Helicopter brown-out landing

• US 7,642,929 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Parisi, Vincent M., Pinkus, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/789,124
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 340/946, 340/974, 340/973, 340/961, 340/963, 340/980, 340/977, 382/154, 345/633, 345/7, 345/646, 345/653, 345/654, 342/33, 701/3, 701/4, 701/9, 701/14, 701/16
• US Class Current: 340/973
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

An electromagnetic emissions free optical signal based helicopter landing assistance arrangement wherein helicopter rotor wash dust cloud-caused obfuscation of the intended landing site and other landing threats are overcome. Real time optical sourced data is collected early and used during helicopter approach to the intended landing site. Upgrading of this data for use during dust cloud presence is accomplished with image processing techniques applied in response to such inputs as helicopter flight data. Military use of the invention especially in current theatre conflict environments is contemplated. Dust cloud related landing hazards are disclosed as a significant difficulty in such environments and generate need for the invention.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area, said method comprising the steps of:

recording digital multiple image two dimensional optical representations of a proposed helicopter landing site in said loose dust area during an approach of said helicopter to said site;

said recordings including a time sequence succession of updated images of terrain and encumbrances attending said landing site received at a plurality of helicopter mounted camera retinas during said recording and said approach to said landing site and in combination with helicopter flight data;

constructing three dimensional representations of said loose dust landing site terrain and said encumbrances from said recorded multiple image succession two dimensional representations using image processing techniques;

conveying a real time image of said landing site from said camera retinas to a pilot of said helicopter during distal portions of said approach and prior to dust cloud envelopment of said helicopter;

displaying selected images of said constructed three dimensional representations of said landing site terrain and said encumbrances to said pilot during ground adjacent, helicopter dust cloud enveloped, portions of said approach;

wherein displaying selected images includes morphing said time sequence succession of updated images of terrain and encumbrances attending said landing site in response to helicopter flight data signals;

whereby electromagnetic emission free dusty landing assistance is provided to said pilot.

2. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 1 wherein said helicopter mounted camera retinas further include one of a night vision apparatus, a radar return signal transducer and an infrared responsive transducer.

3. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 1 wherein said step of conveying real time images of said landing site from said camera retinas to a pilot of said helicopter includes updating said real time images in response to helicopter location changes with respect to said landing site.

4. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 1 wherein said step of displaying selected images of said constructed three dimensional representations of said landing site terrain and said encumbrances to said helicopter pilot includes initiating said real time images in response to helicopter flight data signals.

5. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 3 wherein said helicopter flight data signals include one of a helicopter pitch, yaw, roll altitude and speed signals and a global position system signal.

6. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 1 wherein said step of displaying selected images of said constructed three-dimensional representations of said landing site terrain and said encumbrances to said pilot during ground adjacent, helicopter dust cloud enveloped, portions of said approach include displaying said images during a nose-up landing attitude of said helicopter.

7. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 1 wherein said step of constructing three dimensional representations of said dusty landing site terrain and said encumbrances from said recorded multiple image succession of two dimensional representations using image processing techniques includes image morphing signal processing.

8. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 6 wherein said helicopter mounted camera retinas further include one of a night vision apparatus, a radar return signal transducer and an infrared responsive transducer.

9. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 6 wherein said step of conveying real time images of said landing site from said camera retinas to a pilot of said helicopter includes updating said real time images in response to helicopter location changes with respect to said landing site.

10. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 6 wherein said step of displaying selected images of said constructed three dimensional representations of said landing site terrain and said encumbrances to said helicopter pilot includes initiating said real time images in response to helicopter flight data signals.

11. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 9 wherein said helicopter flight data signals include one of a helicopter pitch, yaw, roll altitude and speed signals and a global position system signal.

12. The electromagnetic emissions-passive and autonomous enhanced safety method of landing a helicopter in a loose dust area of claim 6 wherein said step of constructing three dimensional representations of said dusty landing site terrain and said encumbrances from said recorded multiple image succession of two dimensional representations using image processing techniques includes image morphing signal processing.