Aircraft identification and docking guidance systems
First Claim
1. A system for determining whether a detected object is a known object, the known object having a known profile and also having a known feature at a known location, the system comprising:
- projecting means for projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
collecting means for collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and for detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses, wherein the comparing means determines a yaw angle of the detected object;
comparing means for comparing the detected shape with a profile corresponding to the known shape and for determining whether the detected shape corresponds to the known shape; and
identifying means for identifying whether the detected object is the known object by determining whether the detected object has the known feature at the known location.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A laser range finder (LRF) is used to identify an aircraft approaching a gate. The LRF is directed at the aircraft, and from the echoes, a profile is derived and compared to known profiles. To distinguish among aircraft with similar profiles, the LRF is directed at a volume in which a feature such as an engine is expected and at another volume in which the engine is not expected. The echoes from the two volumes are used to determine whether the engine is in its expected location. If so, the aircraft is identified as the correct type and is allowed to dock at the gate. Otherwise, the aircraft is stopped. The nose height can be used as yet another identifying criterion.
14 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A system for determining whether a detected object is a known object, the known object having a known profile and also having a known feature at a known location, the system comprising:
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projecting means for projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
collecting means for collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and for detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses, wherein the comparing means determines a yaw angle of the detected object;
comparing means for comparing the detected shape with a profile corresponding to the known shape and for determining whether the detected shape corresponds to the known shape; and
identifying means for identifying whether the detected object is the known object by determining whether the detected object has the known feature at the known location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
for the known object, an inner volume is defined so as to contain the known feature, and an outer volume is defined so as not to contain the known feature;
the identifying means determines whether the detected object has the known feature in the known location in accordance with a number of light pulses reflected from within the inner volume and a number of light pulses reflected from within the outer volume.
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3. The system of claim 2, wherein the outer volume is defined to surround the inner volume.
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4. The system of claim 2, wherein the identifying means determines whether the detected object has the known feature in the known location in accordance with whether
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5. The system of claim 4, wherein T=0.7.
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6. The system of claim 2, wherein the identifying means controls the projecting means to project light pulses into the inner volume and the outer volume.
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7. The system of claim 1, wherein:
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the known object comprises a nose with a known nose height; and
the identifying means further identifies whether the detected object is the known object by detecting a nose height of the detected object and comparing the detected nose height to the known nose height.
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8. The system of claim 7, wherein the identifying means compares the detected nose height to the known nose height by taking a difference between the detected nose height and the known nose height.
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9. The system of claim 8, wherein the identifying means identifies the detected object as the known object only if the difference is less than or equal to a threshold difference.
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10. The system of claim 9, wherein the threshold difference is 0.5 m.
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11. The system of claim 1, wherein the comparing means rotates the profile corresponding to the known shape by an angle equal to the yaw angle.
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12. A method for determining whether a detected object is a known object, the known object having a known profile and also having a known feature at a known location, the method comprising:
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(a) projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
(b) collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and for detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses;
(c) comparing the detected shape with a profile corresponding to the known shape and for determining whether the detected shape corresponds to the known shape, wherein said step of comparing comprises determining a yaw angle of the detected object; and
(d) identifying whether the detected object is the known object by determining whether the detected object has the known feature at the known location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
for the known object, an inner volume is defined so as to contain the known feature, and an outer volume is defined so as not to contain the known feature;
said step of identifying comprises determining whether the detected object has the known feature in the known location in accordance with a number of light pulses reflected from within the inner volume and a number of light pulses reflected from within the outer volume.
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14. The method of claim 13, wherein the outer volume is defined to surround the inner volume.
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15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of identifying comprises determining whether the detected object has the known feature in the known location in accordance with whether
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16. The method of claim 15, wherein T=0.7.
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17. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of identifying comprises controlling said step of projecting to project tight pulses into the inner volume and the outer volume.
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18. The method of claim 12, wherein:
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the known object comprises a nose with a known nose height; and
said step of identifying comprises further identifying whether the detected object is the known object by detecting a nose height of the detected object and comparing the detected nose height to the known nose height.
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19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of identifying comprises comparing the detected nose height to the known nose height by taking a difference between the detected nose height and the known nose height.
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20. The method of claim 19, wherein said step of identifying identifies the detected object as the known object only if the difference is less than or equal to a threshold difference.
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21. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold difference is 0.5 m.
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22. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of comparing further comprises rotating the profile corresponding to the known shape by an angle equal to the yaw angle.
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23. A system for determining a yaw angle of a detected object, the system comprising:
- projecting means for projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
collecting means for collecting light pulses reflected detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses; and
off the detected object and for angle determining means for determining the yaw angle from the shape detected by the collecting means;wherein the detected object comprises a nose having a nose tip, and wherein the angle determining means determines the yaw angle from a portion of the shape which is adjacent to the nose tip. - View Dependent Claims (24)
- projecting means for projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
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25. A method of determining a yaw angle of a detected object, the method comprising:
- projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses; and
determining the yaw angle from the shape detected by the collecting means;wherein the detected object comprises a nose having a nose tip, and wherein said step of determining comprises determining the yaw angle from a portion of the shape which is adjacent to the nose tip. - View Dependent Claims (26)
- projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
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27. A system for determining whether a vehicle is following a center line, the vehicle having a nose and a wheel, the system comprising:
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a storage device for storing (i) coordinates representing a path of the center line and (ii) a distance between the nose and the wheel;
a detecting device for detecting (i) a position of the nose and (ii) a yaw angle of the vehicle; and
a calculating device for calculating (i) a position of the wheel, from the position of the nose, the yaw angle detected by the detecting device and the distance stored in the storage device, and (ii) an offset of the wheel from the center line, from the coordinates stored in the storage device and the position of the wheel.
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28. A method of determining whether a vehicle is following a center line, the vehicle having a nose and a wheel, the method comprising:
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storing coordinates representing a path of the center line;
storing a distance between the nose and the wheel;
detecting a position of the nose;
detecting a yaw angle of the vehicle;
calculating a position of the wheel, from the position of the nose, the yaw angle detected by the detecting device and the distance stored in the storage device; and
calculating an offset of the wheel from the center line, from the coordinates stored in the storage device and the position of the wheel.
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Specification