Utilizing Polarization Differencing Method For Detect, Sense And Avoid Systems

• US 20110169943A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AAI Corporation (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: AAI Corporation (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Slenker, Kirk A., Bachman, Thomas A. II
• Application Number:
  US12/026,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product provides for avoiding collision between a vehicle and a target object. Pluralities of images from the target object are sensed. Pluralities of polarized images are generated from the sensed images. One or more composite images are calculated from the two or more polarized images by performing an algebraic manipulation between the two or more polarized images. The target object is tracked based on composite images. A set of evasive maneuver instructions are established for the respective hazard associated with the target object.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding collision between a vehicle and a target object, comprising:

sensing a plurality of images from the target object;

generating a plurality of polarized images from the sensed images;

calculating one or more composite images from two or more of the polarized images by performing an algebraic manipulation between the two or more polarized images; and

tracking the target object based on the composite images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an unmanned vehicle and further comprises at least one of:

an unmanned spacecraft (AS) and/or unmanned aircraft system (UAS);

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

a remote-piloted vehicle (RPV);

an unmanned air combat vehicle (UCAV);

a remotely operated aircraft (ROA);

a drone;

a rocket; and

/or a missile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a manned vehicle and further comprises a vehicle operated in an unmanned capacity, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of:

a private airplane and/or a jet;

a commercial airplane and/or a jet;

a water vessel comprising at least one of;

a boat and/or a ship;

a road vehicle;

a rail vehicle; and

/or

a space-going vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite images from the target object are sensed by any one of:

a visual/pixel device;

an infrared device;

a microwave radar device; and

/or

a laser device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual/pixel device comprises any one of:

a charge coupled camera (CCD) imager and/or a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite images are generated by a micro-polarizer array forming an array comprising a plurality of polarized pixels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating step further comprises:

extracting any one of a degree of polarization, an angle of polarization, and/or a Stokes parameter, associated with the plurality of polarized images.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises any one of:

a moving object; and

/or a stationary object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a time history of the target object based on the composite images obtained and/or a time history of when the composite images are obtained.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the time history captures any one of:

the absolute position of the target object; and

/or the relative position of the target object in relation to the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a set of evasive maneuver instructions for the respective hazard associated with the target object.

12. A system for avoiding collision between a vehicle and a target object, comprising:

a polarimetric imager, comprising;

one or more sensors for sensing a plurality of images from the target object;

one or more polarimetric devices operable to generate a plurality of polarized images from the sensed images; and

a composite image system operable to calculate one or more composite images from two or more of the polarized images by performing an algebraic manipulation between the two or more polarized images; and

a tracking system operable to track the target object based on the composite images.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle comprises an unmanned vehicle and further comprises at least one of:

an unmanned spacecraft (AS) and/or unmanned aircraft system (UAS);

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

a remote-piloted vehicle (RPV);

an unmanned air combat vehicle (UCAV);

a remotely operated aircraft (ROA);

a drone;

a rocket; and

/or

a missile.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is a manned vehicle and further comprises a vehicle operated in an unmanned capacity, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of:

a commercial airplane and/or a jet;

a water vessel comprising at least one of;

a boat and/or a ship;

a road vehicle;

a rail vehicle; and

/or

a space-going vehicle.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the composite images from the target object are sensed by any one of:

a visual/pixel device;

an infrared device;

a microwave radar device; and

/or

a laser device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the visual/pixel device comprises any one of:

a charge coupled camera (CCD) imager and/or a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the composite images are generated by a micro-polarizer array forming an array comprising a plurality of polarized pixels.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the calculating step further comprises:

extracting any one of a degree of polarization, an angle of polarization, and/or a Stokes parameter, associated with the plurality of polarized images.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an avoidance system operable to establish a set of evasive maneuver instructions for the respective hazard associated with the target object.

20. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computing platform, causes the computing platform to perform operations comprising a method for avoiding collision between a vehicle and a target object, the method comprising:

sensing a plurality of images from the target object;

generating a plurality of polarized images from the sensed images;

calculating one or more composite images from two or more of the polarized images by performing an algebraic manipulation between the two or more polarized images; and

tracking the target object based on the composite images.