US 12,277,716 B2
Cooperative aircraft navigation
Gary Ellingson, Ogden, UT (US); Timothy McLain, Provo, UT (US); and Kevin Brink, Dayton, OH (US)
Filed by Brigham Young University, Provo, UT (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/228,697.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/008,462, filed on Apr. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0319568 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. G06T 7/246 (2017.01); B64D 47/08 (2006.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); G01C 21/20 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G06T 7/277 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC G06T 7/248 (2017.01) [B64D 47/08 (2013.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); G01C 21/20 (2013.01); G05D 1/101 (2013.01); G06T 7/251 (2017.01); G06T 7/277 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G08G 5/0008 (2013.01); G08G 5/0069 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10032 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20072 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30181 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for improving navigation of an aircraft system, comprising:
receiving, from one or more sensors, sensor data reflecting movement of the aircraft system relative to one or more ground features;
estimating, based on the sensor data, and using a relative odometry model, at least one of the following: an estimated change in x,y position since an earlier reset time, and an estimated change in yaw angle since an earlier reset time;
determining, based on a reset criteria, to reset the relative odometry model, wherein resetting the relative odometry model comprises at least one from the following list:
setting the estimated change in x,y position since the earlier reset time to zero; and
setting the estimated change in yaw angle since the earlier reset time to zero;
publishing to a global odometry model a relative odometry update comprising at least one of the following: the estimated change in x,y position since the earlier reset time, and the estimated change in yaw angle since the earlier reset time;
resetting the relative odometry model;
incorporating the relative odometry update into the global odometry model as a constraint on at least one of the following: global x,y position and global yaw angle;
estimating global pose information in the global odometry model by applying nonlinear unconstrained optimization; and
using two or more global constraints to calculate scale bias and to distribute a scale bias correction over at least two relative odometry constraints.