Patent ID: 11922660
Assignee: AIRBUS SAS
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method for determining positioning of a following aircraft with respect to a leading aircraft flying in front of the following aircraft, the method being implemented by the following aircraft, and the method comprising steps implemented iteratively of:
a step of acquisition of an image, in which the leading aircraft is visible;
a step of checking for presence or absence of a preceding iteration, and for a value of a parameter, called score, matched with each preceding iteration;
if an absence of preceding iteration or a preceding iteration matched with a score above a predetermined threshold is detected, an initialization step comprising:
a) a substep of detection of the leading aircraft on the image;
b) a substep of extraction of an outline of the detected aircraft; and
c) a substep of determination of a profile of the leading aircraft from a three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft stored in a database and of an initial position of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft;

if a preceding iteration matched with a score below a predetermined threshold is detected, a continuation step, following an initialization step of a preceding iteration, and comprising a substep of extraction of the outline of the leading aircraft;
in all cases, an adjustment step comprising implementing an outline registration algorithm, to determine an optimized profile from a comparison of the outline of the leading aircraft with its profile and in calculating the value of the score of the iteration from deviation between the compared outline and profiles;
if the value of the score is below the predetermined threshold, a step of determination of positioning of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft, from the optimized profile and from the three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft.