METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND COMMUNICATING WITH A SWARM OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES USING ONE-TOUCH OR ONE-CLICK GESTURES FROM A MOBILE PLATFORM

• US 20130289858A1
• Filed: 04/25/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: C & P Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: C & P Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Pillai, Unnikrishna Sreedharan, Mangiat, Alain Anthony, Kupferstein, Jonathan Sheldon
• Application Number:
  US13/455,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00

Abstract

A method for controlling a swarm of autonomous vehicles to perform a multitude of tasks using either a one touch or a single gesture/action command. These commands may include sending the swarm on an escort mission, protecting a convoy, distributed surveillance, search and rescue, returning to a base, or general travel to a point as a swarm. A gesture to initiate a command may include a simple touch of a button, drawing a shape on the screen, a voice command, shaking the unit, or pressing a physical button on or attached to the mobile platform.

Claims

1. A method comprising

providing a user input to a handheld computer device;

using a computer processor to respond to the user input to control a plurality of vehicles, wherein the control of each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is related to the control of the other vehicles of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein

the user input includes touching a screen of the handheld computer device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein

the user input is one touch of a screen of the handheld computer device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein

the user input is a sound provided through a sound input device of the handheld computer device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

the user input includes a shape drawn on a screen of the handheld computer device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the user input includes shaking of the handheld computer device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each of the plurality of vehicles stays within a geographic region.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein

each of the plurality of vehicles has a current location, so that there are a plurality of current locations, one for each of the plurality of vehicles;

wherein the geographic region is determined, at least in part by, a geographic center which is based on the plurality of current locations.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles stays a first distance away from every other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles stays within a first distance of every other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles stays a second distance away from every other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein

the first distance is a diameter of a sphere that is centered around a centroid of a combination of all of the plurality of the vehicles.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising

determining a location of each of the plurality of vehicles by the use of a global positioning system, so that a plurality of locations are determined, one corresponding to each of the plurality of vehicles;

and controlling each of the plurality of vehicles based on one or more of the plurality of locations.

14. A handheld computer device comprising:

a computer processor;

a computer memory; and

a computer interactive device for receiving a user input;

and wherein the computer processor is programmed by computer software stored in the computer memory to respond to the user input to control a plurality of vehicles, wherein the control of each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is related to the control of the other vehicles of the plurality of vehicles.

15. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the user input includes touching a screen of the handheld computer device.

16. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the user input is one touch of a screen of the handheld computer device.

17. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the user input is a sound provided through a sound input device of the handheld computer device.

18. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the user input includes a shape drawn on a screen of the handheld computer device.

19. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the user input includes shaking of the handheld computer device.

20. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each of the plurality of vehicles stays within a geographic region.

21. The handheld computer device of claim 20 wherein

each of the plurality of vehicles has a current location, so that there are a plurality of current locations, one for each of the plurality of vehicles;

wherein the geographic region is determined, at least in part by, a geographic center which is based on the plurality of current locations.

22. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles stays a first distance away from every other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

23. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles stays within a first distance of every other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

24. The handheld computer device of claim 23 wherein

the plurality of vehicles are controlled so that each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles stays a second distance away from every other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

25. The handheld computer device of claim 24 wherein

the first distance is a diameter of a sphere that is centered around a centroid of a combination of all of the plurality of the vehicles.

26. The handheld computer device of claim 14 wherein

the computer processor is programmed to determine a location of each of the plurality of vehicles by the use of a global positioning system, so that a plurality of locations are determined, one corresponding to each of the plurality of vehicles;

and the computer processor is programmed to control each of the plurality of vehicles based on one or more of the plurality of locations.