The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 2018
Filed:
Sep. 16, 2016
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Juha-Pekka J. Laine, Boston, MA (US);
Gregory P. Blasche, Burlington, MA (US);
Matthew T. Jamula, Brighton, MA (US);
Paul A. Bohn, St. Petersburg, FL (US);
Robin Mark Adrian Dawson, Waltham, MA (US);
Benjamin F. Lane, Sherborn, MA (US);
Eric T. Hoke, Somerville, MA (US);
Daniel M. Meiser, Providence, RI (US);
Joseph M. Kinast, Cambridge, MA (US);
Stephen P. Smith, Acton, MA (US);
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus automatically determine a location, such as of an aircraft or spacecraft, by matching images of terrain below the craft, as captured by a camera, radar, etc. in the craft, with known or predicted terrain landmark data stored in an electronic data store. A star tracker measures attitude of the camera. Optionally, a rangefinder measures altitude of the camera above the terrain. A navigation filter uses the attitude, and optionally the altitude, to resolve attitude, and optionally altitude, ambiguities and thereby avoid location solution errors common in prior art terrain matching navigation systems.