft, the digital processor further configured to calculate, based at least in part on the identified first pixel coordinates corresponding to the two vertically-separated indicia, a range to the parking location indicated by the alignment fiducial.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and associated methods relate to using an image of a fiducial located indicating a parking location for the aircraft to provide docking guidance data to a pilot of an aircraft. The fiducial has vertically-separated indicia and laterally-separated indicia. A camera is configured to mount at a camera location so as to be able to capture two-dimensional images of a scene external to the aircraft. The two-dimensional image includes pixel data generated by the two-dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels. A digital processor identifies first and second sets of pixel coordinates corresponding to the two vertically-separated and the two laterally-separated indicia, respectively. The digital processor then calculates, based at least in part on the identified first pixel coordinates corresponding to the two vertically-separated indicia, a range to the parking location.
15 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for providing docking guidance to a pilot of a taxiing aircraft, the system comprising:
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a camera configured for mounting at a camera location on the taxiing aircraft, the camera configured to generate a two-dimensional image of a scene external to the taxiing aircraft, the generated two-dimensional image comprising pixel data generated by the two-dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels; and a digital processor configured to identify first and second sets of pixel coordinates within the generated two-dimensional image of the scene external to the taxiing aircraft, the identified first and second sets of pixel coordinates corresponding to two vertically-separated and two laterally-separated indicia, respectively, of an alignment fiducial indicating a parking location for the taxiing aircraft, the digital processor further configured to calculate, based at least in part on the identified first pixel coordinates corresponding to the two vertically-separated indicia, a range to the parking location indicated by the alignment fiducial. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for providing docking guidance to a pilot of a taxiing aircraft, the method comprising:
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generating, by a camera mounted at a camera location on an aircraft, a two-dimensional image of a scene external to the taxiing aircraft, the generated two-dimensional image comprising pixel data generated by the two-dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels; identifying first and second sets of pixel coordinates within the image of the scene external to the aircraft, the identified first and second sets of pixel coordinates corresponding to two vertically-separated and two laterally-separated indicia, respectively, of an alignment fiducial indicating a parking location for the aircraft; calculating, based at least in part on the identified first pixel coordinates corresponding to the two vertically-separated indicia, a range to the parking location; and generating a visual display of the image of the scene aligned with the optical axis of the camera, the visual display annotated with the calculated range to the parking location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification