Automatic taxi manager

• US 7,050,909 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Nichols, William Mark, Farmer, Randolph Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/767,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20050171654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701/15, 701/23, 701/206, 701/301, 701/120, 340/961, 348/118, 348/119, 382/104
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/02 Automatic approach or landing aids, i.e. systems in which flight data of incoming planes are processed to provide landing data landing aids fitted in or to aircraft B64D45/04; visual or acoustic landing aids B64F1/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A method for moving a vehicle to a predetermined location comprises the steps of producing a real time image of a potential taxi route, comparing the real time image with a stored image to determine if the potential taxi route is clear between the location of the vehicle and a predetermined waypoint, and taxiing the vehicle to the waypoint if the potential taxi route is clear. An apparatus that performs the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for moving a vehicle to a predetermined location, the method comprising the steps of:

producing a real time image of a potential taxi route;

comparing the real time image with a stored image to determine if the potential taxi route is clear between the location of the vehicle and a predetermined waypoint; and

taxiing the vehicle to the waypoint if the potential taxi route is clear, wherein the taxiing step is controlled in response to temperature and speed of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the real time image with a stored image comprises the steps of:

removing background features from the real time image; and

evaluating image features that are not background features to determine if those features are obstructions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of removing background features comprises the step of:

producing a difference image by subtracting a first image frame from a consecutive image frame.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

analyzing edges in the difference image to determine if a moving object is present.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of removing background features comprises the step of:

producing a difference image by subtracting a first image frame from a stored image frame.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

analyzing edges in the difference image to determine if a moving object is present.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored image is a georectified image, and the method further comprises the step of:

reverse georectifying the stored image prior to the step of comparing the real time image with a stored image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the real time image is provided by one or more of:

visual, electro-optical, and infrared sensors.

9. An apparatus for moving a vehicle to a predetermined location, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for producing a real time image of a potential taxi route;

a processor for comparing the real time image with a stored image to determine if the potential taxi route is clear between the location of the vehicle and a predetermined waypoint; and

a vehicle control for taxiing the vehicle to the waypoint in response to temperature and speed of the vehicle, if the potential taxi route is clear.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor removes background features from the real time image, and evaluates features that are not background features to determine if those features are obstructions.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor produces a difference image based on two consecutive image frames and then analyzes edges in the difference image to determine if a moving object is present.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor produces a difference image based on a real time image frame and a stored image frame and then analyzes edges in the difference image to determine if a moving object is present.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the stored image is a georectified image and the processor reverse georectifies the stored image prior to comparing the real time image to the stored image.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the real time image is provided by one or more of:

visual, electro-optical, and infrared sensors.