METHODS FOR DETERMINING A FLIGHT PATH

• US 20140207365A1
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Pereira, Frazer Leslie
• Application Number:
  US13/861,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207365A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3852 Data derived from aerial or satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Methods for determining a flight path for a data-collecting aircraft having a sensor may include defining a data-collecting area, subdividing the data-collecting area into zones, defining a waypoint for each of the zones to define a set of waypoints, and determining a flight path for the data-collecting aircraft incorporating the waypoints.

Claims

1. A method of determining a flight path for a data-collecting aircraft having a data sensor, the method comprising:

defining a data-collecting area;

subdividing the data-collecting area into contiguous zones based on the field of view of the data sensor;

defining a waypoint within each of the zones to define a set of waypoints; and

determining a flight path for the data-collecting aircraft incorporating the waypoints.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein defining the data-collecting area comprises receiving a predetermined data-collecting area.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined data-collecting area comprises a user defined data-collecting area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the zones are defined by at least one geometric shape.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one geometric shape comprises convex polygons.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the waypoint is defined at the geometric center of the geometric shape.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one dimension of the geometric shape is based on the field of view of the data sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the subdividing the data-collecting area into zones is based on environmental factors.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the environmental factors may be at least one of terrain and weather.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining at least one of an entry point and an exit point for the data-collecting aircraft into the data-collecting area.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining the flight path is based on the at least one defined entry point and exit point.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the flight path comprises applying a shortest path algorithm to the set of waypoints.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the flight path comprises receiving a user defined flight path.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising flying the data-collecting aircraft along at least a portion of the determined flight path and collecting data during the flying.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an additional portion of the flight path based on the collected data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein an altitude of the flight path is determined based on the collected data.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a second flight path for the data-collecting aircraft within the data-collecting area based on the data-collecting data.

18. A method of determining a flight path for a data-collecting aircraft having a data sensor, the method comprising:

defining a data-collecting area based on a user defined area of interest;

subdividing the data-collecting area into contiguous convex polygons based on the field of view of the data sensor;

defining a waypoint within each of the convex polygons to define a set of waypoints;

defining entry and exit points for the data-collecting aircraft into the area of interest; and

determining a flight path for the data-collecting aircraft based on the defined entry and exits points and incorporating the defined set of waypoints.