Spaceborne SAR Interferometry for Airport Obstruction Charts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating accurate tridimensional geographic information data for aeronautical infrastructure, such as Airport Obstruction Charts, are slow, costly, and often obsolete due to the limitations of airborne LiDAR technology, which requires low flight altitudes, causes airfield operation disruptions, and takes too long to process, while spaceborne SAR offers a more efficient but underutilized alternative for obstacle data acquisition.
Innovation Solution
Implementing spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry technology to rapidly generate and update Digital Surface Models, integrating with other data types for precise obstacle detection and chart updates, allowing for frequent updates without disrupting airfield operations and meeting ICAO's Annex 15 requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If airborne LiDAR is used for obstacle data acquisition, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical LiDAR system with a spaceborne SAR interferometry system. The SAR system uses radar waves instead of laser beams, and the interferometry processing method enables rapid detection of obstacle height changes without requiring complex point-by-point processing, thus reducing time loss while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from airborne to spaceborne platforms, adding the temporal dimension to the observation. By using SAR interferometry with multiple satellite passes over time, the system can detect obstacle height changes and update obstruction charts rapidly, achieving both high precision and fast update rates that were not possible with single-pass airborne LiDAR.
2Measurement precision
If airborne LiDAR is used for data acquisition, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex airborne LiDAR processing system with a spaceborne SAR interferometry approach. The SAR system uses established radar processing techniques and interferometry algorithms that, while computationally intensive, benefit from the stable platform and systematic data collection approach, reducing overall system complexity compared to coordinating multiple airborne sensors and processing streams.
3Measurement precision
If airborne LiDAR is used for obstacle detection, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds the temporal dimension through spaceborne SAR interferometry with multiple satellite passes. This enables the system to detect obstacle height changes over time and produce updated obstruction charts at rapid intervals (weekly or monthly), dramatically improving productivity and chart update rate while maintaining the precision needed for aviation safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The spaceborne SAR system provides continuous or near-continuous monitoring capability as satellites pass over the area of interest. This continuous data collection enables ongoing detection of obstacle changes without interruption, maintaining high productivity and enabling frequent chart updates unlike the periodic airborne LiDAR surveys.
4Productivity
If spaceborne SAR interferometry is used for data acquisition, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs interferometry processing that compares phase information from multiple SAR images to detect changes in obstacle height. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain high measurement precision by analyzing the phase differences and temporal changes, ensuring accurate obstacle detection while achieving rapid data acquisition through spaceborne platforms.
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 approach significantly reduces data acquisition and update times, enhances accuracy, and allows for continuous monitoring of obstacles, ensuring safer airport operations with improved temporal and spatial resolution, fulfilling ICAO's numerical requirements and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar platforms
Implementation Method 2
interferometric data using synthetic aperture radars
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The proposed invention describes a method to generate Airport Obstruction Charts, based on a fusion between interferometric data acquired by Synthetic Aperture Radars positioned in spaceborne platforms, and other types of data acquired by remote sensors. It is characterized by the following stages;- Conversion of pre-existent analog data of the surveyed areas to digital format:-Vectorization of the data;- Data analysis already in digital format;- Generation of Digital Surface Model (MDS, being the input data structure to be used by the Land Change Detection Algorithm, in raster format;- Comparison between the initial Digital Surface Model and the new data acquired in a later epoch;- Comparison between the base Digital Surface Model (MDS) and the altimetric data structure derived from interferometric data obtained from the Synthetic Aperture Radars positioned in spaceborne platforms;- Registration and georeferencing of the Digital Surface Model (MDS);- Cut the image to ensure that all the surveyed area is correctly identified;- Resampling of the raster models to be compared with those obtained between the initial and latter epochs, in order to present the same number of pixels either in line or column, representing the same surveyed area;- Detection of land changes in order to compare the elevations in both digital surface models (MDS) obtained from different epochs, to produce a third raster model;- Overlay between the raster images of the objects considered as obstructions and the Airport Obstruction Chart in vector format;- New obstructions validation;- and dissemination of the new Airport Obstruction Charts to the relevant authorities.