Visual Detection of Clear Air Turbulence
First Claim
1. A clear air turbulence detection system, comprising:
- an image capturing element;
a lens having a focal length adapted to focus a scene onto said image capturing element such that a combination of said lens and said image capturing element are adapted to optically resolve a visual distortion of a feature in said scene due to turbulence; and
a processor adapted to process an image of said scene from said image capturing element, said processor adapted to compare a plurality of said images to detect a change in refraction of light received from said feature due to turbulence and produce an indication of an area of turbulence.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Presented is a system and method for detecting clear air turbulence comprising an image capturing element, a lens having focal length adapted to focus a scene onto the image capturing element such that the combination of the lens and array of pixels are capable of optically resolving any visual distortions of features in the scene that are caused by turbulent air, and a processor. The processor compares the image with a subsequent image, or a stored image of the scene, to detect a change in refraction of light received from the feature in the scene that is due to turbulence and produces an indication of the area of turbulence in the scene.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A clear air turbulence detection system, comprising:
-
an image capturing element; a lens having a focal length adapted to focus a scene onto said image capturing element such that a combination of said lens and said image capturing element are adapted to optically resolve a visual distortion of a feature in said scene due to turbulence; and a processor adapted to process an image of said scene from said image capturing element, said processor adapted to compare a plurality of said images to detect a change in refraction of light received from said feature due to turbulence and produce an indication of an area of turbulence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of detecting clear air turbulence, comprising:
-
capturing a first image of a scene; capturing a second image consisting essentially of said scene; selecting a feature present in said first image and said second image; registering said first image to said second image such that said feature in said first image has approximately a same position, scale, and orientation as said feature in said second image; comparing said feature in said first image with said feature in said second image to determine a change to a portion of said feature between said first image and said second image; and displaying a turbulence indication based upon said change to said feature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. An aircraft with a turbulence detection system, comprising:
-
a turbulence detection system, further comprising a camera system and an image processing system; an aircraft, said aircraft adapted to mount said camera system; and a turbulence alerting system displaced in a cockpit of said aircraft, said turbulence alerting system in electronic communication with said image processing system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification