Aircraft-Mounted Optical Speed Detection With Terrain-Map Checks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing optical speed detection systems face practical implementation challenges, particularly in detecting speeding violations, due to the need for rapid and reliable measurements that are not adequately addressed by current methods.

Innovation Solution

A method using an optical camera mounted on an aircraft to measure vehicle speed by estimating the vehicle's position in two instants, incorporating georeferencing, topographic mapping, and error modeling to ensure accuracy, with validation steps to confirm the vehicle is on a road or street, and utilizing RTK and DGPS for precise positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If optical camera based speed detection is used, then passive detection without radiation emission is achieved, but measurement reliability and speed are insufficient for practical speeding violation detection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement reliabilityVSAvoidmeasurement time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a topographic map of the detection area with marked roads and streets before actual speed detection. This pre-processing of spatial information allows the system to quickly validate whether detected vehicles are on valid detection zones, eliminating the need for real-time complex environment analysis and enabling rapid reliable measurements for speeding violation detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If position estimation using line of sight intersection is used, then speed measurement is achieved, but terrain elevation differences cause measurement errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition estimation accuracyVSAvoidterrain elevation interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary validation mechanism using pre-stored topographic map data. Instead of directly trusting the line of sight intersection position estimation, the system uses the topographic map as an intermediary to verify whether the estimated position falls on a valid road or street. This intermediary validation step filters out position estimation errors caused by terrain elevation differences, ensuring measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If iterative validation with topographic map is implemented, then measurement accuracy is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed measurement accuracyVSAvoidalgorithm complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces algorithmic complexity through preliminary action by pre-processing and storing topographic map data with marked roads and streets before detection operations. This pre-computation transforms the complex iterative validation problem into a simpler query operation during actual speed detection, maintaining high measurement precision while minimizing real-time computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4641215A1Method and system for determining the speed of a vehicle using a speed detector device
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 SYST AÉREOS ESPECIALIZADOS SL
  • EP4641215A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4641215A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4641215A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for determining the speed of a vehicle (V, Target) (C) by means of using an optical camera (1) by means of the following steps of determining the height (ΔH) of the camera (1) with respect to the ground, the inclination (β) of the line of sight (LOS) of the camera (1), and iteratively determining the intersection between the line of sight (LOS) and a horizontal line (x0x1, x1'x2, x2'x3... ) passing through the last projection (x0, x1', x2',...xn') to obtain an approximate value (x1, x2,...xn) of the position of the vehicle (V, Target), determining from a map (DTM) the vertical projection (x1', x2',...xn') over the ground of the approximate value (x1, x2,...xn), and thereby obtaining the terrain elevation (ΔZ) of the vertical projection (x1', x2',...xn') with respect to the horizontal line (x0x1, x1'x2, x2'x3...), comparing the terrain elevation (ΔZ) with respect to a predetermined threshold value.