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US 12,718,700 B2Granted
Cross-checking localization during aircraft terminal operations
AssigneeReliable Robotics Corporation
InventorsMichael Andrew Sherback, Robert W. Rose, Matthew T. Nehrenz, John P. Couluris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system having components coupled to an aircraft in operation processes sensor-derived data, performs a localization cross-checking procedure, and dynamically generates updated analyses of the position and orientation of the aircraft. Based on the updated analyses, the system can generate instructions for flight control of the aircraft and can update flight control instructions as new data is received and processed. The system functions to reduce the “worst-case” bounds on a localization estimate for the aircraft to a low enough level that is appropriate for completing a flight operation.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- determining position data of an aircraft in relation to a landing site, the position data of the aircraft determined by a navigation-related subsystem on the aircraft;
- receiving, from a camera subsystem of the aircraft, image data of a reference object of the landing site;
- estimating a position of the aircraft in relation to the landing site based on the image data;
- cross-checking, by the navigation-related subsystem of the aircraft, the position data of the aircraft determined by the navigation-related subsystem with the estimated position of the aircraft that was estimated based on the image data received from the camera subsystem of the aircraft to determine a position error associated with the aircraft;
- updating, by the navigation-related subsystem on the aircraft, one or more protection levels of the aircraft including at least one of a horizontal protection level of the aircraft and a vertical protection level of the aircraft based on the position error of the aircraft determined by the navigation-related subsystem of the aircraft and the estimated position of the aircraft that was estimated based on the image data of the reference object of the landing site, wherein the horizontal protection level is a radius of a circle in a horizontal plane with the aircraft being at a center of the circle and the vertical protection level is a half-length of a segment on a vertical axis that is different from the horizontal plane with the aircraft being at a center of the vertical axis, wherein the horizontal protection level and vertical protection level are greater for a first position error than for a second position error that is less than the first position error;
- and
- generating an updated set of instructions for operational control of the aircraft based on the updated one or more protection levels.
4 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- determining position data of an aircraft in relation to a landing site, the position data of the aircraft determined by a navigation-related subsystem on the aircraft;
- receiving, from a camera subsystem of the aircraft, image data of a reference object of the landing site;
- estimating a position of the aircraft in relation to the landing site based on the image data;
- cross-checking, by the navigation-related subsystem of the aircraft, the position data of the aircraft determined by the navigation-related subsystem with the estimated position of the aircraft that was estimated based on the image data received from the camera subsystem of the aircraft to determine a position error associated with the aircraft;
- updating, by the navigation-related subsystem on the aircraft, one or more protection levels of the aircraft including at least one of a horizontal protection level of the aircraft and a vertical protection level of the aircraft based on the position error of the aircraft determined by the navigation-related subsystem of the aircraft and the estimated position of the aircraft that was estimated based on the image data of the reference object of the landing site, wherein the horizontal protection level is a radius of a circle in a horizontal plane with the aircraft being at a center of the circle and the vertical protection level is a half-length of a segment on a vertical axis that is different from the horizontal plane with the aircraft being at a center of the vertical axis, wherein the horizontal protection level and vertical protection distances are greater for a first position error than for a second position error that is less than the first position error;
- and
- generating an updated set of instructions for operational control of the aircraft based on the updated one or more protection levels.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.