CENTERING ABOVE A PREDETERMINED AREA OF A LANDING PLATFORM

• US 20120158222A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ums Skeldar Sweden Ab
• Original Assignee: Saab AB
• Inventors: Ehlin, Johan, Högström, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/16
• 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 17/875 for determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0684 on a moving platform, e.g. aircraft carrier

Abstract

A system arranged in an aerial vehicle for determining the position of the aerial vehicle relative to a center of a remote predetermined landing area arranged on a surface. A beam emitter is configured to emit beams towards the surface. A detector is configured to detect the beams reflected from the surface. A control is configured to control the beam emitter to emit beams onto the surface to form a plurality of lines thereon. A processor is configured to detect at least one edge providing a difference in height relative to the surface based on the detected reflected line forming beams. The edge substantially surrounds the predetermined landing area. The processor is further configured to determine the position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of the remote predetermined landing area based on the detected at least one edge.

Claims

1. A system arranged in an aerial vehicle for determining a position of the aerial vehicle relative to a center of a remote predetermined landing area arranged on a surface, the system comprising:

a beam emitter configured to emit beams towards the surface;

a detector configured to detect the beams reflected from said surface;

a control unit configured to control said beam emitter to emit beams onto said surface to form a plurality of lines thereon; and

a processor configured to detect at least one edge providing a difference in height relative to the surface, based on the detected reflected line forming beams, wherein said edge substantially surrounds the predetermined landing area, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine the position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of the predetermined landing area based on the detected at least one edge.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the beam emitter comprises at least two beam emitters controlled by the control unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the beam emitter to form a plurality of lines on the surface, said lines traversing each other perpendicularly in at least one pair, providing at least one point of intersection, and where in the processor is configured to determine the position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of the remote predetermined landing area based on the detected at least one edge along said traversing lines and said at least one point of intersection.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the beam emitter to form a plurality of lines on the surface, that are parallel to each other, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of the predetermined landing area based on the detected at least one edge along said parallel lines.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a plane to the surface and determine the position of the vehicle relative to the predetermined landing area based on the at least one point of intersection and the at least one detected edge and the estimated plane to the surface.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store distance and angle information about at least some of the detected reflected beams, wherein the processor is further configured to predict based on the stored detected reflected beams, a favourable occasion to land on the predetermined landing area corresponding to a time interval in the future.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to provide control information to at least one of a flight control system or to a display unit of said aerial vehicle, said control information comprising information about at least one of position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of predetermined landing area or said time interval in the future, relating to the favorable occasion to land thereon.

8. A method for determining a position of a vehicle relative to a center of a predetermined landing area arranged on a surface, the method comprising:

emitting beams;

detecting reflected beams, reflected in said surface;

controlling said beams to form a plurality of lines on said surface;

detecting at least one edge providing a difference in height relative to the surface based on the detected reflected line forming beams, wherein said edge substantially surrounds the predetermined landing area; and

determining the position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of the predetermined landing area based on the detected at least one edge.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

controlling simultaneously at least two beams to from a plurality of lines on the surface.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

controlling said beams to form a plurality of lines on the surface, said lines traversing each other perpendicularly in at least one pair, providing at least one point of intersection.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

controlling said beams to form a plurality of lines on the surface, that are parallel to each other.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

estimating a plane to the surface and determining the position of the vehicle relative to the center of the predetermined landing area based on the at least one point of intersection and the at least one detected edge and the estimated plane to the surface.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

storing distance and angle information about at least some of the detected reflected beams and predicting based on the stored detected reflected beams a favorable occasion to land centered on the remote predetermined landing area corresponding to a time interval in the future.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

providing control information to at least one of a flight control system or to a display unit of said vehicle, said control information comprising information about position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of predetermined landing area and/or said time interval in the future, relating to the favorable occasion to land thereon.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for performing a method for determining a position of a vehicle relative to a center of a predetermined landing area arranged on a surface, the method comprising;

emitting beams;

detecting reflected beams, reflected in said surface;

controlling said beams to form a plurality of lines on said surface;

detecting at least one edge providing a difference in height relative to the surface based on the detected reflected line forming beams, wherein said edge substantially surrounds the predetermined landing area and

determining the position of the aerial vehicle relative to the center of the predetermined landing area based on the detected at least one edge.