Method and system for spectral image celestial navigation

• US 8,355,868 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Brace, Terrell Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US12/570,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 701/222, 701/200, 701/220, 701/226, 701/217, 701/221, 701/207, 701/213, 701/208, 701/4, 701/13, 359/399, 244/171, 342/64, 342/357.57
• US Class Current: 701/513
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/025 with the use of startrackers

Abstract

A method and system for a multi-spectrum celestial navigation system includes a first sensor responsive to at least a first and a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation. The sensor is configured to generate a first output related to the first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and to generate a second output related to the second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation. The system also includes a processor programmed to receive the first and second outputs, determine a position of the sensor with respect to one or more stars using a stored star catalog and the received first and second outputs, and output the determined position.

Claims

1. A multi-spectrum celestial navigation system comprising:

a first sensor comprising a single detector responsive to at least a first and a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation, said single detector comprising a first detector layer responsive to a first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and a second detector layer responsive to a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation, said sensor configured to generate a first output related to the first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and to generate a second output related to the second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation;

a processor programmed to;

receive the first and second outputs;

determine a position of the sensor with respect to one or more stars using a stored star catalog and the received first and second outputs;

determine an attitude of the first sensor; and

output at least one of the determined position and the determined attitude.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least a first and a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation comprises at least one of infrared, ultraviolet, visual, and radio wavelength bands.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said single detector comprises a first detector surface area responsive to a first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and a second detector surface area responsive to a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to determine an attitude of said sensor using an average of a position of a plurality of stars relative to the position of the sensor.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second outputs comprise images of at least a portion of the sky that include stars identified within the star catalog.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to generate a first and second image using said first and second output respectively.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a main processor programmed to receive hybridized images from at least said first sensor.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to said main processor.

9. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein each sensor comprises said processor, each of said processors communicatively coupled to said main processor.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor and said first sensor are housed in a common enclosure.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said single detector comprises a first at least one of a detector layer and a detector surface area responsive to at least a first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and a second at least one of a detector layer and a detector surface area responsive one of the first and the second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensors, at least one of said plurality of sensors comprising a single detector, said single detector comprising a first detector layer responsive to a first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and a second detector layer responsive to a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation, each of said plurality of sensors responsive to at least a first and a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a plurality of stellar objects in a field of view of the sensor, each sensor communicatively coupled to a sensor processor onboard the sensor, said sensor processor programmed to generate an image of the plurality of stellar objects;

a main processor communicatively coupled to said sensor processor, said main processor programmed to;

receive the images generated by the sensor processors;

determine a position of the respective sensor with respect to one or more stars using a stored star catalog and the received images;

determine an attitude of the respective sensor; and

output at least one of the determined position and the determined attitude.

13. A vehicle in accordance with claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors comprises a single detector responsive to the at least one of the first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and the second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation.

14. A method for modeling atmospheric distortion, said method comprising:

receiving radiation by a sensor comprising a single detector at a first wavelength from a stellar object using a first detector surface area responsive to the first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation;

determining a first position of the stellar object relative to the sensor receiving the radiation at the first wavelength;

receiving radiation by the sensor at a second wavelength from the stellar object using a second detector surface area responsive to the second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation;

determining a second position of the stellar object relative to the sensor;

determining a distortion effect of the an atmosphere between the stellar object and the sensor using the first position and the second position; and

outputting the determined distortion effect.

15. A method for correcting distortion in sensor images, said method comprising:

receiving a first image generated using radiation received by a sensor comprising a single detector through a medium at a first wavelength, said single detector comprising a first detector layer responsive to the first wavelength;

receiving a second image generated using radiation received by the sensor through the medium at a second wavelength using a second detector layer responsive to the second wavelength;

determining an amount of distortion in the medium using at least one of the first image and the second image; and

correcting the first image using the determined distortion.

16. A method of determining a location of a vehicle using multi-spectrum celestial imager, said method comprising:

acquiring an image of the sky using a sensor of the imager comprising a single detector that is responsive to at least a first and a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation, said single detector comprising a first detector layer responsive to a first wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation and a second detector layer responsive to a second wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation;

determining a plurality of stellar objects in the image using the acquired image;

comparing the stellar objects to a stored star catalog;

determining a position of the imager relative to the determined stellar objects and an attitude of the imager relative to the stellar objects; and

outputting the at least one of the determined position and the determined attitude.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein acquiring an image of the sky comprises acquiring an image of the sky through a medium that includes at least one of smoke, fog, mist, smog, rain, snow, clouds, and ash.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein acquiring an image of the sky comprises acquiring an image of the sky using a first imager and a second imager oriented in a direction greater than ninety degrees with respect to each other.