TIGHT OPTICAL INTEGRATION (TOI) OF IMAGES WITH GPS RANGE MEASUREMENTS

• US 20120127030A1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ohio University
• Original Assignee: Ohio University
• Inventors: Arthur, Thomas D., Zhu, Zhen, Bhattacharya, Sumit, de Haag, Maarten Uijt, Scheff, Kim Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,726,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement

Abstract

A method of determining the position of a user in 3D space is disclosed. In one example, the method comprises utilizing range measurements from one or more GPS satellite vehicles, angular information of a camera located at the user position, and a camera image associated with one or more known markers. The method further comprises determining the angular information of the camera by determining a direction cosine matrix between a camera frame of reference and an earth frame of reference, and designating unit vectors that individually extend from a position within the camera image associated with one of the known markers through the camera focal point to the respective known marker The method also includes integrating into an ordinary least squares matrix, the GPS range measurements, the angular information of the camera, and the unit vectors, and calculating the user position by solving the ordinary least squares matrix.

Claims

1. A method of determining the position of a user in 3D space, utilizing range measurements from one or more GPS satellite vehicles, angular information of a camera located at the user position, and a camera image associated with one or more known markers, the method comprising:

a) obtaining the range measurements of the user position from the one or more GPS satellite vehicles;

b) determining a direction cosine matrix (DCM) between a camera frame of reference and an earth frame of reference, the DCM comprising the angular information of the camera;

c) designating one or more unit vectors that individually extend from a position within the camera image associated with one of the known markers through the camera focal point to the respective one of the one or more known markers;

d) integrating into an ordinary least squares matrix, the range measurements from the one or more GPS satellite vehicles, the angular information of the camera, and the one or more unit vectors; and

e) calculating the position of the user in 3D space by solving the ordinary least squares matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more known markers comprise one or more of a terrestrial marker, an astronomical marker, a vehicular marker, and an airborne marker.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more known markers individually have predetermined or otherwise known geographical coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the range measurements of the user position from the one or more GPS satellite vehicles comprises a set of GPS unit vectors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing the camera from the user position toward the one or more known markers before determining the direction cosine matrix.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera located at the user position is configured to provide imaging and angular information utilizing one or more or a combination of visible light, infrared light, UV light, or using LIDAR, LADAR, or RADAR based systems.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera located at the user position is configured to provide imaging and angular information utilizing one or more or a combination of infrared light, UV light, laser light, and LIDAR, LADAR, or RADAR based systems, configured to provide imaging and angular information of the two or more known markers.

7. A method of determining the position of a user in 3D space, utilizing range measurements from one or more GPS satellite vehicles, angular information of a camera located at the user position using an inertial measurement system, and camera measurements of one or more known markers, the method comprising:

a) obtaining the range measurements of the user position from the one or more GPS satellite vehicles;

b) determining the angular information of the camera by using the inertial measurement system to determine a direction cosine matrix (DCM) between a camera frame of reference and an earth frame of reference;

c) mapping individual pixels in the camera into respective unit vectors individually extending from a respective camera pixel to the camera focal point, thereby generating a pixel map;

d) designating one or more marker pixels in the pixel map and respective unit vectors that individually extend from the respective marker pixel through the camera focal point and to a respective one of the one or more known markers;

e) integrating into an ordinary least squares matrix, the range measurements of the user position from the one or more GPS satellite vehicles, the angular information of the camera from the inertial measurement system, and the one or more unit vectors individually extending from the respective marker pixel through the camera focal point and to the respect one of the one or more known markers; and

f) calculating the position of the user in 3D space by solving the ordinary least squares matrix.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more known markers comprise one or more of a terrestrial marker, an astronomical marker, a vehicular marker, and an airborne marker.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more known markers individually have predetermined or otherwise known geographical coordinates.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the ordinary least squares matrix comprises a set of GPS unit vectors representing the range measurements from the one or more GPS satellite vehicles combined with a set of visual or camera based unit vectors representing the angular information of the camera and the one or more known markers.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

directing the camera from the user position toward the one or more known markers before determining the angular information of the camera.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the camera located at the user position is configured to provide imaging and angular information of one or more or a combination of infrared light, UV light, or using LIDAR, LADAR, or RADAR based systems on the one or more known markers comprising one or more of a terrestrial marker, an astronomical marker, a vehicular marker, and an airborne marker.

13. A method of determining the position of a user in 3D space, utilizing angular information of a camera located at the user position and a camera image associated with two or more known markers, the method comprising:

a) determining a direction cosine matrix (DCM) between a camera frame of reference and an earth frame of reference, the DCM comprising the angular information of the camera;

b) designating two or more unit vectors that individually extend from a position within the camera image associated with a respective one of the known markers, through the camera focal point to the respective one of the two or more known markers;

c) integrating into an ordinary least squares matrix, the angular information of the camera, and the two or more unit vectors extending from the user position at the camera to the respective two or more known markers; and

d) calculating the position of the user in 3D space by solving the ordinary least squares matrix.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the two or more known markers comprise two or more or a combination of a terrestrial marker, an astronomical marker, a vehicular marker, and an airborne marker.