METHOD OF DETERMINING LOCATION AND ANGLE OF ORIENTATION OF AIRCRAFT RELATIVE RUNWAY STRIP AND DEVICE TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC G01S17/93 

FIELD: physics; navigation.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to location using several spread-out radiation sources. The method allows for automation and increasing accuracy of measurement and involves picking up emission of two spread-out identical laser beacons, installed on an aerodrome near a runway strip (RWS) on safety strips with known coordinates, using two optical-location units fitted on aircraft. Coordinates of images of the beacons on photomatrices are determined. Coordinates of the beacons are calculated in a coordinate system associated with the aircraft. Angles of orientation of the aircraft relative the runway strip and the direction cosine matrix are calculated, and coordinates of the aircraft relative the runway strip are then determined. The device includes a ground-based module of laser beacons and onboard optical-location units, each comprising a photographic lens and a photomatrix, as well as a computer, which includes a unit for processing digital images of the laser beacons, a module for calculating beacon coordinates, a module for calculating direction cosine matrices and a module for calculating aircraft coordinates.

EFFECT: more accurate measurement of location of an aircraft relative a runway strip.

2 cl, 5 dwg