System to use digital cameras and other sensors in navigation

摘要

In one preferred embodiment, the present invention provide a navigation system for a movable platform comprising a GNSS receiver sensor for providing position signals representative of the estimated current position of the movable platform; a camera sensor for providing photographic images representative of the surroundings of the movable platform; and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor for providing specific force and angular rate signals representative of the current specific forces and rate of the movable platform. A processor is responsive to the camera photographic images to estimate the position and attitude of the movable platform, the covariance of the position and attitude estimates and the covariance of consecutive position and attitude estimates. The processor is responsive to the GNSS receiver's estimated position signal, the camera's estimated position and attitude signal, the camera's estimated position and attitude covariance, the camera's estimated correlation of the covariance of consecutive position and attitude estimates, and the specific force and angular rate signals, for providing a navigation solution representative of the estimated current position, velocity, and attitude of the movable platform.

主权项

1. A navigation system for a movable platform comprising:
a GNSS receiver sensor configured to provide position signals representative of the estimated current position of the movable platform; a camera sensor configured to provide sequential photographic images representative of the surroundings of the movable platform, the sequential photographic images having matching landmarks showing the same scene that are taken from different locations; an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor configured to provide specific force and angular rate signals representative of the current specific forces and rate of the movable platform; a processor responsive to the camera photographic images to estimate the position and attitude of the movable platform, covariance of the estimated position and attitude, and the covariance of the estimated sequential consecutive position and attitude; the processor responsive to the GNSS receiver's estimated position signal, the camera's estimated position and attitude signal, the camera's estimated position and attitude covariance, the camera's estimated correlation of the covariance of consecutive position and attitude estimates, and the specific force and angular rate signals, the processor configured to provide a navigation solution representative of the estimated current position, velocity, and attitude of the movable platform, the processor is further configured with a landmark database that stores the location and description of landmarks that are detected in photographic images representative of the surroundings of the movable platform and a landmark detection and tracking component that detects landmarks in photographic images representative of the surroundings of the movable platform; a triangulation component that triangulates the position of landmarks in photographic images representative of the surroundings of the movable platform; the landmark database storing the location and description of the landmarks for future use.