US 11,808,578 B2
Global positioning denied navigation
John B. Wissler, Waltham, MA (US); and Jeffery Saunders, Quincy, MA (US)
Assigned to Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, VA (US)
Filed by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, VA (US)
Filed on May 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/888,237.
Prior Publication US 2021/0375145 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. G01C 21/20 (2006.01); G06N 3/08 (2023.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01); G06V 20/13 (2022.01); G06N 7/01 (2023.01); G06V 10/48 (2022.01)
CPC G01C 21/20 (2013.01) [G06N 3/08 (2013.01); G06N 7/01 (2023.01); G06V 10/48 (2022.01); G06V 20/13 (2022.01); G08G 5/0021 (2013.01); G08G 5/0039 (2013.01); G08G 5/0047 (2013.01); G08G 5/0086 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft navigation system that comprises:
a sensor system associated with an aircraft, wherein the sensor system is configured to generate images about an environment around the aircraft;
a landmark detector in a flight control system of the aircraft configured to:
receive the images from the sensor system;
identify, based upon the images, landmarks in the environment around the aircraft; and
determine bearings from the aircraft to the landmarks;
a position calculator configured to:
determine, respectively for each landmark in each image in the images and based upon a pixel location of each landmark in each image, a section that comprises a location of the landmark, the section defined by:
a bearing from the aircraft to the landmark and an error distribution of the bearing from the aircraft to the landmark; and
a distance from the aircraft to the landmark and an error distribution of the bearing from the aircraft to the landmark;
invert, respectively for each landmark in each image in the images, the section and derive therefrom:
a bearing from the landmark to the aircraft and an error distribution of the bearing from the landmark to the aircraft; and
a distance from the landmark to the aircraft and an error distribution of the bearing from the landmark to the aircraft; and therefrom
a calculated position of the aircraft;
a position estimator configured to, based upon aircraft state information and the calculated position of the aircraft, form an estimate of a current position of the aircraft; and
a guidance system configured to provide, based upon the estimate of the current position of the aircraft, a guidance that directs the aircraft to a target location.