SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR RANGING BASED ON PIXEL SHIFT AND VELOCITY INPUT

• US 20090292467A1
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AAI Corporation (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: AAI Corporation (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Tang, William M., McNelis, Niall B.
• Application Number:
  US12/392,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292467A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/22 for vehicle-borne armament, e.g. on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1652 with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product provides for determining a location of an external object sensed by a mobile object on a display of the mobile object. The method may include determining a first position of the external object on the display, the first position being sensed by the mobile object at a first position of the mobile object. It may also include determining a second position of the external object on the display, the second position being sensed by the mobile object at a second position of the mobile object. Next, the method may include determining the location of the external object based upon said determining of the first position and said determining of the second position. The first position of the external object and the second position of the external object may be respectively sensed by a sensor system of the mobile object, where the display comprises a graphical user interface (GUI). Any portion of the external object may be mapped to one or more pixels, with each pixel providing a unique location.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of an external object sensed by a mobile object on a display of the mobile object, comprising:

determining a first position of the external object on the display, the first position being sensed by the mobile object at a first position of the mobile object;

determining a second position of the external object on the display, the second position being sensed by the mobile object at a second position of the mobile object; and

determining the location of the external object based upon said determining of the first position and said determining of the second position.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location of the external object is calculated as a range between the second position of the mobile object and the physical location of the external object.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining of the location of the external object is further based on the distance between the first position of the mobile object and the second position of the mobile object.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the first position of the mobile object and the second position of the mobile object is generated from an input from an inertial navigation system of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the orientation of the mobile object at the second position of the mobile object is generated from an input from an inertial navigation system of the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining of the location of the external object is further based on (a) a first azimuth angle between (i) a direction of travel of the mobile object at the first position and (ii) a range from the mobile object at the first position to the external object;

and (b) a second azimuth angle between (iii) a direction of travel of the mobile object at the second position and (iv) a range from the mobile object at the second position to the external object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile object comprises a military vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the military vehicle comprises any one of:

a high mobility multipurpose vehicle (HMMWV);

a tank; and

an eight-wheeled all-wheel-drive armored combat vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external object comprise one or more enemy combatants.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first position of the external object and the second position of the external object are respectively sensed by a sensor system of the mobile object, and wherein the display comprises a graphical user interface (GUI).

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein any portion of the external object is mapped to one or more pixels, each said pixel comprising a unique location.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said pixels are rendered in a rectilinear display on the GUI, and a said pixel comprising the unique location has a unique set of values for azimuth and elevation thereof.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mapping is performed using any one of:

a centroid homing method and an edge detection method.

14. A system for determining a location of an external object sensed by a mobile object on a display of the mobile object, comprising:

device for determining a first position of the external object on the display, the first position being sensed by the mobile object at a first position of the mobile object;

device for determining a second position of the external object on the display, the second position being sensed by the mobile object at a second position of the mobile object; and

device for determining the location of the external object based upon said determining of the first position and said determining of the second position.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the location of the external object is calculated as a range between the second position of the mobile object and the physical location of the external object.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the determining of the location of the external object is further based on the distance between the first position of the mobile object and the second position of the mobile object.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the distance between the first position of the mobile object and the second position of the mobile object is generated from an input from an inertial navigation system of the vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the orientation of the mobile object at the second position of the mobile object is generated from an input from an inertial navigation system of the vehicle.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the determining of the location of the external object is further based on (a) a first azimuth angle between (i) a direction of travel of the mobile object at the first position and (ii) a range from the mobile object at the first position to the external object;

and (b) a second azimuth angle between (iii) a direction of travel of the mobile object at the second position and (iv) a range from the mobile object at the second position to the external object.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the mobile object comprises a military vehicle.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the military vehicle comprises any one of:

a high mobility multipurpose vehicle (HMMWV);

a tank; and

an eight-wheeled all-wheel-drive armored combat vehicle.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein the external object comprise one or more enemy combatants.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first position of the external object and the second position of the external object are respectively sensed by a sensor system of the mobile object, and wherein the display comprises a graphical user interface (GUI).

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein any portion of the external object is mapped to one or more pixels, each said pixel comprising a unique location.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said pixels are rendered in a rectilinear display on the GUI, and a said pixel comprising the unique location has a unique set of values for azimuth and elevation thereof.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein the mapping is performed using any one of:

a centroid homing method and an edge detection method.

27. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computing platform, causes the computing platform to perform operations comprising a method for determining a location of an external object sensed by a mobile object on a display of the mobile object, the method comprising:

determining a first position of the external object on the display, the first position being sensed by the mobile object at a first position of the mobile object;

determining a second position of the external object on the display, the second position being sensed by the mobile object at a second position of the mobile object; and

determining the location of the external object based upon said determining of the first position and said determining of the second position.