Stellar-landscape/horizon image navigation

US11237003B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Juha-Pekka J. Laine · Boston, US
• Gregory P. Blasche · Burlington, US
• Benjamin F. Lane · Grafton, US
• Daniel M. Meiser · Providence, US
• Eric T. Hoke · Somerville, US
• Matthew T. Jamula · Wilmington, US
• Robin Mark Adrian Dawson · Waltham, US
• Stephen P. Smith · Acton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 2, 2020
• Grant date: Feb 1, 2022
• Expiry date: Jul 22, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T2207/30252
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An image-based navigation system is arranged to obtain a terrain image of a target terrain from one or more image sensors at a low altitude imaging location. The terrain image includes at least one celestial image feature and at least one terrain feature. Map database information stored in at least one hardware memory device is accessed and compared to the at least one celestial image feature and the at least one terrain feature in the terrain image to determine absolute location coordinates of the imaging location.