Turbulence and winds aloft detection system and method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorBrian J. Tillotson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbulence and winds aloft detection system may include an image capturing device for capturing a plurality of images of a visual feature of a selected celestial object; and an image processor configured to compare the plurality of images of the visual feature to detect a transit of a turbule of turbulent air between the image capturing device and the selected celestial object; compensate for one or more of apparent visual motion of celestial objects due to a planet's translation and rotation, the moon's revolution about the planet, and the atmosphere's refractive displacement of celestial objects; and compute a measurement of at least one of a velocity of the turbule and a height of the turbule relative to the planet.
Claims21
A turbulence and winds aloft detection system, comprising:
- an image capturing device for capturing a plurality of images of a visual feature of a selected celestial object;
- and
- an image processor configured to
- compare the plurality of images of the visual feature to detect a transit of a turbule of turbulent air between the image capturing device and the selected celestial object;
- compensate for one or more of apparent visual motion of celestial objects due to a planet's translation and rotation, the moon's revolution about the planet, and the atmosphere's refractive displacement of celestial objects;
- and
- compute a measurement of at least one of a velocity of the turbule and a height of the turbule relative to the planet.
A turbulence and winds aloft detection system, comprising:
- an image capturing device for capturing a plurality of images of a visual feature of a selected celestial object;
- a device for sensing motion of the image capturing device relative to the Earth;
- and
- an image processor configured to
- compare the plurality of images of the visual feature to detect a transit of a turbule of turbulent air between the image capturing device and the selected celestial object;
- receive a signal from the motion sensing device to continuously estimate a velocity of the image capturing device relative to the Earth;
- and
- compute a measurement of at least one of a velocity of the turbule relative to the Earth and a height of the turbule relative to the Earth.
A method of detecting turbulence and winds aloft, comprising:
- capturing a plurality of images of a visual feature of a selected celestial object;
- comparing the plurality of images to detect the transit of a turbule of turbulent air in front of the selected celestial object;
- and
- processing the plurality of images to compensate for one or more of apparent visual motion of celestial objects due to a planet's translation and rotation, the moon's revolution about the planet, and the atmosphere's refractive displacement of celestial objects;
- and
- computing a measurement of at least one of an angular velocity of the turbule and the height of the turbule.
A method of detecting turbulence and winds aloft, comprising:
- capturing a plurality of images of a visual feature of a selected celestial object with an image capturing device;
- sensing motion of the image capturing device relative to the Earth;
- processing the plurality of images of the visual feature to detect a transit of a turbule of turbulent air between the image capturing device and the selected celestial object;
- using sensed motion of the image capturing device to continuously estimate a velocity of the image capturing device relative to the Earth;
- and
- computing a measurement of at least one of a velocity of the turbule relative to the Earth and a height of the turbule relative to the Earth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.