# US 2010/0168949 A1 · System and Method for Autonomous Vehicle Control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0168949 A1 - Document ID: US20100168949A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/642,605 - Filed: 2009-12-18 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-19 - Assignees: ReconRobotics, Inc. - Inventors: Robert S. Malecki; Lue Her; Ryan J. Thompson; Anthony H. Giang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100168949A1 ## CPC - G05D 1/0676: {specially adapted for landing} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement} - G05D 1/0206: {specially adapted to water vehicles} - G06T 7/136: involving thresholding - G06T 7/194: involving foreground-background segmentation - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches} - G06T 2207/10032: Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing - G06T 2207/30204: Marker - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A system for localizing an autonomous vehicle to a target area can include a position indicator adapted for association with the vehicle in a three dimensional configuration, a detection device configured to detect the position indicator, a computation device configured to compute a position of the vehicle based on the detected position indicator and the relationship of the configuration to the vehicle orientation, a transmitter configured to receive information from the computation device and produce a signal carrying the information, a receiver configured to receive the signal from the transmitter and filter the information therefrom, and a control system configured for association with and control of one or more directional control components of the vehicle, the control being based on the information received from the receiver relating to localizing the vehicle to the target area. A method of for localizing a vehicle to a target area is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for localizing an autonomous vehicle to a target area, comprising: a position indicator adapted for association with the vehicle in a three dimensional configuration, the configuration having a relationship to the vehicle orientation; a detection device adapted for association with the target area and configured to detect the position indicator; a computation device in communication with the detection device and configured to compute a position of the vehicle based on the detected position indicator and the relationship of the position indicator configuration to the vehicle orientation; a transmitter in communication with the computation device and configured to receive information from the computation device and produce a signal carrying the information; a receiver adapted for positioning on the vehicle and configured to receive the signal from the transmitter and filter the information therefrom; and a control system in communication with the receiver, the control system being configured for association with and control of one or more directional control components of the vehicle, the control being based on the information received from the receiver relating to localizing the vehicle to the target area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the position indicator includes a plurality of point sources, wherein at least one is positioned on each of two wingtips of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and at least one is positioned on an underside or a top side of a vertical stabilizer of the unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the position indicator comprise a plurality of point sources adapted for arrangement on the vehicle in the three dimensional configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the point sources include sources of electromagnetic radiation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the sources of electromagnetic radiation comprise LED's. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the sources of electromagnetic radiation are defined by a paint scheme on the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the detection device is adapted for capture of electromagnetic radiation from the point sources on a two dimensional plane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the detection device is a camera configured to detect visible light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computation device is a personal computer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computation device includes an image capture module configured to control the detection of the detection device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computation device includes a position calculating module configured to convert a two dimensional representation of the position indicator to a three dimensional position and orientation of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 A method for localizing an autonomous vehicle to a target area, comprising: capturing a two dimensional representation of a position indicator positioned on the vehicle; computing a position and orientation of the vehicle based on the two dimensional representation and further based on a known configuration of the position indicator and a known relationship between the configuration and vehicle orientation; transmitting information to a control system associated with one or more directional control components of the vehicle; and manipulating the one or more directional control components using the control system, based on the transmitted information, to localize the vehicle to the target area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein capturing comprises receiving electromagnetic radiation projected on a two dimensional plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising filtering background noise out of the two dimensional representation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising analyzing the two dimensional representation to determine the two dimensional orientation of the position indicator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein computing comprises solving linear equations. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the linear equations are bounded by one or more assumptions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the linear equations comprise a Taylor series expansion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein manipulating the one or more directional control components comprises manipulating one or more of the ailerons, rudder, elevator, or powerplant of the unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein manipulating the one or more directional control components causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to localize toward the target area. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the target area is a landing area and the detection device is located near the target area thereby causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform an approach for landing.