US 12,451,018 B2
Method for assisting with landing an aircraft and system configured to execute the method
Juan Rivero Sesma, Toulouse (FR)
Assigned to AIRBUS OPERATIONS (S.A.S.), Toulouse (FR)
Filed by AIRBUS OPERATIONS (S.A.S.), Toulouse (FR)
Filed on May 30, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/679,229.
Claims priority of application No. 2305454 (FR), filed on May 31, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0404416 A1, Dec. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. G08G 5/54 (2025.01); G06F 18/24 (2023.01); G06F 18/2413 (2023.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01)
CPC G08G 5/54 (2025.01) [G06F 18/24137 (2023.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); G06T 2207/10032 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30184 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for assisting with landing an aircraft on a runway of a destination airport facility, comprising:
detecting a plurality of runways in an image (F) representative of a shot taken from the aircraft,
selecting a detected runway among said plurality of runways detected in said image (F), and determining characteristic points (a, b, c, d) of that runway in said image (F),
determining as many theoretical positions (POS1, POS2, POS3) of the aircraft as there are runways in said destination airport facility using the characteristic points (a, b, c, d) of the selected runway in said image (F), a “PnP” algorithm for determining a position of the aircraft with respect to said runway on the basis of the shot (F), and the coordinates of said characteristic points (A, B, C, D) of each of the runways in a geodetic database (RWYDB), then, for each of the determined theoretical positions (POS1, POS2, POS3) of the aircraft:
reprojecting each of said runways into said image (F) using said theoretical position (POS1, POS2, POS3), said coordinates of said geodetic database (RWYDB) and said “PnP” algorithm for determining a position of the aircraft with respect to said runway on the basis of the shot,
establishing and storing a consistency score (SC) rating the consistency between said characteristic points of said runways detected in said image (F) and said characteristic points of said runways reprojected into said image (F), then
delivering information (POSA) representative of an estimated position of the airplane on the basis of the stored consistency scores.
 
7. A device for assisting with landing, comprising electronic circuitry configured to:
detect a plurality of runways in an image (F) representative of a shot taken from the aircraft (1) and determine characteristic runway points (a, b, c, d) for each of said runways detected in said image (F),
select a detected runway among said plurality of runways detected in said image (F),
determine as many theoretical positions (POS1, POS2, POS3) of the aircraft (1) as there are runways in said destination airport facility using the characteristic points (a, b, c, d) of the selected runway in said image (F), a “PnP” algorithm for determining a position of the aircraft with respect to said runway on the basis of the shot, and the coordinates of said characteristic points (A, B, C, D) of each of the runways in a geodetic database (RWYDB), then, for each of the determined theoretical positions (POS1, POS2, POS3) of the aircraft:
reproject each of said runways into said image (F) using said theoretical position (POS1, POS2, POS3), said coordinates of said geodetic database (RWYDB) and said “PnP” algorithm for determining a position of the aircraft with respect to said runway on the basis of the shot,
establish and store a consistency score (SC) rating the consistency between said characteristic points (a, b, c, d) of said runways detected in said image (F) and said characteristic points of said runways reprojected into said image, then
deliver information (POSA) representative of an estimated position of the airplane on the basis of the stored consistency scores.