US 12,307,910 B2
Navigation systems and methods for operation
Jacob Kenin, Acton, MA (US)
Assigned to Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, Manassas, VA (US)
Filed by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, Manassas, VA (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/360,828.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/068,132, filed on Aug. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0058962 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G08G 5/00 (2006.01); B64D 47/02 (2006.01); G01S 17/88 (2006.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G05D 1/437 (2024.01); G08G 5/02 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 5/0047 (2013.01) [B64D 47/02 (2013.01); G05D 1/106 (2019.05); G05D 1/437 (2024.01); G05D 1/439 (2024.01); G08G 5/02 (2013.01); G08G 5/025 (2013.01); G01S 17/88 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A navigation system for an aircraft comprising:
a light source;
a light sensor;
one or more processors; and
a computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the navigation system to perform functions comprising:
illuminating a surface using the light source to cause light to be reflected from the surface;
detecting the light and generating data representing the light using the light sensor, wherein the data maps intensities of the light to respective positions on the surface;
identifying within the data a subset of the data that corresponds to a border by:
selecting two arbitrary data points of the data;
determining parameters of a curve that includes the two arbitrary data points;
determining, with respect to the curve, residuals of data points of the subset of the data that are not the two arbitrary data points;
determining that the residuals are each less than a margin of error and that the subset of the data includes at least a threshold amount of data points; and
determining that the subset of the data includes at least a second threshold amount of data points per unit distance; and
causing navigation of the aircraft on the surface based on a position of the border indicated by the subset of the data.