Visual detection of clear air turbulence
First Claim
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1. A clear air turbulence detection system, comprising:
- an image capturing element configured to capture an ambient light image of a scene;
a lens having a focal length adapted to focus said scene onto said image capturing element such that a combination of said lens and said image capturing element is adapted to optically resolve a visual distortion of a feature in said scene due to turbulence; and
a processor adapted to process said image of said scene from said image capturing element, said processor being adapted to compare a plurality of said images, captured at pre-set time intervals, to detect a non-uniform change in refraction of light received from said feature from one of said plurality of said images to a next successive one of said plurality of images due to turbulence and produce an indication of an area of turbulence.
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Abstract
Presented is a system and method for detecting clear air turbulence comprising an image capturing element, a lens having focal length adapted to focus a scene onto the image capturing element such that the combination of the lens and array of pixels are capable of optically resolving any visual distortions of features in the scene that are caused by turbulent air, and a processor. The processor compares the image with a subsequent image, or a stored image of the scene, to detect a change in refraction of light received from the feature in the scene that is due to turbulence and produces an indication of the area of turbulence in the scene.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A clear air turbulence detection system, comprising:
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an image capturing element configured to capture an ambient light image of a scene; a lens having a focal length adapted to focus said scene onto said image capturing element such that a combination of said lens and said image capturing element is adapted to optically resolve a visual distortion of a feature in said scene due to turbulence; and a processor adapted to process said image of said scene from said image capturing element, said processor being adapted to compare a plurality of said images, captured at pre-set time intervals, to detect a non-uniform change in refraction of light received from said feature from one of said plurality of said images to a next successive one of said plurality of images due to turbulence and produce an indication of an area of turbulence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of detecting clear air turbulence, comprising:
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capturing a first image of a scene illuminated by ambient light; capturing a second image, at a pre-set time interval subsequent to capturing said first image, consisting essentially of said scene illuminated by ambient light; selecting a feature present in said first image and said second image; registering said first image to said second image such that said feature in said first image has approximately a same position, scale, and orientation as said feature in said second image; comparing said feature in said first image with said feature in said second image to determine a non-uniform change to a portion of said feature between said first image and said second image; and displaying a turbulence indication if said non-uniform change to said feature is present above a pre-set threshold. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An aircraft with a turbulence detection system, comprising:
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a turbulence detection system having a camera system and an image processing system; said camera system being configured to capture an ambient light image of a scene; said image processing system including a processor adapted to process said image of said ambient light image of said scene by comparing a plurality of said ambient light images of said scene, captured at pre-set time intervals, to detect a non-uniform change in refraction of ambient light received from said scene from one of said plurality of said images to a next successive one of said plurality of said images due to turbulence, and produce an indication of an area of turbulence; an aircraft adapted to mount said camera system; and a turbulence alerting system in a cockpit of said aircraft, said turbulence alerting system being in electronic communication with said image processing system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification