US 2019/0156473 A1 · Automated Airfield Ground Lighting Inspection System

Abstract

An automated airfield ground lighting inspection system and method is disclosed. An image acquisition means captures image streams of the airfield ground lighting system lights when moved across an airfield. A location sensor detects positional information for the image acquisition means when capturing the plurality of images comprising the image streams. An image processor coupled to the image acquisition means and the location sensor processes the image stream of a light of the airfield ground lighting system by: (a) associating characteristics of a plurality of points in an image with an item in the light to be checked, and using this association for extraction of the points; (b) verifying each extracted point ; and (c) determining the state of the light of the image stream by processing the verified extracted points comprising an item to be checked.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method for training an airfield ground lighting inspection system comprising:

moving a housing having an image acquisition means attached thereto to capture image streams of a plurality of lights of an airfield ground lighting system, each image stream comprising successive images of a light;
using a location sensor to detect the positional information of the image acquisition means capturing the image streams;
processing the image streams to detect and associate a plurality of points in a specified arrangement in an image with an item to be checked, wherein the associating is performed by storing operator selection of a plurality of points in a sample image and a subsequent sample image from an image stream of a light of the airfield ground lighting system.

An airfield ground lighting inspection system comprising:

a housing having an image acquisition means attached thereto configured for capturing a plurality of image streams of a plurality of lights comprised in an airfield ground lighting system upon movement of the housing across the airfield;
a location sensor for detecting positional information for the image acquisition means capturing the plurality of images comprised in the image streams;
an image processor coupled to the image acquisition means and the location sensor for processing the image stream of a light of the airfield ground lighting system by:
(a) associating characteristics of a plurality of points in an image with an item in the light to be checked, and using this association for extraction of the points from the images of an image stream;
(b) analysing a plurality of randomly selected pairs of sample images to determine a plurality of tentative reference locations for each extracted point relative to the three dimensional coordinate frame of the light;
(c) assessing the tentative reference locations determined for each extracted point, to determine a reference location for each extracted point;
(d) projecting each extracted point into the images of the image stream based upon the determined reference location and location information of the image acquisition means for each image;
(e) analysing the images of the image stream by comparing the location in the images of the extracted points and the projected points and calculating the proximity therebetween;
(f) verifying existence in an image of the point of item being checked by comparing the calculated proximity against a threshold value;
(g) repeating steps (a) to (f) to determine existence of each point in the plurality of points associated with an item to be checked;
and
(h) determining the state of the item to be checked based upon analysis of verified points.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated Airfield Ground Lighting Inspection System

Life of this patent

Automated Airfield Ground Lighting Inspection System

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33