# US 2024/0201701 A1 · System and method of relative navigation in a network of mobile vehicles

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- Number: US 2024/0201701 A1
- Document ID: US20240201701A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/586,011
- Filed: 2024-02-23
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-24
- Assignees: Aloft Sensing, Inc.
- Applicants: Aloft Sensing, Inc.
- Inventors: Patrick Rennich; Lauren Wye
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201701A1

## CPC

- G05D 1/2435: {Extracting 3D information}
- G05D 1/249: from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras
- G05D 1/242: Means based on the reflection of waves generated by the vehicle (using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle G05D1/247)
- G05D 1/245: using dead reckoning
- G05D 1/46: Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D]
- G05D 1/69: Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles
- G05D 1/695: for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight
- G05D 1/6983: {by distributed or sequential control}
- G05D 1/248: generated by satellites, e.g. GPS
- G05D 2111/10: Optical signals
- G05D 2111/20: Acoustic signals, e.g. ultrasonic signals
- G05D 2111/30: Radio signals
- G05D 2111/52: {generated by inertial navigation means, e.g. gyroscopes or accelerometers}
- G05D 2111/64: {taken simultaneously from spaced apart sensors, e.g. stereovision}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A self-contained, high precision navigation method and system for a mobile vehicle includes an active coherent imaging sensor array with multiple receivers that observes the surrounding environment and a digital processing component that processes the received signals to form interferometric images and determine the precise three-dimensional location and three-dimensional orientation of the vehicle within that environment. A mesh navigation system for a network of mobile vehicles is provided where each mobile vehicle hosts an active coherent imaging sensor that observes a common area in the environment that surrounds the network of mobile vehicles. The navigation system on each mobile vehicle receives signals from the other mobile vehicles reflected from the common area in the environment. These signals are processed onboard each mobile vehicle to form interferometric images and determine the precise three-dimensional location of each mobile vehicle relative to the others operating and moving within the network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for relative navigation of a mobile vehicle within a network of independently maneuvering mobile vehicles, comprising:
a plurality of navigation systems wherein each respective navigation system is hosted on one of a plurality of independently maneuvering mobile vehicles operating in a common environment; and
a communication system operating between the respective navigation systems;
each navigation system comprising:
a transmitter;
a two-dimensional receiver array including at least three receivers,
said transmitter directing energy at said common environment, said environment reflecting energy back to said at least three receivers, said at least three receivers capturing and digitizing said reflected energy; and
a digital processing unit in communication with said transmitter and said two-dimensional receiver array,
for each navigation system, said digital processing unit creating a coherent two-dimensional image from the digitized reflected energy captured by each of said three receivers,
each of said plurality of navigation systems distributing said created two-dimensional images to the other of said plurality of navigation systems,
each of said plurality of navigation systems selectively producing a plurality of two-dimensional interferograms from a plurality of pair-wise combinations of said created coherent two-dimensional images,
each of said plurality of navigation systems further processing the plurality of two-dimensional interferograms to produce estimates of error of the position and orientation of the mobile vehicle relative to the expected system position and orientation and incorporating said errors into a navigation solution of said mobile vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein said system is continuously creating and processing said two-dimensional coherent images, continuously producing said two-dimensional interferograms in pair-wise combinations, continuously producing error estimates and continuously incorporating said errors into successive navigation solutions for said mobile vehicle as a position of said mobile vehicle changes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of navigation systems further comprises:
an inertial measuring unit positioned in fixed position relative to said two-dimensional receiver array and in communication with said digital processing unit, said inertial measuring unit detecting acceleration and rotation rate information relating to the expected position and orientation of the system and transmitting said information to the digital processing unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein said digital processing unit uses said interferograms to produce an estimate of the error in system position and orientation relative to the system position and orientation reported by said inertial measurement unit, and
wherein said estimates of position and orientation error are applied to the said position and orientation reported by the inertial measurement unit to precisely update the system position and orientation within the environment.

### Claim 5

A method for relative navigation of a mobile vehicle within a network of independently maneuvering mobile vehicles, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of navigation systems wherein each respective navigation system is hosted on one of a plurality of independently maneuvering mobile vehicles operating in a common environment,
each navigation system comprising:
a transmitter;
a two-dimensional receiver array including at least three receivers; and
a digital processing unit in communication with said transmitter and said two-dimensional receiver array;
providing a communication system operating between the respective navigation systems;
for each navigation system, said transmitter directing energy at said common environment, said environment reflecting energy back to said at least three receivers, said at least three receivers capturing and digitizing said reflected energy,
for each navigation system, said digital processing unit creating a coherent two-dimensional image from the digitized reflected energy captured by each of said three receivers,
each of said plurality of navigation systems distributing said created two-dimensional images to the other of said plurality of navigation systems,
each of said plurality of navigation systems selectively producing a plurality of two-dimensional interferograms from a plurality of pair-wise combinations of said created coherent two-dimensional images, and
each of said plurality of navigation systems further processing the plurality of two-dimensional interferograms to produce estimates of error of the position and orientation of the mobile vehicle relative to the expected system position and orientation and incorporating said errors into a navigation solution of said mobile vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of continuously creating and processing said two-dimensional coherent images, continuously producing said two-dimensional interferograms in pair-wise combinations, continuously producing error estimates and continuously incorporating said errors into successive navigation solutions for said mobile vehicle as a position of said mobile vehicle changes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein each navigation further comprises:
an inertial measuring unit positioned in fixed position relative to said two-dimensional receiver array and in communication with said digital processing unit, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of
detecting with said inertial measuring unit acceleration and rotation rate information relating to the expected position and orientation of the system and transmitting said information to the digital processing unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein said digital processing unit uses said interferograms to produce an estimate of the error in position and orientation relative to the position and orientation reported by said inertial measurement unit, and
wherein said estimates of position and orientation error are applied to the said position and orientation reported by the inertial measurement unit to precisely update the position and orientation of the two-dimensional array within the environment.