Beacon navigation system and method for guiding a vehicle
AssigneeDenning Mobile Robotics, Inc.
InventorsMark B. Kadonoff, James F. Maddox, Robert W. George, II, Faycal E. Benayad-Cherif
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Abstract
A beacon navigation system for a vehicle including a plurality of navigation beacons distributed about a premises through which the vehicle is to navigate, and a detector assembly for sensing a beacon and for resolving the azimuthal angle between the beacon and the vehicle. The system further includes an element for defining an optimum azimuthal angle between that beacon and the vehicle, and a device for determining the difference between the resolved angle and the optimum angle to represent the deviation of the vehicle from a designated path. A method of establishing navigational paths among navigation nodes proximate beacons is also disclosed.
Claims19
A beacon navigation system for a vehicle, comprsiing:
- a plurality of navigation beacons distributed about a premises through which the vehicle is to navigate;
- detector means for sensing a beacon and for determining an observed azimuthal angle between the beacon and the vehicle;
- means for defining an expected azimuthal angle between that beacon and the vehicle;
- and
- means responsive to said detector means and said means for defining for determining the difference between said observed angle and said expected angle to represent the deviation of the vehicle from a designated path.
A beacon navigation system for a vehicle utilizing one or more navigation becons distributed about a premises through which the vehicle is to navigate, comprising:
- detector means for sensing a beacon and for determining the observed azimuthal angle between the beacon and the vehicle;
- means for defining an expected azimuthal angle between that beacon and the vehicle;
- and
- means responsive to said detector means and said means for defining for determining the difference between said observed angle and said expected angle to represent the deviation of the vehicle from a designated path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.