Patent ID: 6028624
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: B64D,G01S,H04N,Y02A

Abstract:
A system to aid a pilot in landing an aircraft on a runway in fog and other aerosols comprising:a first laser and a first camera mounted on the left wing of said aircraft and pointed forward;a second laser and a second camera mounted on the right wing of said aircraft and pointed forward;means for chopping the emissions from said lasers such that said first laser on the left wing of said aircraft will be illuminating the forward terrain as said second camera on the right wing is viewing the terrain, while said first camera on the left wing and said second laser on the right wing are blocked, and said second laser on the right wing of said aircraft will be illuminating the forward terrain as said first camera on the left wing is viewing the terrain, while said second camera on the right wing and said first laser on the left wing are blocked;said cameras being outfitted with narrow bandpass filters to allow only radiation with the same wavelength as said lasers to enter said cameras;said runway being equipped with specular reflection devices spaced along each side of said runway; andcomputer means for comparison of the two stereo images collected from said cameras to determine and subtract from the images the magnitude of the backscatter field, the inverse point spread filtering based on the fusion of the specular reflector pattern, and to provide a stereoscopic display for the pilot to allow said pilot to safely land said airplane in said fog.