Autotiller control system for aircraft utilizing camera sensing
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKazuhide Konya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic control system for directional control of an aircraft moving on the ground utilizing computer vision methods and camera sensing methods (visible, infrared or microwave) to optically recognize and track taxiway navigation features thereby providing pilot television picture steering cues or force inputs to the nosewheel steering system to maintain the aircraft on the centerline.
Claims10
An automatic control system for directional control of an aircraft moving on the ground, comprising:
- a pilot hand operable steering control input device for making directional control inputs;
- manual steering command generation means for generating a nosewheel steering angle command from the pilot's input to said hand operable steering control input device;
- means for estimating lateral displacement of the aircraft from a desired taxi path;
- said means for estimating lateral displacement comprising camera sensing;
- automatic steering command generation means for generating a nosewheel steering angle command which tends to zero said lateral displacement;
- and,
- nosewheel steering control means for positioning the nosewheel steering so as to follow the nosewheel steering angle command from either the manual steering command generation means or the automatic steering command generation means depending on whether automatic ground steering is disengaged or engaged.
An automatic guidance system for aiding a pilot in precisely steering an aircraft moving on the ground comprising:
- at least one pilot operable steering input device for making directional control inputs;
- manual steering command generation means for generating a nosewheel steering angle command from the pilot's input to said pilot operable steering control input device;
- nosewheel steering control means for positioning the nosewheel steering so as to follow the nosewheel steering angle command from the manual steering command generation means;
- means for estimating displacement of the aircraft from a desired taxi path and for generating a lateral displacement signal indicative of said lateral displacement utilizing camera sensing;
- automatic steering command generation means for generating a steering guidance command signal using said lateral displacement signal as an input;
- and
- steering command display comprising a television picture screen means for displaying said steering guidance command signal to the pilot and for aiding the pilot in precisely steering the aircraft along said desired taxi path.
An autotaxi tracker system for aircraft comprising in combination:
- a plurality of camera sensors;
- a video signal digitizer
- said plurality of camera sensors coupled to said video signal digitizer;
- a high speed processor;
- said video signal digitizer coupled to said high speed processor;
- a command and executive processor for providing control commands and pilot display signals;
- and,
- said high speed processor coupled to said command and executive processor.
An auto taxi tracker system for aircraft comprising in combination:
- a steering wheel responsive to pilot control;
- a television camera;
- a circuit comprising an analyzer, amplifier, filter, and limiter;
- said television camera and said steering wheel copulied to said circuit comprising an analyzer, amplifier, filter, and limiter;
- a nose wheel steering actuator;
- said circuit comprising an analyzer, amplifier, filter, and limiter coupled to said nose wheel steering actuator;
- aircraft inertia compliance, and friction representavie signal means;
- said nose wheel steering actuator coupled to said aircraft inertia, compliance and friction representative signal means;
- and,
- said aircraft inertia, compliance and friction representative signal means coupled to said television camera.
An automatic control system for an aircrfat moving on the ground comprising in combination:
- an autotiller steering control system;
- said autotiller steering control system including a digital map and GPS guided tracking for automating the turning choice decision at each taxiway intersection.
An automatic control system for aircraft moving on the ground at an airport comprising in combination:
- a GPS satellite signal generator;
- a differential GPS station at the airport;
- two GPS receivers aboard the aircraft;
- said differential GPS station and two GPS receivers aboard the aircraft providing aircraft locating data;
- an aircraft terrain database aboard said aircraft;
- and,
- said aircraft locating data matched against digitally mapped airfield information for providing a taxi map display.
A method for providing the taxiing information for guiding an aircraft on the ground, the method comprising:
- utilizing a GPS satellite for providing directionality of the aircraft;
- matching aircraft locating data against digitally matched airfield information;
- and,
- providing a taxi map display showing the aircraft to the left/right or on the centerline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.