Monitoring of steering-angle during aircraft transport

1. A method of determining a steering-angle between a leading vehicle and an aircraft, wherein the leading vehicle is connected to the aircraft and is configured to lead the aircraft on the ground, the leading vehicle comprising a platform and one or more scanners that are positioned on the platform, the method comprising:

a) obtaining scanning information of one or more scanning planes of an underbelly of the aircraft, the scanning information being generated by the one or more scanners, wherein the scanning information of each of the one or more scanning planes comprises a respective group of scanned points of the aircraft's underbelly;

b) determining, by at least one processor, for each scanning plane, respective real-time geometric properties, the respective real-time geometric properties including at least data indicative of ranges between scanned points in the respective group and a platform horizontal plane;

c) determining, by the at least one processor, based on the respective real-time geometric properties, a steering-angle between a longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

d) controlling, by the at least one processor, the leading vehicle so as to maintain the steering-angle, as determined in said step c), within a certain acceptable range.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining information with respect to one or more stored records, each stored record comprising data indicative of a respective steering-angle and respective geometric properties; and

when similarity between the respective real-time geometric properties and the respective geometric properties in a given stored record, from the one or more stored records, complies with one or more predefined conditions, determining the real-time steering-angle based on the respective steering-angle in the given stored record.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the stored record comprises information indicative of a respective parabolic image; the method further comprising:

determining, for each scanning plane, a respective real-time parabolic image; and

when similarity between the respective real-time parabolic image and the respective parabolic image in a given stored record, from the one or more stored records, complies with one or more predefined conditions, determining the steering-angle based on the respective steering-angle in the given stored record.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning information comprises at least two scanning planes;

the method further comprising:

for each scanning plane of the at least two scanning planes, identifying in the respective group of scanned points a respective scanned point (Sdm) located at the shortest distance from the platform horizontal plane; and

connecting the respective scanned points (Sdm) of the at least two scanning planes with a straight line, thereby identifying the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein identification of the respective scanned point (Sdm) comprises any one of the following groups of operations:

a. for each of the at least two scanning planes, generating a parabola representing the scanned aircraft's underbelly and determining a minimum point of the parabola;

b. for each scanning plane of the at least two scanning planes, determining a scanned point located at a shortest range from the platform horizontal plane; and

c. for scanning a plane, identifying two different scanned points in the respective group located at a same distance from the platform and identifying a scanned point located in a middle between the two different scanned points.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a warning indicating that over-steering is occurring or is about to occur, when the steering-angle complies with one or more predefined conditions.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

repeating the determining of the steering-angle while the aircraft is being led by the leading vehicle; and

continuously monitoring the steering-angle.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the leading vehicle is a tractor configured to transport the aircraft, the tractor comprising a low profile platform configured to fit beneath the aircraft's underbelly.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a scanned point (Sd) of the at least one scanning plane located at the shortest distance from the platform horizontal plane; and

connecting the scanned point (Sd) and at least one other point with a straight line, thereby identifying the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

10. A scanning system that determines a steering-angle between a leading vehicle and an aircraft, wherein the leading vehicle is connected to the aircraft and is configured to lead the aircraft on a ground, and wherein the leading vehicle comprises a platform, the system comprising:

one or more scanners; and

a processing unit that includes at least one processor, operatively connectable to said one or more scanners,

wherein the one or more scanners are positioned on the platform at a known distance from a central longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and are configured to scan an underbelly of the aircraft and generate scanning information with respect to one or more scanning planes, the scanning information of each scanning plane comprising a respective group of scanned points of the aircraft's underbelly; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

a) obtain the scanning information and determine, for each scanning plane, respective real-time geometric properties, the respective real-time geometric properties including at least data indicative of ranges between scanned points in the respective group and a platform horizontal plane;

b) determine, based on the respective real-time geometric properties, a steering-angle between the central longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

c) control the leading vehicle to maintain the steering-angle, as determined in step b), within a certain acceptable range.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain information with respect to one or more stored records, each stored record comprising data indicative of a respective steering-angle and respective geometric properties; and

determine the real-time steering-angle based on the respective steering-angle in the given stored record, when similarity between the respective real-time geometric properties and the respective geometric properties in a given stored record, from the one or more stored records, complies with one or more predefined conditions.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the stored record comprises information indicative of a respective parabolic image, the at least one processor being further configured to:

determine, for each scanning plane a respective real-time parabolic image;

determine the steering-angle based on the respective steering-angle in the given stored record, when similarity between the respective real-time parabolic image and the respective parabolic image in a given stored record, from the one or more stored records, complies with the one or more predefined conditions.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the scanning information comprises at least two scanning planes, and the at least one processor is further configured to:

for each scanning plane of the at least two scanning planes, identify in the respective group of scanned points a respective scanned point (Sdm) located at the shortest distance from the platform horizontal plane, and

connect the respective scanned point (Sdm) of the at least two scanning planes with a straight line, thereby identifying the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute operations for identifying a respective scanned point Sdm, the operations comprising:

a. for each of the two or more scanning planes, generating a parabola representing the scanned aircraft's underbelly and determining a minimum point of the parabola;

b. for each scanning plane, determining a scanned point located at a shortest range from the platform horizontal plane; and

c. for scanning a plane, identifying two different scanned points in the respective group of scanned points located at a same distance from the platform and identifying a scanned point located in a middle between the two different scanned points.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate a warning indicating that over-steering is occurring or is about to occur, when the steering-angle complies with one or more predefined conditions.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more scanners are positioned on the central longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle.

17. The system according to claim 10 , comprising two or more scanners, each scanner being configured to scan the aircraft's underbelly from a different position in a different scanning plane.

18. The system according to claim 10 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: identify a scanned point (Sd) of at least one scanning plane located at the shortest distance from the platform horizontal plane; and

connect the scanned point (Sd) and at least one other point with a straight line, thereby identifying the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method of determining a steering-angle between a leading vehicle and an aircraft, wherein the leading vehicle is connected to the aircraft and is configured to lead the aircraft on a ground, the leading vehicle comprising a platform, one or more scanners which are positioned on the platform, and an alert generator, the method comprising:

obtaining scanning information of at one or more scanning planes of an underbelly of the aircraft, the scanning information being generated by the one or more scanners, wherein the scanning information of each of the one or more scanning planes comprises a respective group of scanned points of the aircraft's underbelly;

determining, for each scanning plane, respective real-time geometric properties, the respective real-time geometric properties including at least data indicative of ranges between scanned points in the respective group and a platform horizontal plane;

determining, based on the respective real-time geometric properties, a steering-angle between a longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

activating the alert generator when the steering-angle complies with one or more predefined conditions which indicate that over-steering is occurring or is about to occur.

20. A method of determining a steering-angle between a leading vehicle and an aircraft, wherein the leading vehicle is connected to the aircraft and is configured to lead the aircraft on a ground, the leading vehicle comprising a platform, one or more scanners that are positioned on the platform, and an alert generator, the method comprising:

obtaining scanning information of at one or more scanning planes of an underbelly of the aircraft, the scanning information being generated by the one or more scanners, wherein the scanning information of each of the one or more scanning planes comprises a respective group of scanned points of the aircraft's underbelly;

determining, by at least one processor, for each scanning plane, respective real-time geometric properties, the respective real-time geometric properties including at least data indicative of ranges between scanned points in the respective group and a platform horizontal plane;

determining, by the at least one processor, based on the respective real-time geometric properties, a steering-angle between a longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

activating the alert generator when the steering-angle complies with one or more predefined conditions which indicate that over-steering is occurring or is about to occur.

21. A scanning system that determines a steering-angle between a leading vehicle and an aircraft, wherein the leading vehicle is connected to the aircraft and is configured to lead the aircraft on a ground, and wherein the leading vehicle comprises a platform, the system comprising:

one or more scanners; and

a processing unit that includes at least one processor, operatively connectable to said one or more scanners,

wherein the one or more scanners are positioned on the platform at a known distance from a central longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and are configured to scan an underbelly of the aircraft and generate scanning information with respect to one or more scanning planes, the scanning information of each scanning plane comprising a respective group of scanned points of the aircraft's underbelly; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

obtain the scanning information and determine, for each scanning plane, respective real-time geometric properties, the respective real-time geometric properties including at least data indicative of ranges between scanned points in the respective group and a platform horizontal plane;

determine, based on the respective real-time geometric properties, a steering-angle between the central longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

activate a warning when the steering-angle complies with one or more predefined conditions which indicate that over-steering is occurring or is about to occur.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method of determining a steering-angle between a leading vehicle and an aircraft, wherein the leading vehicle is connected to the aircraft and is configured to lead the aircraft on a ground, the leading vehicle comprising a platform and one or more scanners which are positioned on the platform, the method comprising:

a) obtaining scanning information of one or more scanning planes of an underbelly of the aircraft, the scanning information being generated by the one or more scanners, wherein the scanning information of each of the one or more scanning planes comprises a respective group of scanned points of the aircraft's underbelly;

b) determining, for each scanning plane, respective real-time geometric properties, the respective real-time geometric properties including at least data indicative of ranges between scanned points in the respective group and a platform horizontal plane;

c) determining, based on the respective real-time geometric properties, a steering-angle between a longitudinal axis of the leading vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and

d) controlling, the leading vehicle so as to maintain the steering-angle, as determined in said step c), within a certain acceptable range.