AIRCRAFT VISUAL SENSOR SYSTEM

• US 20180351634A1
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Ryan, Michael John, Drennan, Joseph Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,243,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a processing device configured to: obtain sensor data from one or more sensors associated with an aircraft, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect information associated with an operating environment of the aircraft; detect an object near the aircraft based on the sensor data; obtain a camera feed from a camera associated with the aircraft, wherein the camera feed comprises a camera view of at least a portion of the aircraft; generate a display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data, wherein the display output comprises a visual perspective of the object relative to the aircraft; and cause the display output to be displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing device configured to;

obtain sensor data from one or more sensors associated with an aircraft, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect information associated with an operating environment of the aircraft;

detect an object near the aircraft based on the sensor data;

obtain a camera feed from a camera associated with the aircraft, wherein the camera feed comprises a camera view of at least a portion of the aircraft;

generate a display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data, wherein the display output comprises a visual perspective of the object relative to the aircraft; and

cause the display output to be displayed on a display device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a location of the object relative to the aircraft based on the sensor data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing device configured to generate the display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data is further configured to:

determine, based on the location of the object relative to the aircraft, that the object is outside the camera view; and

generate a visual representation of the object relative to the camera view.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a size of the object based on the sensor data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a type of the object based on the sensor data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5:

wherein the one or more sensors comprises a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of sensor technologies; and

wherein the processing device configured to determine the type of the object based on the sensor data is further configured to determine the type of the object based on the sensor data from the plurality of sensor technologies.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

a distance sensor configured to detect a distance of the object from the aircraft;

an optical sensor configured to detect one or more visual attributes of the object; and

a thermal sensor configured to detect heat emitted from the object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device configured to detect the object near the aircraft based on the sensor data is further configured to detect the object near a rotor of the aircraft.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the rotor comprises a tail rotor, and wherein the processing device is further configured to cause the tail rotor to generate a thrust towards the object.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to trigger a warning to indicate that the object is detected near the aircraft.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the warning comprises an audible notification.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the warning comprises a visual notification.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the warning comprises a vibration in a component of the aircraft.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing device is further configured to deploy a safety barrier between the aircraft and the object.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to adjust a flight path of the aircraft based on the object detected near the aircraft.

16. A non-transitory machine accessible storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed on a machine, cause the machine to:

obtain sensor data from one or more sensors associated with an aircraft, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect information associated with an operating environment of the aircraft;

detect an object near the aircraft based on the sensor data;

obtain a camera feed from a camera associated with the aircraft, wherein the camera feed comprises a camera view of at least a portion of the aircraft;

generate a display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data, wherein the display output comprises a visual perspective of the object relative to the aircraft; and

cause the display output to be displayed on a display device.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to determine a location of the object relative to the aircraft based on the sensor data.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause the machine to generate the display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data further cause the machine to:

determine, based on the location of the object relative to the aircraft, that the object is outside the camera view; and

generate a visual representation of the object relative to the camera view.

19. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to determine a type of the object based on the sensor data.

20. The storage medium of claim 19:

wherein the one or more sensors comprises a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of sensor technologies; and

wherein the instructions that cause the machine to determine the type of the object based on the sensor data further cause the machine to determine the type of the object based on the sensor data from the plurality of sensor technologies.

21. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

a distance sensor configured to detect a distance of the object from the aircraft;

an optical sensor configured to detect one or more visual attributes of the object; and

a thermal sensor configured to detect heat emitted from the object.

22. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions that cause the machine to detect the object near the aircraft based on the sensor data further cause the machine to detect the object near a rotor of the aircraft.

23. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to adjust a flight path of the aircraft based on the object detected near the aircraft.

24. A method, comprising:

obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors associated with an aircraft, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect information associated with an operating environment of the aircraft;

detecting an object near the aircraft based on the sensor data;

obtaining a camera feed from a camera associated with the aircraft, wherein the camera feed comprises a camera view of at least a portion of the aircraft;

generating a display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data, wherein the display output comprises a visual perspective of the object relative to the aircraft; and

causing the display output to be displayed on a display device.

25. A rotorcraft, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect information associated with an operating environment of the rotorcraft;

a camera configured to generate a camera feed, wherein the camera feed comprises a camera view of at least a portion of the rotorcraft;

a display device; and

a processing device configured to;

obtain sensor data from the one or more sensors;

detect an object near the rotorcraft based on the sensor data;

obtain the camera feed from the camera;

generate a display output based on the camera feed and the sensor data, wherein the display output comprises a visual perspective of the object relative to the rotorcraft; and

cause the display output to be displayed on the display device.