US 12,443,200 B2
Thermal imaging for navigation systems and methods
Chris J. Posch, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Assigned to Teledyne FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed by Teledyne FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/685,349.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/167,632, filed on Mar. 29, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/159,444, filed on Mar. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0291701 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G01S 13/86 (2006.01); G01S 13/933 (2020.01); G06V 20/10 (2022.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01)
CPC G05D 1/106 (2019.05) [G01S 13/865 (2013.01); G01S 13/867 (2013.01); G01S 13/933 (2020.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); G06V 20/194 (2022.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a thermal imaging system, wherein the thermal imaging system comprises a thermal imaging module configured to provide thermal image data corresponding to a projected course for a mobile platform;
a visible spectrum imaging system coupled to the mobile platform and configured to provide visible spectrum image data corresponding to the projected course;
an orientation and/or position sensor coupled to the mobile platform and configured to provide orientation and/or position data associated with motion of the mobile platform;
a ranging sensor system coupled to the mobile platform and configured to provide ranging sensor data corresponding to the projected course; and
a logic device configured to communicate with the thermal imaging system, the visible spectrum imaging system, and the orientation and/or position sensor, wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive the thermal image data corresponding to the projected course;
receive visible spectrum image data corresponding to the thermal image data;
receive orientation and/or position data corresponding to the thermal image data;
receive ranging sensor data corresponding to the thermal image data;
generate blended image data based, at least in part, on the received visible spectrum image data and the received thermal image data;
generate maneuvering obstacle information corresponding to the projected course based, at least in part, on the blended image data, the ranging sensor data, and the orientation and/or position data, wherein the logic device is configured to generate the maneuvering obstacle information at least by applying a fused sensor data trained convolution neural network (CNN) to a combination of the ranging sensor data, the visible spectrum image data, and the thermal image data to obtain the maneuvering obstacle information; and
selectively activate a braking system of the mobile platform based, at least in part, on the generated maneuvering obstacle information corresponding to the projected course.