Point-to-point path planning
First Claim
1. A method for determining a path for a vehicle, the method comprising:
- defining a starting point for the vehicle;
defining a termination point for the vehicle;
detecting two or more obstacles in a work area between the starting point and the termination point;
defining an obstacle clearance zone about each corresponding obstacle;
identifying candidate paths between the starting point and the termination point, each candidate path only intersecting each obstacle clearance zone a maximum number of times for each corresponding obstacle;
estimating an economic cost for traversing each candidate path or a portion thereof between the starting point and the termination point; and
selecting a preferential path from the identified candidate paths based on the preferential path being associated with a lowest estimated economic cost.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A path planner and a method for determining a path for a vehicle comprises defining a starting point for the vehicle. A termination point is defined. An obstacle detector detects one or more obstacles in a work area between the starting point and the termination point. A boundary zone is defined about each corresponding obstacle. Candidate paths are identified between the starting point and the termination point. Each candidate path only intersects each boundary zone once for each corresponding obstacle. An economic cost is estimated for traversing each candidate path or a portion thereof between the starting point and the termination point. A preferential path is selected from the identified candidate paths based on the preferential path being associated with a lowest estimated economic cost.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method for determining a path for a vehicle, the method comprising:
-
defining a starting point for the vehicle; defining a termination point for the vehicle; detecting two or more obstacles in a work area between the starting point and the termination point; defining an obstacle clearance zone about each corresponding obstacle; identifying candidate paths between the starting point and the termination point, each candidate path only intersecting each obstacle clearance zone a maximum number of times for each corresponding obstacle; estimating an economic cost for traversing each candidate path or a portion thereof between the starting point and the termination point; and selecting a preferential path from the identified candidate paths based on the preferential path being associated with a lowest estimated economic cost. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A path planner for determining a path for a vehicle, the path planner comprising:
-
a location determining receiver for defining a starting point for the vehicle; a definer for defining a termination point for the vehicle; an obstacle detector for detecting two or more obstacles in a work area between the starting point and the termination point; an obstacle modeler for defining an obstacle clearance zone about each corresponding obstacle; an analyzer for identifying candidate paths between the starting point and the termination point, each candidate path only intersecting each obstacle clearance zone once for each corresponding obstacle; an estimator for estimating an economic cost for traversing each candidate path or a portion thereof between the starting point and the termination point; and a search engine for selecting a preferential path from the identified candidate paths based on the preferential path being associated with a lowest estimated economic cost. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification