Method and system for guiding a vehicle

• US 6,892,134 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cae Healthcare Canada Inc. (CAE Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Haptica Limited
• Inventors: Lacey, Gerard, MacNamara, Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/661,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-213, 701/300, 701/301, 34235701-35713, 3409951-99518, 340/996
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/04 Wheeled walking aids for disabled persons A61H3/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/00 Steering; Slowing-down otherwise than by use of propulsive elements using movably-installed outboard propulsion units B63H20/00; Dynamic anchoring, i.e. positioning vessels by means of main or auxiliary propulsive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• 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 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

Movement of a vehicle such as a boat (30) is guided by dynamically monitoring parameters and generating instructions for the operator. The instructions are at a level to attain a number of sub-goals to reach a goal position (33) from a current position (32). Each sub-goal is attained in a single vehicle manoeuvre such as straight-ahead or rotation, each manoeuvre being instructable to the operator. The instructions are generated using a space model (12) of the space around the vehicle, an operator model (11) of operator vehicle control characteristics, and a vehicle model (12) of vehicle movement characteristics.

Claims

1. A vehicle guidance system (1) comprising means for detecting position of a vehicle (30) and a processor (2) for generating operator instructions to assist the operator to manoeuvre the vehicle, characterised in that

the system comprises range sensors (3-7) and means for using outputs of the sensors to dynamically maintain a space map (12) in real time;

the system comprises an operator model of operator capabilities; and

the processor (2) comprises means for planning a path to a goal position (33) in a confined space using data from the operator model (11) of operator capabilities and data from the space map (12).

2. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises means for maintaining the space map (12) as a set of polygons each defining a spatial area.

3. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said space map (12) maintaining means comprises means for processing three-dimensional space data from the sensors and for breaking said data to two-dimensional space data in a polygon framework.

4. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said space map maintaining means comprises means for maintaining a flag for each polygon, said flag indicating if the polygon is occupied by an object.

5. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operator model (11) comprises time parameter values for the operator to perceive information, for the operator to cognitively process information, and for neuromuscular delay for implementing an action.

6. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the operator model (11) comprises a parameter value for spatial error for performing an action.

7. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor comprises means for storing a vehicle model (10) of movement characteristics of the vehicle (30).

8. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor (2) comprises path planning means for planning (24) a plurality of sub-goals forming a path to the goal position (33).

9. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the path planning means comprises means for determining a sub-goal only if it can be achieved with a single manoeuvre of the vehicle (30) and if it is instructable to the operator.

10. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the path planning means comprises means for determining (47) a set of candidate trajectories for reaching the goal position (33) with collision avoidance, and for performing backchaining to break each candidate trajectory into a plurality of sub-goals starting from the goal position (33) and extending back to the current position (32).

11. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the set of candidate trajectories is determined by generating (47) a first set of candidate trajectories compatible with the space and the vehicle models (10, 12), and for subsequently reducing (48) the first set to those compatible with the operator model (11).

12. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the path planning means comprises means for dynamically repeating path planning (24) in real time at each of a plurality of vehicle positions.

13. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle model (10) is for a boat, and the sensors comprise a sonar device (3), a laser range finder (4), a vision system (5), a radar system (6), and a GPS circuit (7).

14. A vehicle comprising a guidance system as claimed in claim 1.

15. A method of guiding a vehicle from a current position (32) to a goal position (33) in a confined space, the method comprising the steps of:

range sensors (3-7) automatically sensing objects around the vehicle (30),

a processor using outputs of the range sensors to dynamically maintain a space map (12) in real time,

the processor planning a path to the goal position (33) using data from the space map (12) and from an operator model of operator capabilities,

an output interface (16-19) outputting instructions to the operator for movement of the vehicle according to the planned path, and

the operator moving the vehicle according to the instructions.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor generates instructions for the operator for movement of the vehicle in a single manoeuvre at a time.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor performs backchaining to break down a path into a plurality of sub-goals, and generates an operator instruction to achieve each sub-goal in turn.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor repeats path planning at each position on the basis of the current position.

19. A method as claimed in any of claim 15, wherein the processor generates the operator instructions also using data from a vehicle model of vehicle movement characteristics.