Feature navigation system and method
US4700307A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 1983 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 11, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05D1/0202
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of navigating an airborne vehicle using observation of linear features such as roads, railroads, rivers or the like. Maps of linear features in several discrete areas along an intended flight path are prepared and entered into an on-board computer memory. The vehicle typically uses an inertial navigation system during flight from the origin to the first mapped area. Imaging sensors and on-board processing detect linear features as the vehicle approaches or passes over them. The sensed feature pattern network is compared to the reference mapped feature network to update the inertial navigation system to generate guidance commands. Frequent updates at other mapped areas keep the vehicle on course. This system is also capable of navigation updates from single linear features when the flight path is fairly well known, and of tracking a linear feature for terminal guidance. In these cases, only a small number of feature parameters need to be stored, rather than an area map. Linear feature navigation can be used by any manned or unmanned airborne vehicle which has the on-board capability to detect the required features.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.