Adaptive multi-vehicle area coverage optimization system and method
First Claim
1. A method for optimizing a mission involving the search of a predefined geographic area by at least one vehicle, to minimize the time needed to search the predefined geographic area while ensuring that an entirety of said predefined geographic area is fully searched, said method comprising:
- considering a sensing footprint of said vehicle produced by a sensor carried by said vehicle;
considering a visibility within said predefined geographic region, the visibility being controlled at least in part by weather related factors within the predefined geographic region;
from said sensing footprint and said visibility, generating a point set that defines a plurality of subregions within said predefined geographic region that said vehicle must traverse to fully search said predefined geographic region; and
using said points to determine an optimum path of travel within each said subregion for said vehicle, taking into account weather related factors that affect a sensing ability of said vehicle within each said subregion, that enables said vehicle to fully search all of said subregions in a minimum amount of time.
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Abstract
A system and method for dividing a predefined search region into a map of a plurality of subregions to be searched by a plurality of mobile platforms, taking into account the capabilities of the mobile platforms and varying environmental conditions within the subregions, while minimizing the time needed to search each of the subregions. The system and method updates the map of the subregions as needed, in real time, to account for changing environmental conditions and changes in the capabilities of the mobile platforms being used. The subregions may also be determined using a desired level of probability for detecting targets within the subregions in a desired number of passes through the subregion. The system optimizes coverage time while insuring a desired probability of coverage (i.e., observability) for heterogeneous mobile platforms.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for optimizing a mission involving the search of a predefined geographic area by at least one vehicle, to minimize the time needed to search the predefined geographic area while ensuring that an entirety of said predefined geographic area is fully searched, said method comprising:
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considering a sensing footprint of said vehicle produced by a sensor carried by said vehicle; considering a visibility within said predefined geographic region, the visibility being controlled at least in part by weather related factors within the predefined geographic region; from said sensing footprint and said visibility, generating a point set that defines a plurality of subregions within said predefined geographic region that said vehicle must traverse to fully search said predefined geographic region; and using said points to determine an optimum path of travel within each said subregion for said vehicle, taking into account weather related factors that affect a sensing ability of said vehicle within each said subregion, that enables said vehicle to fully search all of said subregions in a minimum amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for optimizing a mission involving the search of a predefined geographic area by a plurality of vehicles, to minimize the time needed to search the predefined geographic area while ensuring that an entirety of said predefined geographic area is fully searched, said method comprising:
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considering a sensing footprint of each said vehicle provided by a sensor being carried by each said vehicle; considering a visibility within said predefined geographic region, with the visibility being affected at least in part by weather conditions within the predefined geographic region; from said sensing footprint and said visibility, generating a minimum point set that defines a minimum plurality of subregions within said predefined geographic region that said vehicles must traverse to fully search said predefined geographic region; and for each said vehicle assigned to search a given said subregion, determining an optimum path of travel through each said subregion for said vehicle that enables each said vehicle to fully search its associated said subregion in a minimum amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for optimizing a mission involving the search of a predefined geographic area by at least one vehicle, to minimize the time needed to search the predefined geographic area while ensuring that an entirety of said predefined geographic area is fully searched, said method comprising:
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considering a sensing footprint of said vehicle produced by a sensor carried by said vehicle; considering a visibility within said predefined geographic region, the visibility being controlled at least in part by environmental related factors within the predefined geographic region; from said sensing footprint and said visibility, generating a point set that defines a plurality of subregions within said predefined geographic region that said vehicle must traverse to fully search said predefined geographic region; and using said points to determine an optimum path of travel within each said subregion for said vehicle, taking into account the environmental related factors that affect a sensing ability of said vehicle within each said subregion, that enables said vehicle to fully search all of said subregions in a minimum amount of time.
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Specification