Systems and methods of precision landing for offshore helicopter operations using spatial analysis

• US 9,745,078 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Srivastav, Amit, Hajdukiewicz, John, Garbham, Sreedhar, Srinivasan, Raman
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LEON VIET Q
• Application Number:
  US15/012,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20170217605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/08 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/18 Visual or acoustic landing aids taxiing aids B64F1/002
• 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: G01S 13/9064 Inverse SAR [ISAR]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/913 for landing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/15 Aircraft landing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/20 Stereoscopic displays; Three-dimensional displays; Pseudo-three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0047 Navigation or guidance aids for a single aircraft details of equipment G08G5/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Systems and methods of precision landing in adverse conditions are provided. In one embodiment, a precision landing system comprises a vehicle including: a receiver configured to receive position information for structures and a landing zone of a landing site and a processor coupled to a memory, the memory includes three-dimensional geometric structural information for a landing site. The processor configured to: receive the position information from the receiver; assign geographical coordinates to the three-dimensional geometric structural information using the position information for the structures and the landing zone of the landing site; send the three-dimensional geometric structural information and graphical rendering information to a display device. The vehicle further includes a display device, wherein the display device is configured to render and display a three-dimensional representation of the landing site in real-time based on the three-dimension geometric structural information and the graphical rendering information from the processor.

Claims

1. A precision landing system comprising:

a vehicle including;

at least one receiver configured to receive position information for structures and a landing zone of a landing site;

at least one processor coupled to a memory, wherein the memory includes three-dimensional geometric structural information for a landing site, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

receive the position information from the at least one receiver;

assign geographical coordinates to the three-dimensional geometric structural information using the position information for the structures and the landing zone of the landing site;

output the three-dimensional geometric structural information and graphical rendering information; and

a display device, wherein the display device is configured to render and display a three-dimensional representation of the landing site in real-time based on the three-dimension geometric structural information and the graphical rendering information output from the at least one processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the position information comprises Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data for one or more GNSS receivers positioned on the structures and the landing zone of the landing site, wherein the at least one receiver is configured to receive the position information from a transmitter associated with the landing site.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional geometric structural information includes a relative position of each of the one or more GNSS receivers with respect to the structures and the landing zone of the landing site, wherein assigning geographical coordinates to the three-dimensional geometric structural information using the position information for the structures and the landing zone of the landing site comprises correlating the GNSS data for the one or more GNSS receivers with the relative position of each of the one or more GNSS receivers with respect to the structures and the landing zone of the landing site.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a radar system including a transceiver, wherein the radar system is configured to transmit radar signals and receive radar signals reflected from the structures of the landing site and one or more metal reflectors installed on the landing zone of the landing site, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate position information from the reflected radar signals and synthesize with the GNSS data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver is configured to receive a unique identification signal from the landing site, wherein the at least one receiver selects the landing site as the target landing site from a plurality of possible landing sites based on the unique identification signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the target landing site is graphically displayed on the display device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the landing site comprises a moving platform.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the landing site comprises one of an oil rig and a marine vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises one of a helicopter and an aircraft.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine heave, sway, and surge of the landing site based on motion data transmitted from the landing site.

11. A method of executing a precision landing comprising:

receiving position information for structures and a landing zone of a landing site;

assigning geographical coordinates to three-dimensional geometric structural information in a spatial geometric database stored in a memory using the position information for the structures and the landing zone of the landing site;

sending the three-dimensional geometric structural information and graphical rendering information to a display device; and

displaying a three-dimensional representation of the landing site on the display device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving position information for the structures and the landing zone of the landing site includes receiving Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data for one or more GNSS receivers positioned on the structures and landing zone of the landing site from a transmitter associated with the landing site.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein assigning geographical coordinates to the three-dimensional geometric structural information comprises correlating the GNSS data for the one or more GNSS receivers with a relative position of each of the one or more GNSS receiver with respect to the structures and the landing zone of the landing site.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving position information for structures and the landing zone of the landing site includes receiving radar signals reflected from the structures of the landing site and one or more metal reflectors installed on the landing zone of the landing site.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising synthesizing the position information for the structures and the landing zone of the landing site received from the reflected radar signals and the transmitter associated with the landing site.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving motion data from a motion sensor on the landing site; and

rendering heave, sway, and surge of the landing site on the display device based on the motion data.

17. A precision landing system comprising:

a vehicle including;

a radar system including a transceiver, wherein the radar system is configured to transmit radar signals and receive radar signals reflected from structures of a landing site and one or more metal reflectors installed on the landing zone of the landing site;

at least one processor coupled to a memory, wherein the memory includes a three-dimensional nominal model of the landing site, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

receive the reflected radar signals from the radar system;

correlate the three-dimensional nominal model with the radar signals reflected from the structures and the landing zone of the landing site by assigning geographical coordinates to the three-dimensional nominal model for the landing site; and

output the correlated three-dimensional nominal model and graphical rendering information; and

a display device, wherein the display device is configured to render and display a three-dimensional representation of the landing site in real-time based on the correlated three-dimensional nominal model and the graphical rendering information output from the at least one processor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the radar system comprises at least one of:

a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR); and

an Inverse SAR (ISAR).

19. The system of claim 18, wherein radar system is configured to generate an image of the landing site based on the radar signals reflected from the structures and the landing zone of the landing site.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the three-dimensional nominal model is a volume encompassing the structures of the landing site, wherein correlate the three-dimensional nominal model with the radar signals reflected from the structures and the landing zone of the landing site comprises correlating the image of the landing site with the volume encompassing the structures of the landing site.