Prismatic relative positioning system

• US 10,254,136 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Bertram, Joshua R., Gariel, Maxime M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Valentiner, Jeremy S
• Application Number:
  US15/131,506
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/17 for detecting, disrupting or countering communications
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/30 the beams of light being detected by photocells
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/03 Airborne
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2907 Angle determination; Directional detectors; Telescopes prospecting by the use of nuclear radiation, e.g. of natural or induced radioactivity G01V5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2978 Hybrid imaging systems, e.g. using a position sensitive detector (camera) to determine the distribution in one direction and using mechanical movement of the detector or the subject in the other direction or using a camera to determine the distribution in two dimensions and using movement of the camera or the subject to increase the field of view G01T1/2985 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A relative positioning system is described. At least one emitter is attached to a first object, where each of the at least one emitters includes: an electromagnetic radiation source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation over a band of wavelengths, and a prism arranged to refract and disperse the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source according to the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation. At least one electromagnetic radiation detector is attached to a second object arranged to detect the wavelengths of some of the electromagnetic radiation refracted and dispersed by a respective prism. At least one processor is configured to determine the relative position of the first object and the second object based on the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.

Claims

1. A relative positioning system, comprising:

at least one emitter attached to a first object, each of the at least one emitter comprising;

an electromagnetic radiation source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation over a band of wavelengths; and

a prism, having a triangular cross-section, arranged to refract and disperse the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source according to the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation;

at least one electromagnetic radiation detector, comprising an array of electromagnetic radiation sensing cells, attached to a second object arranged to detect the wavelengths of some of the electromagnetic radiation refracted and dispersed by the prism of a respective emitter of the at least one emitter; and

at least one processor configured to determine a relative position of the first object and the second object based on the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector,

wherein the at least one emitter comprises a first emitter, and a second emitter oriented orthogonally to the first emitter, wherein the processor is configured to determine the relative position of the first object and the second object along a first dimension based on detected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from the first emitter, and to determine the relative position of the first object and the second object along a second dimension, orthogonal to the first dimension, based on detected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from the second emitter.

2. The relative positioning system of claim 1, wherein the band of wavelengths includes a center wavelength.

3. The relative positioning system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an angle between a line perpendicular to a surface of the array and a line extending from the array to the at least one emitter based on a position of the radiation sensing cell which detects one of the detected wavelengths.

4. The relative positioning system of claim 3, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS sensor.

5. The relative positioning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector comprises a two-dimensional array of electromagnetic radiation sensing cells, and the processor is further configured to determine a distance from the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector to the at least one emitter based on the number of electromagnetic radiation sensing cells detecting electromagnetic radiation of one of the wavelengths of the band of wavelengths.

6. The relative positioning system of claim 5, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS sensor.

7. The relative positioning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector comprises:

a first electromagnetic radiation detector corresponding to the first emitter and sensitive to detect electromagnetic radiation in a first band of wavelengths from a first electromagnetic radiation source of the first emitter, and

a second electromagnetic radiation detector corresponding to the second emitter and sensitive to detect electromagnetic radiation in a second band of wavelengths from a second electromagnetic radiation source of the second emitter.

8. The relative positioning system of claim 7, wherein the first band of wavelengths includes ultraviolet and the second band of wavelengths includes infra-red.

9. A relative positioning system, comprising:

at least one emitter attached to a first object, each of the at least one emitter comprising;

an electromagnetic radiation source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation over a band of wavelengths; and

a prism, having a triangular cross-section, arranged to refract and disperse the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source according to the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation;

at least one electromagnetic radiation detector, comprising an array of electromagnetic radiation sensing cells, attached to a second object arranged to detect the wavelengths of some of the electromagnetic radiation refracted and dispersed by the prism of a respective emitter of the at least one emitter; and

at least one processor configured to determine a relative position of the first object and the second object based on the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector,

wherein the at least one emitter comprises a first pair of emitters spaced from each other along a first dimension, and separated by a first spacing; and

wherein processor is configured to determine the distance from the first object to the second object along a direction from the first object to the second object, and to determine the relative distance from the first object to the second object along the first dimension, based on the first spacing and the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.

10. The relative positioning system of claim 9, wherein the at least one emitter comprises a second pair of emitters spaced from each other along a second dimension, and separated by a second spacing, the second dimension being orthogonal to the first dimension;

and

wherein the processor is configured to determine the relative distance from the first object to the second object along the second dimension based on the second spacing and the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.

11. A relative positioning system, comprising:

at least one emitter attached to a first object, each of the at least one emitter comprising;

an electromagnetic radiation source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation over a band of wavelengths; and

a prism, having a triangular cross-section, arranged to refract and disperse the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source according to the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation;

at least one electromagnetic radiation detector, comprising an array of electromagnetic radiation sensing cells, attached to a second object arranged to detect the wavelengths of some of the electromagnetic radiation refracted and dispersed by the prism of a respective emitter of the at least one emitter; and

at least one processor configured to determine a relative position of the first object and the second object based on the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector,

wherein the at least one emitter comprises at least four emitters arranged along the first object, wherein the processor is configured to determine the three-dimensional orientation of the first object relative to the second object based on the detected wavelengths by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector.

12. The relative positioning system of claim 11, wherein the at least four emitters comprises at least two emitters arranged along a first dimension, and at least two emitters arranged in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension.

13. The relative positioning system of claim 11, wherein the at least four emitters are arranged in circular formation.

14. The relative positioning system of claim 11, wherein the at least four emitters are arranged in an asymmetric formation.

15. The relative positioning system of claim 11, wherein the at least one emitter comprises a plurality of emitters, each of the plurality of emitters flashing electromagnetic radiation at a different frequency.

16. The relative positioning system of claim 11, wherein the at least one emitter comprises a plurality of sets of emitters, the sets being arranged progressively from a center region of the plurality of sets of emitters of the first object, the processer configured to select the sets closer to the center point as the first object is determined to be closer to the second object and to select the sets further from the center point as the first object is determined to be further from the second object.