SELF-CONTAINED NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140358433A1
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronen Padowicz
• Original Assignee: Ronen Padowicz
• Inventors: Padowicz, Ronen
• Granted Patent: US 9,383,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/472
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/04 by terrestrial means G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

The present invention relates to an auto locating system for finding the location of a viewpoint comprising: (a) at least one sensor for acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint; (b) at least one memory device, for storing Digital Terrain Map (DTM) related data; (c) at least one processor for processing said samples of said skyline view from said at least one sensor and for comparing the data derived from said samples with the data calculated from said DTM data for finding the location of said viewpoint; and (d) at least one output for outputting the location of said viewpoint.

Claims

1. An auto locating system for finding the location of a viewpoint comprising:

a. at least one sensor for acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint;

b. at least one memory device, for storing DTM related data;

c. at least one processor for processing said samples of said skyline view from said at least one sensor and for comparing the data derived from said samples with the data calculated from said DTM data for finding the location of said viewpoint; and

d. at least one output for outputting the location of said viewpoint.

2. The system of claim 1, where the sensor is an inclinometer.

3. The system of claim 1, where the sensor is an imaging sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, where the imaging sensor is an infrared sensor.

5. The system of claim 3, where the imaging sensor is a Terahertz sensor.

6. The system of claim 3, where the system has image intensification capabilities.

7. The system of claim 1, where the DTM is the DTM of a certain area.

8. The system of claim 1, where the DTM is the DTM of the whole world.

9. The system of claim 1, where the system is also used for North finding.

10. The system of claim 1, where the system is also used for calculating the azimuth of the viewpoint.

11. The system of claim 1, where the system is implemented in a single device.

12. The system of claim 1, where the system is used for zeroing an inertial navigation system.

13. The system of claim 1, where the system is used for aiding a GPS system.

14. A method for auto locating a viewpoint comprising the steps of:

a. providing at least one maximal elevation data set of a DTM point;

b. providing at least one sensor capable of acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint;

c. receiving said samples related to said skyline view of said viewpoint acquired from said sensor;

d. deriving the maximal elevation data set from said data samples of said skyline view;

e. comparing said maximal elevation data set from said samples with said at least one maximal elevation data set of at least one of said DTM'"'"'s points;

f. finding the location of said viewpoint based on said comparison; and

g. outputting data related to said location of said viewpoint.

15. The method of claim 14, where the method is used for auto locating a viewpoint which is higher than ground level.

16. The method of claim 14, where the maximal elevation data set, comprises maximal elevation angles related to the gravity.

17. The method of claim 14, where the maximal elevation data set, comprises maximal elevation angles that are relative to other samples of the skyline view.

18. The method of claim 14, where the maximal elevation data set of a DTM point is found by:

a. calculating the visible areas of said point;

b. finding the farthest visible points of said visible areas of said point which constitute the skyline;

c. calculating the elevation angles, for at least some of said found furthest visible points; and

d. storing at least some of said elevation angles as a maximal elevation data set.

19. The method of claim 14, where the comparison is done using correlation techniques.