Sensor-Fused Navigation Views for Mobile Structure Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional navigational systems for mobile structures, such as watercraft and aircraft, operate independently without integrating data from disparate sensors like radar, sonar, and GNSS, leading to a fragmented representation of the environment, which hinders intuitive navigation.
Innovation Solution
A sensor fusion system that combines navigational data from multiple sensors, including radar, sonar, and GNSS, using a logic device to generate a unified navigational database and horizon-stabilized images, providing a comprehensive and intuitive view of the environment for improved navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple navigational sensors (radar, sonar, GNSS) operate independently, then each sensor can perform its specific function, but the representation of the environment becomes fragmented and lacks intuitiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data from multiple independent navigational sensors (radar, sonar, GNSS) into a unified navigational database through sensor fusion. The logic device integrates these disparate data sources to create a comprehensive environmental representation that maintains the reliability of individual sensors while eliminating fragmentation, providing a complete and intuitive view of the surroundings for improved navigation.
2Ease of operation
If separate display views are provided for each navigational sensor, then each sensor data can be visualized, but the overall navigation situation becomes difficult to comprehend
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate display views into a unified visual representation by integrating data from all navigational sensors into a single navigational database. This unified display presents a comprehensive environmental model that maintains ease of operation while eliminating the loss of situational awareness that occurs when sensors are displayed separately.
3Loss of information
If a unified navigational database is generated by combining sensor data, then environmental representation becomes comprehensive and intuitive, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a logic device as an intermediary that automatically fuses sensor data and generates the unified navigational database. This intermediary component manages the complexity of integrating multiple sensors by providing a centralized processing mechanism, thereby achieving comprehensive environmental representation while containing system complexity through structured data integration.
4Measurement precision
If sensor data is integrated in real-time for unified navigation, then navigation accuracy improves, but the processing requirements and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization and structuring of sensor data before full integration, with the logic device preparing data from multiple sensors in advance of the fusion process. This preliminary action reduces the computational load during real-time processing by pre-processing and organizing data, thereby maintaining high navigational accuracy while reducing the instantaneous power requirements for data integration.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods for video based sensor fusion with respect to mobile structures. A mobile structure may include at least one imaging module and multiple navigational sensors and/or receive navigational data from various sources. A navigational database may be generated that includes data from the imaging module, navigational sensors, and/or other sources. Aspects of the navigational database may then be used to generate an integrated model, forecast weather conditions, warn of dangers, identify hard to spot items, and generally aid in the navigation of the mobile structure.