# US 12,216,481 B2 · Motion steering under kino dynamic constraints > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,481 B2 - Document ID: US12216481B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/088,215 - Filed: 2022-12-23 - Published: 2024-06-27 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-23 - Assignees: Lockheed Martin Corporation - Applicants: Lockheed Martin Corporation - Inventors: Navid Dadkhah Tehrani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216481B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/693: for avoiding collisions between vehicles - G08G 5/80: Anti-collision systems - B64C 39/024: {of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV} - G05D 1/227: Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements - G05D 1/2464: {using an occupancy grid} - G05D 1/43: Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] - G05D 1/644: Optimisation of travel parameters, e.g. of energy consumption, journey time or distance - G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft - G08G 5/53: for cruising - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - G05D 2105/22: of humans - G05D 2109/20: Aircraft, e.g. drones - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/723: {from the aircraft} - G08G 5/74: for monitoring terrain - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract Motion steering under kino dynamic constraints is provided. A system can receive an indication to return to a route generated for autonomous navigation by the aircraft to a destination. The system can generate a vector field formed of a plurality of vectors that merge into the route. The vector field can be generated responsive to the indication to return to the route. The system can provide instructions to steer the aircraft toward the destination along the route via one or more vectors of the plurality of vectors in the vector field. The instructions can be based on a cost function applied to the vector field. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a data processing system of an aircraft, the data processing system comprising one or more processors coupled with memory to: receive an indication to return to a route generated for autonomous navigation by the aircraft to a destination; generate, responsive to the indication to return to the route, a vector field formed of a plurality of vectors that merge into the route; provide, based on a cost function applied to the vector field, instructions to steer the aircraft toward the destination along the route via one or more vectors of the plurality of vectors in the vector field; and cause the aircraft to navigate in accordance with the instructions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the instructions for the one or more vectors based on kino dynamic constraints of the aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each vector of the plurality of vectors comprises a respective direction for each respective point in an environment surrounding the aircraft configured to steer the aircraft towards the destination via the route. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the vector field for an environment having a radius surrounding the aircraft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the instructions to steer the aircraft via the one or more vectors to minimize the cost function. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the instructions to steer the aircraft via the one or more vectors to reduce the cost function below a threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the instructions for the one or more vectors with a closed loop rapidly exploring random technique configured with constraints for the aircraft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the instructions to steer the aircraft via the one or more vectors that avoid an obstacle in an environment centered around the aircraft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: enter a manual mode in which an operator of the aircraft navigates the aircraft via one or more inceptors; and detect the indication to transition from the manual mode to an autonomous mode in which the aircraft autonomously navigates along the route. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: detect the indication responsive to release by the operator of the one or more inceptors for a predetermined duration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: detect the indication responsive to an input via a user interface of the aircraft. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: receiving, by a data processing system of an aircraft comprising one or more processors coupled with memory, an indication to return to a route generated for autonomous navigation by the aircraft to a destination; generating, by the data processing system, responsive to the indication to return to the route, a vector field formed of a plurality of vectors that merge into the route; providing, by the data processing system based on a cost function applied to the vector field, instructions to steer the aircraft toward the destination along the route via one or more vectors of the plurality of vectors in the vector field; and causing, by the data processing system, the aircraft to navigate in accordance with the instructions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: generating, by the data processing system, the instructions for the one or more vectors based on kino dynamic constraints of the aircraft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein each vector of the plurality of vectors comprises a respective direction for each respective point in an environment surrounding the aircraft configured to steer the aircraft towards the destination via the route. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: generating, by the data processing system, the vector field for an environment having a radius surrounding the aircraft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: generating, by the data processing system, the instructions to steer the aircraft via the one or more vectors to minimize the cost function. ### Claim 17 An aircraft, comprising: a data processing system comprising one or more processors coupled with memory to: receive an indication to return to a route generated for autonomous navigation by the aircraft to a destination; generate, responsive to the indication to return to the route, a vector field formed of a plurality of vectors that merge into the route; provide, based on a cost function applied to the vector field, instructions to steer the aircraft toward the destination along the route via one or more vectors of the plurality of vectors in the vector field; and cause the aircraft to navigate in accordance with the instructions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the data processing system is further configured to: generate the instructions for the one or more vectors based on kino dynamic constraints of the aircraft.