Celestial body mapping systems and methods

• US 7,777,666 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Randy, Gregory, William, Fletcher, Mitch
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US12/133,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 341/50, 701/200, 701/207, 701213-216, 342 25 R- 25 F, 342 52- 66, 342/118, 342120-122, 342/175, 342/176, 342/179, 342190-197, 34235701-35717, 342/21, 342/22, 342 27- 51, 342/125
• US Class Current: 342/25.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/90 using synthetic aperture techniques , e.g. synthetic aperture radar [SAR] techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/001 Planning boards

Abstract

Systems and methods for mapping a surface of a celestial body containing objects and terrain are provided. One system includes a Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) module configured to capture a high-resolution image of the terrain of at least a portion of the surface and a map module configured to store map data representing the portion of the surface. The system also includes a fusion module configured to combine the high-resolution image and the map data to generate a high-resolution map of the portion of the surface. A method includes orbiting the celestial body, capturing, via the SAR module, a high-resolution image during each orbit, and fusing the captured high-resolution image with a low-resolution map of the surface to generate a high-resolution map of the surface. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions that cause a processor to perform the above method is also provided.

Claims

1. A system for mapping a surface of a celestial body containing objects and terrain, comprising:

a Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) module configured to capture an image of the terrain of at least a portion of the surface;

a map module configured to store map data representing the portion of the surface;

a radio frequency (RFID) module configured to generate location data associated with corresponding objects on the surface; and

a fusion module in communication with the SAR module, the RFID module, and the map module, wherein the fusion module comprises a processor configured to;

receive the image and the map data,

combine the image and the map data to generate a new map of the portion of the surface, and

receive the location data and combine the location data with the map to generate a real-time map of the portion of the surface including a location of each object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects are man-made objects.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor module coupled to the fusion module, the sensor module configured to generate sensor data associated with corresponding objects, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the sensor data and combine the sensor data with the map to generate a real-time map of the portion of the surface including a location of each object.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the data representing the objects comprises data representing man-made objects, natural objects, or both.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle capable of orbiting the celestial body, wherein the SAR module is housed on the vehicle and is configured to generate at least one image during each orbit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to update the map data with the map.

7. A method for mapping a surface of a celestial body containing terrain and an object, the method comprising the steps of:

orbiting the celestial body;

capturing, via a Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) module, an image of the terrain during each orbit;

fusing, via a processor, the captured image with a map of the surface to generate a new map of the surface;

locating an RFID tag on the object; and

fusing, via the processor, location data obtained from the RFID tag with the new map to generate a real-time map including a location of the object.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of updating the real-time map with a new location of the object.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

detecting, via a sensor module, the location of the object; and

fusing, via the processor, location data obtained from the sensor module with the real-time map.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the fusing step comprises the step of updating the map with the new map.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the fusing step is performed using information fusion.

12. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) module, an image of a terrain of at least a portion of a surface a celestial body during a plurality of orbits around the celestial body;

fusing the captured image with map data representing the portion of the surface to generate a new map of the surface;

locating an RFID tag on an object located in the portion of the surface; and

fusing location data obtained from the RFID tag with the high-resolution map to generate a real-time map of the portion of the surface including a location of the object.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to perform the step of updating the real-time map with a new location of the object.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting the location, via a sensor, of the object; and

fusing the location of the object with the real-time map.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to perform the step of updating the real-time map with a new location of the object.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to perform the fusion step further causes the processor to perform the step of updating the map data with the new map.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to perform the fusion step further causes the processor to perform the fusion step using information fusion.