Aircraft Automatic Landing via Optical Mark Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for automatically landing aircraft require costly ground equipment and are susceptible to radio wave disturbances, making them inefficient and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A system using image signals, including an altimeter on the aircraft to measure altitude, a camera to detect the shape of a landing mark, and a Flight Control Computer to calculate angles and ranges, allowing for automatic landing by controlling the aircraft's flight and attitude based on image and altitude data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If radar waves are used for automatic landing, then automatic landing capability is achieved, but high cost equipment needs to be installed on the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the radar-based automatic landing system with an optical system using a camera to capture images of a landing mark. The Flight Control Computer processes these images to determine aircraft position and attitude, eliminating the need for expensive ground-based radar equipment while achieving the same automatic landing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a camera to capture an optical copy (image) of the landing mark on the ground. This visual copy is then processed by the FCC to extract position and attitude information, replacing the need for physical radar infrastructure with a lightweight optical sensing approach.
2Extent of automation
If radar waves are used for automatic landing, then automatic landing capability is achieved, but radar waves are easily exposed to disturbances which interrupt the radio waves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the radio wave-based radar system with an optical system using visible or infrared light. Optical signals are not subject to radio wave interference or electromagnetic disturbances, providing more reliable signal transmission for automatic landing operations in various environmental conditions.
3Device complexity
If image signals are used to detect landing mark deformation, then equipment cost is reduced, but the system must accurately detect shape changes caused by aircraft attitude variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by comparing the captured landing mark image with expected geometric patterns. The FCC analyzes the deformation of the landing mark shape in the image and uses this information to calculate aircraft position and attitude, continuously adjusting the landing control based on this feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter being measured from direct radar distance measurement to indirect optical shape analysis. By detecting how the landing mark appears deformed in the camera image due to perspective and aircraft attitude, the system extracts position and orientation information through geometric parameter analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces equipment costs and minimizes interference, enabling precise automatic landing of aircraft using image signals, with the system capable of detecting landing mark deformation and controlling aircraft attitude and location effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The altimeter may include a radio wave altimeter
Implementation Method 2
a camera installed on the aircraft, oriented toward the front of the aircraft, and configured to detect the shape of the landing mark in the form of image information
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a system for automatically landing an aircraft using image signals and a method of controlling the system. The system includes an altimeter installed on the aircraft; a landing mark placed at a landing location on a landing runway; a camera installed on the aircraft, oriented toward the front of the aircraft, and configured to detect the shape of the landing mark in image information form; and a FCC configured to calculate the angle between the aircraft and the ground, the ground range and the slant range between the aircraft and the landing location using the altitude information measured by the altimeter, the image information of the landing mark captured by the camera, angle information composed of the pitch, roll and yaw angles of the aircraft, and the angle of entry into the landing runway, and configured to control the automatic landing of the aircraft.