METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LOCATING AND NAVIGATING A TARGET

• US 20090138151A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hailo Technologies, LLC (2S Ventures, LLC)
• Original Assignee: JADI, Inc.
• Inventors: Smid, Edzko, Stiglich, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

Techniques and methodologies are disclosed for minimizing inaccuracies in distance measurements and location determinations for autonomous vehicles or targets ranging to subsets of beacons. Such techniques and methodologies can be used to better control (e.g., navigate) an autonomous vehicle in an area and/or along a pathway, or trajectory.

Claims

1. A method for traversing at least a portion of a trajectory:

i) acquiring one or more waypoints of the trajectory;

ii) providing a plurality of beacons so that a target traversing the at least a portion of the trajectory can range to a plurality of the plurality of beacons;

iii) associating one or more beacons in one or more subsets with one or more waypoints;

iv) ranging by the target to one or more beacons in one or more subsets associated with one or more waypoints, wherein the one or more subsets ranged to is the one or more subsets associated with one or more waypoints the target is in close proximity to compared to the other waypoints; and

v) traversing at least a portion of the trajectory by the target by using range data from one or more beacons in one or more subsets associated with one or more waypoints.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining or acquiring confidence indicators for range measurements derived from one or more beacons for one or more waypoints.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising communicating confidence indicators.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the confidence indicators are at least in part determined using a Euclidean norm calculation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the confidence indicators are at least in part determined using signal strengths of the signals used to determine the range measurements.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the confidence indicators for later use or modification.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein associating one or more beacons in one or more subsets with one or more waypoints comprises associating based upon confidence indicators, wherein one or more beacons comprising a subset for a waypoint have larger confidence indicators than other beacons when ranging with the target at the waypoint.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising prioritizing beacons by confidence indicators, wherein beacons with larger confidence indicators are prioritized over beacons with smaller confidence indicators.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating weighted values for one or more beacons by comparing confidence indicators of one or more beacons with other beacons for one or more waypoints.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the weighted values to determine the influence that the range measurements have in determining the position of the target.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating voting values for one or more beacons corresponding to confidence indicators of range measurements derived from one or more beacons for one or more waypoints.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising using the voting values for one or more beacons for one or more waypoints to determine which beacons comprise one or more subsets associated with one or more waypoints.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating offset values for one or more beacons based upon error values of range measurements derived from one or more beacons for one or more waypoints.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the offset values for one or more beacons to adjust range measurements for one or more beacons for one or more waypoints.

15. A method for traversing at least a portion of an area comprising:

i) mapping the area into a plurality of cells;

ii) providing a plurality of beacons throughout the area;

iii) associating one or more beacons in one or more subsets with one or more cells;

iv) ranging by a target to one or more beacons in one or more subsets associated with one or more cells, wherein the one or more subsets ranged to is the one or more subsets associated with one or mores cells the target is located within or in close proximity to compared to other cells; and

v) traversing at least a portion of the area by the target by using range data from the one or more beacons in one or more subsets associated with one or more cells.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining or acquiring confidence indicators for range measurements derived from one or more beacons for one or more cells.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating confidence indicators.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the confidence indicators are at least in part determined using a Euclidean norm calculation.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the confidence indicators are at least in part determined using signal strengths of the signals used to determine the range measurements.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the confidence indicators for later use or modification.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein associating one or more beacons in one or more subsets with one or more of cells comprises associating based upon confidence indicators, wherein one or more beacons comprising a subset for a cell have larger confidence indicators than other beacons when ranging with the target located within the cell.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising prioritizing beacons by confidence indicators, wherein beacons with larger confidence indicators are prioritized over beacons with smaller confidence indicators.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising calculating weighted values for one or more beacons by comparing confidence indicators of one or more beacons with other beacons for one or more cells.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising using the weighted values to determine the influence that the range measurements have in determining the position of the target.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising calculating voting values for one or more beacons corresponding to confidence indicators of range measurements derived from one or more beacons for one or more cells.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising using the voting values for one or more beacons for one or more cells to determine which beacons comprise one or more subsets associated with one or more cells.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising calculating offset values for one or more beacons based upon error values of range measurements derived from one or more beacons for one or more cells.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising using the offset values for one or more beacons to adjust the range measurements for the one or more beacons for one or more cells.

29. A locating system, comprising:

i) a plurality of beacons;

ii) a target equipped to communicate with the plurality of beacons; and

iii) subsets of beacons selected from the plurality of beacons, wherein the plurality of beacons includes the subsets of beacons and remainder beacons, the remainder beacons being separate from the subset of beacons;

wherein the target is located by data communicated between the target and one or more of the subsets of beacons without using data for guidance from the remainder beacons.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the subsets of beacons are selected based upon an algorithm.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the subsets of beacons includes a current subset of beacons, which is a set of beacons that is being used for determination of location of the target at a particular time or location during which the target is traveling.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising a trajectory, wherein the trajectory comprises a plurality of waypoints.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein one or more of the waypoints comprising the trajectory are associated with beacon identifiers identifying a desired subset of beacons of the plurality of beacons that experience a relatively larger confidence indicator compared to other beacons not in the desired subset of beacons.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the current subset of beacons is the same as the desired subset of beacons for a selected waypoint.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the current subset of beacons is a selection or mixture of beacons selected from the desired subset of beacons for a first waypoint and the desired subset of beacons for a second waypoint when the target is traveling between the first waypoint and the second waypoint.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the target takes and records confidence indicator values for each waypoint or other locations during travel along the trajectory and records the confidence indicator measurement and uses or transmits the confidence indicator measurement the next time the target or another target travels the trajectory.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the target'"'"'s location is determined using signals traveling between the target and the desired subset of beacons wherein the beacons comprising the desired subset of beacons have larger confidence indicators at a particular location or waypoint than other beacons of the plurality of beacons.

38. The system of claim 31, further comprising one or more sectional maps forming cells wherein the one or more sectional maps include confidence indicators that correlate locations on the one or more sectional maps with the confidence indicators when the autonomous vehicle is at those locations on the one or more sectional maps.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the current subset of beacons compromises beacons with relatively larger confidence indicators at a particular location or waypoint than other beacons of the plurality of beacons.