Self-contained navigation system and method

• US 9,383,207 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronen Padowicz
• Original Assignee: Ronen Padowicz
• Inventors: Padowicz, Ronen
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US14/289,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/04 by terrestrial means G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

The present invention relates to an auto locating system for finding the location of a viewpoint comprising: (a) at least one sensor for acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint; (b) at least one memory device, for storing Digital Terrain Map (DTM) related data; (c) at least one processor for processing said samples of said skyline view from said at least one sensor and for comparing the data derived from said samples with the data calculated from said DTM data for finding the location of said viewpoint; and (d) at least one output for outputting the location of said viewpoint.

Claims

1. An auto locating system for finding a location of a viewpoint in a certain area comprising:

a) at least one sensor for acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint;

b) at least one memory device, for storing Digital Terrain Map (DTM) related data;

c) at least one processor, processor, connected to said memory device, for calculating for at least one point in the DTM, its skyline and for calculating a series of maximal elevation angles for at least one point of the DTM, and for calculating the point'"'"'s maximal elevation data set for said point on the DTM, based on said series of maximal elevation angles, and wherein said processor is in communication with said sensor, for receiving and processing at least some of said samples, of said skyline view of said viewpoint, from said sensor, into the viewpoint'"'"'s maximal elevation data set and for comparing said viewpoint'"'"'s maximal elevation data set, derived from said samples, with said at least one point'"'"'s maximal elevation data set, calculated from said DTM data, for finding the location of said viewpoint; and

d) at least one output for outputting the location of said viewpoint.

2. The system of claim 1, where the sensor is an inclinometer.

3. The system of claim 1, where the sensor is an imaging sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, where the imaging sensor is an infrared sensor.

5. The system of claim 3, where the imaging sensor is a Terahertz sensor.

6. The system of claim 3, where the system has image intensification capabilities.

7. The system of claim 1, where the system is also used for North finding.

8. The system of claim 1, where the system is also used for calculating the azimuth of the viewpoint.

9. The system of claim 1, where the system is implemented in a single device.

10. The system of claim 1, where the system is used for zeroing an inertial navigation system.

11. The system of claim 1, where the system is used for aiding a Global Positioning System system.

12. A method for auto locating a viewpoint comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a Digital Terrain Map (DTM) of said area;

b) calculating for each point of the DTM, its skyline;

c) calculating a series of maximal elevation angles for each of said points of the DTM;

d) calculating maximal elevation data set for each point of the DTM, based on said series of maximal elevation angles for each of said point in the DTM;

e) providing at least one sensor capable of acquiring samples of a skyline view of said viewpoint;

f) receiving said samples related to said skyline view of said viewpoint acquired from said sensor;

g) deriving the viewpoint'"'"'s maximal elevation data set from said samples of said skyline view;

h) comparing said viewpoint'"'"'s maximal elevation data set with at least one of said maximal elevation data set of a point of said DTM;

i) finding a location of said viewpoint based on said comparison; and

j) outputting data related to said location of said viewpoint.

13. The method of claim 12, where the method is used for auto locating a viewpoint which is higher than ground level.

14. The method of claim 12, where the maximal elevation data set, comprises maximal elevation angles related to the gravity.

15. The method of claim 12, where the maximal elevation data set, comprises maximal elevation angles that are relative to other samples of the skyline view.

20. The method of claim 12, where the comparison is done using correlation techniques.

16. A method for finding the location of a viewpoint in a certain area comprising the steps of:

a) providing a Digital Terrain Map (DTM) of said area;

b) selecting at least one point of said DTM;

c) calculating visible areas of said selected point of said DTM;

d) finding the farthest visible points, of said visible areas of said selected point, by checking the Euclidean distance between said visible points on said DTM of at least one direction to said selected point, and determining, for said direction, which of said visible points, on said DTM, has the maximal Euclidean distance from the selected point;

e) calculating, for said farthest visible points, their differentiate height, in relation to said point, and their distance from said point, for determining the elevation angles;

f) storing at least some of said elevation angles as said point'"'"'s maximal elevation data set;

g) providing at least one sensor capable of acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint;

h) receiving said samples related to said skyline view of said viewpoint acquired from said sensor;

i) deriving the viewpoint'"'"'s maximal elevation data set from said samples of said skyline view of said viewpoint;

j) comparing said viewpoint'"'"'s maximal elevation data set, from said samples, with said at least one point'"'"'s maximal elevation data set of said at least one selected point of said DTM;

k) finding the location of said viewpoint based on said comparison; and

outputting data related to said location of said viewpoint.

17. The method of claim 16, where the comparison is done using correlation techniques.

18. The method of claim 16, where the method is used for auto locating a viewpoint which is higher than ground level.

19. The method of claim 16, where the maximal elevation data set, comprises maximal elevation angles related to gravity.