Aerial Survey Camera Control for LOS Avoidance and Image Overlap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aerial survey aircraft face significant productivity losses due to frequent deviations from planned flight lines to avoid loss of separation (LOS) situations, which are required to maintain safe distances from other aircraft in controlled airspace, leading to suspended image acquisition and increased fuel consumption.

Innovation Solution

An aerial survey image capture system that includes a LOS avoidance system, which uses navigation parameters like altitude, speed, and direction to estimate changes needed to maintain minimum separation distances, and adjusts camera system parameters such as image capture rate and camera movement to compensate for these changes without altering the flight path, ensuring continuous image acquisition and maintaining image overlap.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the survey aircraft maintains strict adherence to predetermined flight lines to ensure continuous image acquisition, then survey productivity is improved, but the risk of loss of separation (LOS) situations with other aircraft increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurvey productivityVSAvoidaircraft separation safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts camera parameters (capture rate, positioning, field of view) in real-time in response to changing flight conditions and LOS risks, allowing the aircraft to deviate from predetermined flight lines while maintaining survey quality through adaptive parameter modification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes camera operating parameters (capture rate, positioning, orientation) based on detected LOS situations and flight deviations, enabling the aircraft to operate outside predetermined flight lines while compensating for the effects of deviation through parameter adjustment to maintain adequate image overlap and coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the survey aircraft deviates from predetermined flight lines to avoid LOS situations, then aircraft separation safety is improved, but survey productivity deteriorates due to suspended image acquisition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaircraft separation safetyVSAvoidsurvey productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system predicts potential LOS situations and calculates required flight parameter changes in advance, allowing the aircraft to proactively adjust its flight path and camera parameters before actual deviations occur, thereby maintaining both safety and productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors aircraft position, flight line deviation, and camera capture parameters, using this feedback to dynamically adjust camera operation in real-time, ensuring that productivity is maintained despite necessary deviations from predetermined flight lines for safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If image acquisition is suspended to correct flight line deviations and avoid LOS situations, then aircraft separation safety is improved, but loss of time occurs due to interruption of survey operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaircraft separation safetyVSAvoidsurvey operation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains continuous image acquisition by dynamically adjusting camera parameters in real-time during flight deviations, eliminating the need to suspend operations while the aircraft corrects its position, thereby maintaining both safety and operational continuity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Measurement precision

If the camera system captures images more frequently to improve photogrammetric solution, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to increased data processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephotogrammetric solution accuracyVSAvoidground area captured per hour

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system optimizes camera capture parameters (focal length, capture rate, positioning) based on flight conditions and required photogrammetric quality, adjusting these parameters dynamically to achieve adequate measurement precision while maximizing ground area captured per hour for improved productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11175135B2Aerial survey image capture systems and methods

Publication Date: 2021.11.16 SPOOKFISH INNOVATIONS

AI summary

Systems and methods for aerial survey image capture are disclosed, including a system, comprising a camera system arranged to capture successive images of ground beneath a survey aircraft as the aircraft travels on a defined flight path, the camera system having associated camera parameters indicative of image capture characteristics of the camera system including defined image overlap between captured images; and, a camera parameter modifier arranged to produce at least one modified camera system parameter in response to an indication of a change in at least one navigation parameter of the aircraft, the modified camera system parameter modifying at least one characteristic of image capture by the camera system so as to substantially maintain the defined image overlap between captured images and thereby at least partially compensate for a change in survey efficiency when the changed navigation parameter is used to navigate the aircraft without modifying the defined flight path.