Identification of aircraft surface positions using camera images

• US 9,031,311 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Tillotson, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newman, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/781,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 382/141, 382/152, 73/17.8, 731/170.1, 731/47, 738/659
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0005 Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying a position of a surface on an aircraft. Image data for an image of the surface on the aircraft is received. The image data is processed to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is a desired position. A surface position identification report comprising information identifying whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position is generated.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a position of a surface on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving image data for an image of the surface on the aircraft;

processing the image data to identify a feature corresponding to the position of the surface on the aircraft to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is a desired position, wherein the feature is at least one of a gap or a shadow;

identifying an expected location, size, or shape of the feature; and

generating a surface position identification report comprising information identifying whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface on the aircraft is selected from a moveable surface, a control surface, and a riggable surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is received from a camera on the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the image of the surface is obtained while the aircraft is in flight.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying a relative camera position of the camera with respect to the surface; and

wherein processing the image data uses the relative camera position to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying lighting conditions at the surface on the aircraft; and

determining whether the lighting conditions are acceptable; and

wherein processing the image data occurs in response to a determination that the lighting conditions are acceptable.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying an angle of lighting at the surface on the aircraft; and

wherein processing the image data uses the angle of lighting to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, responsive to a determination that the position of the surface on the aircraft is not the desired position:

identifying an effect on operation of the aircraft of the position of the surface not being the desired position; and

including an indication of the effect on operation of the aircraft in the surface position identification report.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

an image data receiver configured to receive image data for an image of a surface on an aircraft;

a surface position identifier configured to process the image data to identify a feature corresponding to the position of the surface on the aircraft to determine whether a position of the surface on the aircraft is a desired position, wherein the feature is at least one of a gap or a shadow, and wherein the surface position identifier is further configured to identify an expected location, size, or shape of the feature; and

a report generator configured to generate a surface position identification report comprising information identifying whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the surface on the aircraft is selected from a moveable surface, a control surface, and a riggable surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the image data receiver is configured to receive the image data from a camera on the aircraft.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image of the surface is obtained while the aircraft is in flight.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a relative camera position identifier configured to identify a relative camera position of the camera with respect to the surface; and

wherein the surface position identifier is configured to process the image data using the relative camera position to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a lighting condition identifier configured to identify lighting conditions at the surface on the aircraft and to determine whether the lighting conditions are acceptable; and

wherein the surface position identifier is configured to process the image data in response to a determination that the lighting conditions are acceptable.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a lighting condition identifier configured to identify an angle of lighting at the surface on the aircraft; and

wherein the surface position identifier is configured to process the image data using the angle of lighting to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the report generator is configured to:

identify an effect on operation of the aircraft of the position of the surface not being the desired position; and

include an indication of the effect on operation of the aircraft in the surface position identification report.

17. A method for identifying a position of a surface on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving image data for an image of the surface on the aircraft;

identifying an angle of lighting at the surface on the aircraft;

processing the image data to identify characteristics of a feature in the image corresponding to the position of the surface on the aircraft, wherein the feature is at least one of a gap or shadow;

determining characteristics of an expected feature in the image corresponding to a desired position of the surface using the angle of lighting at the surface of the aircraft, wherein the characteristics include at least one of an expected location, size, or shape of the feature; and

comparing the characteristics of the feature in the image to the characteristics of the expected feature to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the surface on the aircraft is selected from a moveable surface, a control surface, and a riggable surface.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

generating an operator corresponding to the characteristics of the expected feature in the image, wherein the operator is selected from an arithmetic operator and a statistical operator; and

using the operator to compare the characteristics of the feature in the image to the characteristics of the expected feature to determine whether the position of the surface on the aircraft is the desired position.