AUTOMATED LANDING ZONE SITE SURVEYING

• US 20100204919A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Spoor, David Todd, Cornett, Alan, Becker, Robert Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/368,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20100204919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

An imaging system includes a processor, a detection assembly configured to collect survey data characterizing a respective height and location of physical features of a geographic region, a receiver assembly configured to provide location data characterizing a geolocation of the geographic region, a tilt sensor configured to provide tilt data characterizing an inclination of the detection assembly with respect to gravity, and a magnetic-field sensor configured to provide field data characterizing a magnetic field associated with the geographic region. The processor is configured to perform processing of the survey data and tilt data to yield a first corrected data set, obtain magnetic-deviation data associated with the geographic region, determine an indication of true north, and process the first corrected data set and true-north indication to yield a second corrected data set comprising the first corrected data set oriented to true north.

Claims

1. An imaging system configured to be implemented on a platform, the system comprising:

a processor;

a detection assembly coupled to the processor and configured to collect survey data characterizing a respective height and location of physical features of a geographic region;

a receiver assembly coupled to the processor and configured to provide location data characterizing a geolocation of the geographic region;

a tilt sensor coupled to the processor and configured to provide tilt data characterizing an inclination of the detection assembly with respect to gravity; and

a magnetic-field sensor coupled to the processor and configured to provide field data characterizing a magnetic field associated with the geographic region;

whereby the processor is configured to;

perform processing of the survey data and tilt data to yield a first corrected data set,

obtain, based on the location data, magnetic-deviation data associated with the geographic region,

determine, from the field data and magnetic-deviation data, an indication of true north, and

process the first corrected data set and true-north indication to yield a second corrected data set comprising the first corrected data set oriented to true north.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to produce from the second corrected data set a three-dimensional depiction of the geographic region displayable on a display device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the second corrected data set to at least one aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory device configured to store the magnetic-deviation data.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the platform comprises an aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the detection assembly comprises a LIDAR unit.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver assembly comprises a GPS receiver.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the tilt sensor comprises an inclinometer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic-field sensor comprises a three-axis magnetometer.

10. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor onboard a platform, enable the processor to perform steps comprising:

obtain survey data characterizing a respective height and location of physical features of a geographic region, location data characterizing a geolocation of the geographic region, tilt data characterizing an inclination of the platform with respect to gravity, and field data characterizing a magnetic field associated with the geographic region;

perform processing of the survey data and tilt data to yield a first corrected data set;

obtain, based on the location data, magnetic-deviation data associated with the geographic region;

determine, from the field data and magnetic-deviation data, an indication of true north; and

process the first corrected data set and true-north indication to yield a second corrected data set comprising the first corrected data set oriented to true north.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein the steps further comprise producing from the second corrected data set a three-dimensional depiction of the geographic region displayable on a display device.

12. The medium of claim 10 wherein the steps further comprise transmitting the second corrected data set to at least one aircraft.

13. The medium of claim 10 wherein the magnetic-deviation data is obtained from a memory device onboard the platform.

14. The medium of claim 10 wherein the platform comprises an aircraft.

15. The medium of claim 10 wherein the survey data is obtained from a LIDAR unit.

16. The medium of claim 10 wherein the location data is obtained from a GPS receiver.

17. The medium of claim 10 wherein the tilt data is obtained from an inclinometer.

18. The medium of claim 10 wherein the field data is obtained from a three-axis magnetometer.

19. The medium of claim 10 wherein the steps further comprise producing from the second corrected data set a set of safe-approach instructions displayable on a display device.