SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLLABORATIVE NAVIGATION

• US 20100274481A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hartman, Randolph G., Krishnaswamy, Kailash, Soehren, Wayne A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,068,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1652 with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

A system and method for collaborative navigation is provided. The system comprises a first mobile unit, at least one inertial measurement unit on the first mobile unit, and at least one environment sensor on the first mobile unit. A navigator module in the first mobile unit is configured to receive inertial data from the inertial measurement unit. An object characterization module is configured to receive sensor data from the environment sensor and a navigation solution from the navigator module. A common object geo-locator module is configured to receive a first set of descriptors from the object characterization module and a second set of descriptors from another mobile unit. A data association module is configured to receive common descriptors from the common object geo-locator module. The first mobile unit is configured to operatively communicate with one or more additional mobile units that are configured for collaborative navigation with the first mobile unit.

Claims

1. A system for collaborative navigation, the system comprising:

a first mobile unit;

at least one inertial measurement unit on the first mobile unit;

at least one environment sensor on the first mobile unit;

a navigator module configured to receive inertial data from the inertial measurement unit;

an object characterization module configured to receive sensor data from the environment sensor and a navigation solution from the navigator module;

a common object geo-locator module configured to receive a first set of descriptors from the object characterization module and a second set of descriptors from another mobile unit; and

a data association module configured to receive common descriptors from the common object geo-locator module;

wherein the first mobile unit is configured to operatively communicate with one or more additional mobile units that are configured for collaborative navigation with the first mobile unit.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first filter configured to receive associated features or navigation correction data from the data association module, and to output a reset signal to the navigator module.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a map administrator configured to receive filter update features from the first filter, and to output local map data to the data association module.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver on the mobile unit.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a second filter in operative communication with the first filter, and configured to receive positioning data from the GPS receiver.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the environment sensors comprise one or more vision sensors, laser detection and ranging sensors, radio ranging sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, or various combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the object characterization module is operative to determine a most-likely object identification, perform object feature extraction, and determine object localization based on the navigation solution.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second set of descriptors comprises object data, object features, object location, and object uncertainty.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the common object geo-locator module is operative to perform common object extraction from the first and second set of descriptors, perform correlation between objects to determine common objects, and determine a best estimate of the common object location and uncertainty.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the map data comprises at least location and uncertainty of objects.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data association module is configured to perform correlation of the common descriptors and map data using common features, and determine:

(a) an estimate of correction in rotation and translation;

or

(b) associated objects.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second mobile unit;

at least one inertial measurement unit on the second mobile unit;

at least one environment sensor on the second mobile unit;

a navigator module in the second mobile unit configured to receive inertial data from the inertial measurement unit on the second mobile unit;

an object characterization module in the second mobile unit configured to receive sensor data from the environment sensor on the second mobile unit and a navigation solution from the navigator module in the second mobile unit;

a common object geo-locator module in the second mobile unit configured to receive the first set of descriptors from the object characterization module in the first mobile unit and a second set of descriptors from the object characterization module of the second mobile unit; and

a data association module in the second mobile unit configured to receive common descriptors from the common object geo-locator module of the second mobile unit.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a map administrator on the second mobile unit in operative communication with the map administrator on the first mobile unit so as to update the common part of the map that is shared between mobile units.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the common object geo-locator module on the first mobile unit is configured to receive the second set of descriptors from the object characterization module on the second mobile unit.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a GPS receiver on the second mobile unit.

16. A method of collaborative navigation using the system of claim 12, the method comprising:

inputting sensor data related to a target into the object characterization module in each mobile unit from the inertial measurement unit and the environment sensor of the respective mobile unit;

inputting descriptor information related to the target from the object characterization module in each mobile unit into the common object geo-locator modules of each mobile unit;

exchanging geo-reference information related to the target between the mobile units; and

determining a best estimate of the geo-reference of the target.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second mobile units are configured to operatively communicate with one or more additional mobile units that are configured for collaborative navigation with the first and second mobile units.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second mobile units further comprise a GPS receiver that outputs positioning data.

19. A method of collaborative navigation, the method comprising:

deploying at least a first mobile unit and a second mobile unit in a location of a target, the first and second mobile units each comprising at least one inertial measurement unit and at least one environment sensor;

inputting sensor data related to the target into an object characterization module in each of the mobile units from the inertial measurement unit and the environment sensor in each of the mobile units;

inputting descriptor information related to the target from the object characterization module in each of the mobile units into a common object geo-locator module in each of the mobile units;

exchanging geo-reference information related to the target between the first and second mobile units; and

determining a best estimate of the geo-reference of the target.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and second mobile units is in operative communication with one or more GPS satellites.