Aircraft identification and docking guidance systems
AssigneeSafegate International AB
InventorLars Millgård
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser range finder (LRF) is used to identify an aircraft approaching a gate. The LRF is directed at the aircraft, and from the echoes, a profile is derived and compared to known profiles. To distinguish among aircraft with similar profiles, the LRF is directed at a volume in which a feature such as an engine is expected and at another volume in which the engine is not expected. The echoes from the two volumes are used to determine whether the engine is in its expected location. If so, the aircraft is identified as the correct type and is allowed to dock at the gate. Otherwise, the aircraft is stopped. The nose height can be used as yet another identifying criterion.
Claims28
A system for determining whether a detected object is a known object, the known object having a known profile and also having a known feature at a known location, the system comprising:
- projecting means for projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
- collecting means for collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and for detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses, wherein the comparing means determines a yaw angle of the detected object;
- comparing means for comparing the detected shape with a profile corresponding to the known shape and for determining whether the detected shape corresponds to the known shape;
- and
- identifying means for identifying whether the detected object is the known object by determining whether the detected object has the known feature at the known location.
A method for determining whether a detected object is a known object, the known object having a known profile and also having a known feature at a known location, the method comprising:
- (a) projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
- (b) collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and for detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses;
- (c) comparing the detected shape with a profile corresponding to the known shape and for determining whether the detected shape corresponds to the known shape, wherein said step of comparing comprises determining a yaw angle of the detected object;
- and
- (d) identifying whether the detected object is the known object by determining whether the detected object has the known feature at the known location.
A system for determining a yaw angle of a detected object, the system comprising:
- projecting means for projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
- collecting means for collecting light pulses reflected detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses;
- and off the detected object and for angle determining means for determining the yaw angle from the shape detected by the collecting means;
- wherein the detected object comprises a nose having a nose tip, and wherein the angle determining means determines the yaw angle from a portion of the shape which is adjacent to the nose tip.
A method of determining a yaw angle of a detected object, the method comprising:
- projecting light pulses onto the detected object;
- collecting light pulses reflected off the detected object and detecting a shape of the detected object in accordance with the light pulses;
- and determining the yaw angle from the shape detected by the collecting means;
- wherein the detected object comprises a nose having a nose tip, and wherein said step of determining comprises determining the yaw angle from a portion of the shape which is adjacent to the nose tip.
A system for determining whether a vehicle is following a center line, the vehicle having a nose and a wheel, the system comprising:
- a storage device for storing (i) coordinates representing a path of the center line and (ii) a distance between the nose and the wheel;
- a detecting device for detecting (i) a position of the nose and (ii) a yaw angle of the vehicle;
- and
- a calculating device for calculating (i) a position of the wheel, from the position of the nose, the yaw angle detected by the detecting device and the distance stored in the storage device, and (ii) an offset of the wheel from the center line, from the coordinates stored in the storage device and the position of the wheel.
A method of determining whether a vehicle is following a center line, the vehicle having a nose and a wheel, the method comprising:
- storing coordinates representing a path of the center line;
- storing a distance between the nose and the wheel;
- detecting a position of the nose;
- detecting a yaw angle of the vehicle;
- calculating a position of the wheel, from the position of the nose, the yaw angle detected by the detecting device and the distance stored in the storage device;
- and
- calculating an offset of the wheel from the center line, from the coordinates stored in the storage device and the position of the wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.