Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Daniel C Lorti

Dennis C Richman

Rolf Krumes

Eden Y Mei

Bradley D Ostman

Gilberto Di Benedetto

An aircraft docking system is installed at a point of convenience within the dock in full view of the approaching aircraft and in view of the pilot, and has a display which is readily seen by the pilot through the cockpit windshield as the aircraft proceeds along a taxiway and during a turning of the aircraft from the taxiway into the dock. Operation of the docking system is based on the use of feature extraction templates of three-dimensional images of candidate aircraft for the dock. An image of the approaching aircraft is obtained by use of ranging circuitry of an optical laser radar. By comparing the image with the rotated and scaled model, the image can be interpreted to show the present location and orientation of the approaching aircraft. As the image is updated by the radar, the aircraft travel path, as represented by successive locations and orientations of the aircraft, is determined and is compared with the required travel path for the specific aircraft. Deviations between the two travel paths are noted and result in the generation of corrective display signals, in the manner of arrows by way of example, which are presented to the pilot.

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Newport Beach, CA, United States of America

Daniel C Lorti