# US 12,223,678 B2 · Navigation system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,223,678 B2 - Document ID: US12223678B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/522,625 - Filed: 2023-11-29 - Published: 2024-03-21 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-18 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Ralph R. Galetti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223678B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches} - G01S 5/16: using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G06V 20/54: of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats - G08G 5/22: located on the ground - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/56: for two or more aircraft - G08G 5/727: {from a ground station} - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G 5/59: in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A navigation system for one or more vehicles includes: a first camera configured to observe the vehicle(s) and first and second reference points within a first field of view, wherein the first and second reference points have first and second known spatial positions, respectively, the first camera being further configured to produce a first output signal from observation of the observed vehicle(s) and reference points; a second camera configured to observe the vehicle(s) and reference points within a second field of view, the second camera being further configured to produce a second output signal from observation of the observed vehicle(s) and reference points; and a processor operatively connected with the first and second cameras and configured to determine a respective spatial position for each vehicle(s) from the first and second output signals and from known first and second camera spatial positions of the first and second cameras. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A navigation system for one or more vehicles located within a control volume, comprising: a first camera configured to observe the one or more vehicles and first and second reference points within a first field of view, wherein the first and second reference points have first and second known spatial positions, respectively, the first camera having a known first camera spatial position and being further configured to produce a first output signal from the observed one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points; a second camera configured to observe the one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points within a second field of view, the second camera having a known second camera spatial position and being further configured to produce a second output signal from the observed one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points; and a processor operatively connected with the first and second cameras and configured to determine a respective spatial position for each of the one or more vehicles from the first and second output signals and from the known first and second camera spatial positions; wherein the one or more vehicles and the control volume are, respectively, one or more aircraft and a landing zone including a first airspace above the landing zone, one or more ground vehicles and an area of terrain including a second airspace above the terrain, one or more surface watercraft and a region of open water including a third airspace above the open water, one or more submersible watercraft and a volume of navigable water, or one or more spacecraft and a volume of navigable space. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein each of the known first and second camera spatial positions is a respective set of x, y and z coordinates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising: a first real-time tracking system operatively connected with the first camera for determining respective first two-dimensional coordinates of each of the one or more vehicles using the first output signal, the first and second known spatial positions, and the known first camera spatial position; and a second real-time tracking system operatively connected with the second camera for determining respective second two-dimensional coordinates of each of the one or more vehicles using the second output signal, the first and second known spatial positions, and the known second camera spatial position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second known spatial positions is a respective set of x, y and z coordinates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second known spatial positions is known with respect to an origin located within the control volume. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second cameras is configured to detect at least one of visible light, infrared light and ultraviolet light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the first and second cameras are disposed such that their respective fields of view are generally orthogonal with each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second reference points is (i) a respective point on a respective physical object disposed within the control volume and/or (ii) a respective focal point of a respective reference point beacon disposed within the control volume. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the first output signal is representative of a first two-dimensional image of the control volume as viewed from the first camera, and wherein the second output signal is representative of a second two-dimensional image of the control volume as viewed from the second camera. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising: a transmitter operatively connected with the processor and configured to transmit one or more messages into the control volume, wherein the one or more messages contain a respective set of three-dimensional spatial coordinates for each of the one or more vehicles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising: a respective vehicle beacon configured to be carried aboard each of the one or more vehicles, wherein each vehicle beacon is configured to transmit a respective vehicle identification. ### Claim 12 A system for one or more vehicles located within a control volume, comprising: a first camera configured to observe the one or more vehicles and first and second reference points within a first field of view, wherein the first and second reference points have first and second known spatial positions, respectively, wherein each of the first and second known spatial positions is known with respect to an origin located within the control volume, the first camera having a known first camera spatial position and being further configured to produce a first output signal from the observed one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points, wherein the first output signal is representative of a first two-dimensional image of the control volume as viewed from the first camera; a second camera configured to observe the one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points within a second field of view, the second camera having a known second camera spatial position and being further configured to produce a second output signal from the observed one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points, wherein the second output signal is representative of a second two-dimensional image of the control volume as viewed from the second camera; a processor operatively connected with the first and second cameras and configured to determine a respective spatial position for each of the one or more vehicles from the first and second output signals and from the known first and second camera spatial positions; and a transmitter operatively connected with the processor and configured to transmit one or more messages into the control volume, wherein the one or more messages contain a respective set of three-dimensional spatial coordinates for each of the one or more vehicles; wherein the one or more vehicles and the control volume are, respectively, one or more aircraft and a landing zone including a first airspace above the landing zone, one or more ground vehicles and an area of terrain including a second airspace above the terrain, one or more surface watercraft and a region of open water including a third airspace above the open water, one or more submersible watercraft and a volume of navigable water, or one or more spacecraft and a volume of navigable space. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second cameras are disposed such that their respective fields of view are generally orthogonal with each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising: a respective vehicle beacon configured to be carried aboard each of the one or more vehicles, wherein each vehicle beacon is configured to transmit a respective vehicle identification. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising: a first real-time tracking system operatively connected with the first camera for determining respective first two-dimensional coordinates of each of the one or more vehicles using the first output signal, the first and second known spatial positions, and the known first camera spatial position; and a second real-time tracking system operatively connected with the second camera for determining respective second two-dimensional coordinates of each of the one or more vehicles using the second output signal, the first and second known spatial positions, and the known second camera spatial position. ### Claim 16 A method of navigation for one or more vehicles located within a control volume, comprising: observing, with a first camera having a known first camera spatial position, the one or more vehicles and first and second reference points within a first field of view, wherein the first and second reference points have first and second known spatial positions, respectively; producing, by the first camera, a first output signal from the observed one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points; observing, with a second camera having a known second camera spatial position, the one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points within a second field of view; producing, by the second camera, a second output signal from the observed one or more vehicles and the first and second reference points; and determining, by a processor operatively connected with the first and second cameras, a respective spatial position for each of the one or more vehicles from the first and second output signals and from the known first and second camera spatial positions; wherein the one or more vehicles and the control volume are, respectively, one or more aircraft and a landing zone including a first airspace above the landing zone, one or more ground vehicles and an area of terrain including a second airspace above the terrain, one or more surface watercraft and a region of open water including a third airspace above the open water, one or more submersible watercraft and a volume of navigable water, or one or more spacecraft and a volume of navigable space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining respective first two-dimensional coordinates of each of the one or more vehicles using the first output signal, the first and second known spatial positions, and the known first camera spatial position; and determining respective second two-dimensional coordinates of each of the one or more vehicles using the second output signal, the first and second known spatial positions, and the known second camera spatial position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: transmitting one or more messages into the control volume, wherein the one or more messages contain a respective set of three-dimensional spatial coordinates for each of the one or more vehicles. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: receiving a respective vehicle identification transmitted from a respective vehicle beacon carried aboard each of the one or more vehicles.