Spatial avoidance method and apparatus
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsBrian C. Baker, Scott J. Paynter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An obstacle avoidance system, apparatus, and method is described suitable for use on autonomously guided or man-in-the-loop guided vehicles such as aircraft, missiles, cars, and other types of vehicles. The system provides guidance instructions in the situation where the vehicle encounters an obstacle either directly or indirectly in its path while traveling to a desired destination or where vehicles are traveling in formation. The system can be applied not only to obstacle avoidance but also to trajectory shaping by defining obstacles, operational boundaries and/or threats which influence the trajectory of the vehicle.
Claims65
A method of maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle, comprising the steps of:
- defining a geometric boundary with respect to the obstacle;
- establishing a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- establishing a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on said geometric boundary and a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said boundary;
- and
- determining a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
A method of maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle and a distance-based field element, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- establishing a geometric boundary with respect to each of said at least one obstacle;
- determining a distance between said vehicle and each of said at least one obstacle;
- determining, for each of said at least one obstacle, whether said vehicle is inside of said geometric boundary or outside of said geometric boundary;
- based on said step of determining, for each of said at least one obstacle, whether said vehicle is inside of said geometric boundary or outside of said geometric boundary, establishing:
- in the case where said vehicle is outside of said geometric boundary, said nominal guidance direction for said vehicle is a direction substantially towards the destination, and
- in the case where said vehicle is inside of said geometric boundary, said nominal guidance direction for said vehicle is an anti-intercept direction between said vehicle and said at least one obstacle;
- and
- determining a vehicle steering direction based on an applicable one of said nominal guidance direction, said distance, and the distance-based field element.
An apparatus for maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle, comprising:
- a controller having a memory;
- a means for inputting a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle into said memory;
- a computer for computing a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on a geometric boundary with respect to said at least one obstacle, and for computing a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
A method for maneuvering a first vehicle in the presence of a second vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a geometric boundary with respect to the second vehicle;
- establishing a nominal guidance direction for each of said first and said second vehicles;
- establishing a nominal obstacle avoidance direction for said first vehicle with respect to said second vehicle;
- determining a steering direction for said first vehicle in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction of said first vehicle;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
A method for maneuvering a first vehicle in relation to a second vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a first repulsive boundary around said second vehicle;
- establishing a first attractive boundary around said first repulsive boundary, said first repulsive boundary and said first attractive boundary defining an interactive region therebetween;
- computing a steering direction for said first vehicle such that
- when said first vehicle is outside said first attractive boundary, said first vehicle is directed toward said second vehicle,
- when said first vehicle is within said first repulsive boundary, said first vehicle is directed away from said second vehicle, and
- when said first vehicle is within said interactive region, said first vehicle is directed either toward or away from said second vehicle based on a weighted function.
A guidance processor for maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle, said obstacle having a geometric boundary defined with respect thereto, comprising:
- a device for determining a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- a device for determining a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on said geometric boundary and a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said geometric boundary;
- and;
- a device for determining a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
A memory device for use with a guidance processor for maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle, said memory device comprising encoded instructions executable by the guidance processor for:
- establishing a geometric boundary with respect to each of the at least one obstacle;
- establishing a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- establishing a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on said geometric boundary and a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said geometric boundary;
- and
- determining a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
Computer executable software for use with a guidance processor for maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle, said obstacle having a geometric boundary defined with respect thereto, comprising:
- means for determining a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- means for determining a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on said geometric boundary and a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said geometric boundary;
- and
- means for determining a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
An autopilot controller for maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one obstacle, said obstacle having a geometric boundary defined with respect thereto, comprising:
- a device for determining a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- a device for determining a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on said geometric boundary and a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said geometric boundary;
- and
- a device for determining a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
A method of maneuvering a vehicle towards a destination in the presence of at least one operational boundary, comprising the steps of:
- defining a geometric boundary with respect to the operational boundary;
- establishing a nominal guidance direction for said vehicle;
- establishing a nominal obstacle avoidance direction based on said geometric boundary and a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said boundary;
- and;
- determining a vehicle steering direction in accordance with a function of the form:
- DSTEERING=F1*DGUIDANCE+F2*DAVOIDANCE;
- where:
- DGUIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal guidance direction;
- DAVOIDANCE is a vector with a direction in said nominal obstacle avoidance direction;
- DSTEERING is said vehicle steering direction;
- F1 is a first continuous function;
- and
- F2 is a second continuous function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.