Multi-sensor target location registration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670396-B2
Application number	US-201515508782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A system for registering a target includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a processor. The first sensor measures a plurality of ranges from a source to a target, and the second sensor obtains a plurality of location measurements of the source. The system further includes a processor configured for determining one or more weighting criteria associated with each one of the plurality of location measurements based on an estimated reliability of each one of the plurality of location measurements. The processor calculates a plurality of target location values based on the plurality of ranges measured by the first sensor and the plurality of locations measured by the second sensor and calculates an estimated target location value based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for registering a target, comprising:
a first sensor for measuring a plurality of ranges from a source to a target, the first sensor configured for measuring the plurality of ranges based on at least one of the source moving among a plurality of different locations and the first sensor taking measurements at a plurality of different times;
a second sensor comprising a barometric altimeter for obtaining a plurality of barometric altitude location measurements of the source based on at least one of the source moving among the plurality of different locations and the second sensor obtaining measurements at the plurality of different times; and
a processor configured for determining one or more weighting criteria including a weighted average of the plurality of barometric altitude location measurements based on an estimated reliability of each one of the plurality of location measurements, the weighting criteria including speed of the source and being used for calculating a plurality of target location values based on the plurality of ranges measured by the first sensor and the plurality of barometric altitude locations measured by the second sensor, and for calculating an estimated target location value based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein calculating the estimated target location based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria includes generating a weighted average based on the plurality of target location values and the weighting criteria.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor detects a range above ground level, the second sensor detects an altitude above mean sea level (MSL), and the estimated target location value includes an MSL altitude of the target.

4. The system of claim 1 , the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor system and the second sensor is an altitude sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third sensor for detecting a plurality of secondary location measurements of the source, said plurality of secondary location measurements corresponding to an altitude of the third sensor above ground level,
wherein the processor is configured to calculate the estimated target location based on the plurality of secondary location measurements.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the third sensor is radar.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors are located on an aircraft, the target location is a terrain feature, and the moving among the plurality of locations includes the aircraft flying over terrain.

8. A method of registering a location of a target, comprising:
measuring, by a first sensor, a plurality of ranges from a source to a target, the plurality of ranges based on at least one of the source moving among a plurality of different locations and the first sensor taking measurements at a plurality of different times;
measuring, by a second sensor comprising a barometric altimeter, a plurality of barometric altitude location measurements based on at least one of the source moving among the plurality of different locations and the second sensor obtaining measurements at the plurality of different times;
determining one or more weighting criteria including a weighted average of the plurality of location measurements based on an estimated reliability of each one of the plurality of barometric altitude location measurements, the weighting criteria including speed of the source;
calculating a plurality of target location values for the target based on the plurality of ranges the plurality of barometric altitude location measurements, and the weighting criteria; and
calculating an estimated location value of the target based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein calculating the estimated target location based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria includes generating a weighted average based on the plurality of target location values and the weighting criteria.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor detects a range above ground level, the second sensor detects an altitude above mean sea level (MSL), and the estimated target location value includes an MSL altitude of the target.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor system and the second sensor is an altitude sensor.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising detecting, by a third sensor, a plurality of secondary location measurements of the source, said plurality of secondary location measurements corresponding to an altitude of the third sensor above ground level,
wherein the estimated location value is calculated based on the plurality of secondary location measurements.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third sensor is radar.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first and second sensors are located on an aircraft, the target location is a terrain feature, and the moving among the plurality of locations includes the aircraft flying over terrain.

15. A vehicle, comprising:
a propulsion system to move the vehicle among a plurality of locations;
a first sensor for measuring a plurality of ranges from the vehicle to a target, the first sensor configured for measuring the plurality of ranges based on at least one of the vehicle moving among a plurality of different locations and the first sensor taking measurements at a plurality of different times;
a second sensor comprising a barometric altimeter for obtaining a plurality of barometric altitude location measurements of the vehicle based on at least one of the vehicle moving among the plurality of different locations and the second sensor obtaining measurements at the plurality of different times; and
a processor configured for determining one or more weighting criteria including a weighted average of the plurality of barometric altitude location measurements based on an estimated reliability of each one of the plurality of location measurements, the weighting criteria including speed of the source and being used for calculating a plurality of target location values based on the plurality of ranges measured by the first sensor and the plurality of barometric altitude locations measured by the second sensor, and for calculating an estimated target location value based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein calculating the estimated target location based on the plurality of target location values weighted according to the weighting criteria includes generating a weighted average based on the plurality of target location values and the weighting criteria.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the first sensor detects a range above ground level, the second sensor detects an altitude above mean sea level (MSL), and the estimated target location value includes an MSL altitude of the target.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 , the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor system and the second sensor is an altitude sensor.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Sane Harshad S
• Cherepinsky Igor
• Stathis Christopher

Classifications

• G01C15/002

  Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105) · CPC title

• G01S17/003

  Bistatic lidar systems; Multistatic lidar systems · CPC title

• G01C3/00 Primary

  Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders (tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48) · CPC title

• G01C3/08 Primary

  Use of electric radiation detectors · CPC title

• G01C5/00

  Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels (G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence) · CPC title