Dynamic route planning

• US 9,163,949 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saab AB
• Original Assignee: Saab AB
• Inventors: Andersson, Ingmar, Brege, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US14/349,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for determining the location of a firer, furthermore a system and method for route planning (700). The system is arranged to be mounted on a moving object. The system comprises a position module (702), a firer location estimation module (704) and a route planning module (705). The position module (702) is arranged register the present position of the moving object at request and to determine the travel path of the moving object during a predetermined time period preceding the request, wherein the present position represents a target position for firing. The firer location method and the estimation module (704) is arranged to estimate the location of a firer based on the registered position and the determined travel path and based on map data (701) comprising 3D geographical coordinates data. The route planning module (705) arranged to plan a route of the object based on the determined location of the firer.

Claims

1. Method for determining the location of a firer (800), said method comprising the steps of:

determining the position of a moving object (802) at the detection of firing against the object (801);

estimating a plurality of positions for the moving object (803) during a predetermined time period preceding the firing; and

estimating the location of a firer (804) based on a three dimensional map data and based on the determined position of the moving object at the firing and the plurality of positions of the moving object during the predetermined time period preceding the firing,

wherein the location of the firer (804) is estimated from line of sight calculations based on the assumption that the moving object has been visible to the firer substantially during the whole predetermined time period.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the each of the three steps are continuously updated during firing so as to refine the estimated location of the firer.

3. Method for re-route planning (900) for an object moving according to a route to a planned destination, said method comprising the steps of:

determining the location of a firer (901) by performing the steps of;

determining the position of a moving object (802) at the detection of firing against the object (801);

estimating a plurality of positions for the moving object (803) during a predetermined time period preceding the firing; and

estimating the location of a firer (804) based on a three dimensional map data and based on the determined position of the moving object at the firing and the plurality of positions of the moving object during the predetermined time period preceding the firing, wherein the location of the firer (804) is estimated from line of sight calculations based on the assumption that the moving object has been visible to the firer substantially during the whole predetermined time period; and

performing re-route planning (902) based on the determined location of the firer.

4. Method for re-route planning according to claim 3, wherein the step of performing the re-route planning (1000) comprises:

determining a firing area around the location of the threat based on the 3D map data (1001); and

re-planning the route based on the extension of the firing area (1002).

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the route is re-planned (1000) so as to avoid said firing area.

6. Method for re-route planning (1000) according to claim 3, wherein the step of performing the re-route planning comprises the step of calculating a route to a destination based on the three dimensional map so as to minimize exposure from any point in the map during the predetermined time period.

7. Method according to claim 3, wherein the step of performing the re-route planning (1000) comprises:

determining potential threat areas (1004) in the 3D map in which the object will be exposed to a potential threat during a predetermined time period based on line of sight calculations; and

determining a re-planned route based on said potential threat areas.

8. Method according to claim 3, wherein the step of performing the re-route planning (1000) comprises:

determining threat areas in which the object will be exposed to an identified threat (1003) during a predetermined time period; and

determining a re-planned route based on said threat areas.

9. Method according to claim 3, wherein the calculation of the re-planned route (1000) comprises:

determining safe areas (1005) in the map in which the object will be exposed during a predetermined time period from a safe location in the map; and

determining a re-planned route based on said safe areas.

10. Method according to claim 3, wherein the re-route planning (1000) is based on terrain constraints selected from the at least one of hills, rivers, forests, or other obstacles which may prevent the object from moving unhindered.

11. Method according to claim 3, wherein the re-planned route (1000) is calculated based on time constraints.

12. System for route planning (700) arranged to be mounted on a moving object, said system comprising:

a position module (702) configured to register the present position of the moving object at request and to determine the travel path of the moving object during a predetermined time period preceding the request, wherein the present position represents a target position for firing;

a firer location estimation module (704) configured to estimate the location of a firer based on the registered position and the determined travel path and based on map data (701) comprising 3D geographical coordinates data, wherein the firer location estimation module (704) is further configured to estimate the location of the firer based on line of sight calculations using the assumption that the object has been visible to the threat substantially during the whole predetermined time period; and

a route planning module (705) configured to plan a route of the object based on the determined location of the firer.

13. System according to claim 12, wherein the moving object is a ground based object.

14. System according to claim 12, wherein the moving object is a vehicle.

15. System according to claim 12, wherein the route planning module (705) is configured to:

determine a firing area reachable from the estimated firer location based on the 3D map data (701) and line of sight calculations; and

plan the route so as to avoid said firing area.

16. System according to claim 12, wherein the route planning module (705) is configured to re-plan the route based on the extent of the firing area and based on the 3D map data (701).

17. System according to claim 12, wherein the route planning module (706) is configured to calculate a route to the planned or a re-planned destination based on the 3D map data (701), wherein occasions of being visible from any point in the map within a shooting range during a second predetermined time period is minimized.

18. System according to claim 17, wherein the route planning module (706) is configured to:

determine areas in the map in which the object will be exposed to a potential threat during a predetermined time period based on line of sight calculations; and

determine a re-planned route avoiding said potential threat areas.

19. System according to claim 12, further comprising a communication module (711) configured to at least one of transmit firing area data to other objects or receive firing area data from other objects.

20. System according to claim 12, wherein the route planning module (706) is configured to:

receive firing data related to other objects from the communication module (711); and

calculate the re-planned route based on these firing areas.

21. System according to claim 12, wherein the route planning module (706) is configured to:

determine safe areas in the 3D map (701) in which the object will be exposed during a predetermined time period from a safe location in the map; and

determine a re-planned route based on said safe areas.

22. A computer program product for determining the location of a firer, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to determine the position of a moving object (802) at the detection of firing against the moving object (801);

an executable portion configured to estimate a plurality of positions for the moving object (803) during a predetermined time period preceding the firing; and

an executable portion configured to estimate the location of a firer (804) based on a three dimensional map data and based on the determined position of the moving object at the firing and the plurality of positions of the moving object during the predetermined time period preceding the firing, wherein the location of the firer (804) is estimated from line of sight calculations based on the assumption that the moving object has been visible to the firer substantially during the whole predetermined time period.

23. A computer program product for re-route planning for an object moving according to a route to a planned destination, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

at least one executable portion configured to;

determine the position of a moving object (802) at the detection of firing against the moving object (801);

estimate a plurality of positions for the moving object (803) during a predetermined time period preceding the firing; and

estimate the location of a firer (804) based on a three dimensional map data and based on the determined position of the moving object at the firing and the plurality of positions of the moving object during the predetermined time period preceding the firing, wherein the location of the firer (804) is estimated from line of sight calculations based on the assumption that the moving object has been visible to the firer substantially during the whole predetermined time period; and

an executable portion configured to perform re-route planning (902) based on the determined location of the firer.

24. A computer program product for determining the location of a firer (800), the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to determine the position of a moving object (802) at the detection of firing against the moving object (801);

an executable portion configured to estimate a plurality of positions for the moving object (803) during a predetermined time period preceding the firing;

an executable portion configured to estimate the location of a firer (804) based on a three dimensional map data and based on the determined position of the moving object at the firing and the plurality of positions of the moving object during the predetermined time period preceding the firing,

wherein;

the location of the firer (804) is estimated from line of sight calculations based on the assumption that the moving object has been visible to the firer substantially during the whole predetermined time period;

the executable portions are run on a computer.

25. A computer program product for re-route planning for an object moving according to a route to a planned destination, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

at least one executable portion configured to;

determine the position of a moving object (802) at the detection of firing against the moving object (801);

estimate a plurality of positions for the moving object (803) during a predetermined time period preceding the firing; and

estimate the location of a firer (804) based on a three dimensional map data and based on the determined position of the moving object at the firing and the plurality of positions of the moving object during the predetermined time period preceding the firing, wherein the location of the firer (804) is estimated from line of sight calculations based on the assumption that the moving object has been visible to the firer substantially during the whole predetermined time period; and

an executable portion configured to perform re-route planning (902) based on the determined location of the firer when said executable portion is run on said computer.