Systems and methods for continuous replanning of vehicle trajectories

• US 9,417,070 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Original Assignee: NextGen AeroSciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Herriot, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US13/999,899
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A method and system for continuously re-planning a vehicle'"'"'s path, in the face of stationary and moving obstacles, dynamically calculates a new path in real time which is both efficient and maintains minimum safety clearances relative to obstacles. Repulsion signals emanating from obstacles and propagating through delineated sections of a grid representing a geographic space are summed along with values representing the relative distance of the sections from the vehicle origin and vehicle destination. The grid sections having optimal values according to a predetermined criteria represent an efficient and safe travel path between the vehicle origin and destination.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a path of a vehicle through a selected area comprising:

A) providing a computer system receiving data from at least one of a database and an object detection system describing a position of the vehicle relative to the selected area;

B) modeling as a color-coded heat map, within a memory of the computer system, the selected area as a plurality of sub-areas, selected of the sub-areas having a flight object associated therewith;

C) associating with each of the plurality of sub-areas one or more parameters, at least one of the parameters representing a summation value;

D) modifying the summation value associated with selected of the plurality of sub-areas in relation to a proximity of a sub-area another of the plurality of sub-areas having a flight object associated therewith;

E) determining one or more sub-areas having a summation value satisfying a predetermined rule; and

F) identifying adjacent of the sub-areas satisfying the predetermined rule as representing the path of the vehicle through the area

wherein each of the sub-areas has associated therewith a color indicating if the summation value associated with the sub-area satisfies the predetermined rule and, displaying on a navigation display, the identified path of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein E) comprises:

E1) determining one or more sub-areas having a summation value magnitude within a predetermined range.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein E) comprises:

E1) determining multiple sub-areas having identical summation value magnitudes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein E) comprises:

E1) determining one or more sub-areas having one of a greatest or least summation value magnitude from among the plurality of sub-areas within the area.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

G) calculating a path of a vehicle from the identified adjacent subareas satisfying the predetermined rule.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the flight objects represent one of a stationary and a moving obstacles.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the flight objects represent one of an origin and destination of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the area is modeled within the computer memory as a grid representing the area.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of sub-areas are modeled within the computer memory as grid tiles within the grid representing the area.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

G) repeating D) through F) upon any of a predetermined frequency, appearance of new flight objects, or changes in a direction, heading, or altitude of a vehicle.

12. A system for identifying a path of a vehicle through a selected area, the system comprising a computer system receiving data from at least one of a database and an object detection system describing a position of the vehicle relative to the selected area, the computer system comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for storing data to be processed by the processor, the system further comprising:

A) program logic configured for modeling, as a color-coded heat map, within the memory of the computer system, a selected area as a plurality of sub-areas, selected of the sub-areas having a flight object associated therewith;

B) program logic configured for associating with each of the plurality of sub-areas one or more parameters, at least one of the parameters representing a summation value;

C) program logic configured for modifying the summation value associated with each of the plurality of sub-areas in relation to a proximity of sub-area having a flight object associated therewith;

D) program logic configured for determining one or more sub-areas having a summation value satisfying a predetermined rule; and

E) program logic configured for identifying adjacent of the sub-areas satisfying the predetermined rule as representing the path of the vehicle through the area

wherein each of the sub-areas has associated therewith a color indicating if the summation value associated with the sub-area satisfies the predetermined rule and, displaying on a navigation display, the identified path of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein D) comprises:

D1) program logic configured for determining one or more sub-areas having a summation value magnitude within a predetermined range.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein D) comprises:

D1) program logic configured for determining multiple sub-areas having identical summation value magnitudes.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein D) comprises:

D1) program logic configured for determining one or more sub-areas having one of a greatest or least summation value magnitude from among a plurality of sub-areas within the area.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

F) program logic configured for calculating a path of a vehicle from the identified subareas satisfying the predetermined rule.

17. A method for identifying a path of a vehicle through a selected area comprising:

A) providing a computer system receiving data from at least one of a database and an object detection system describing a position of the vehicle relative to the selected area;

B) modeling, as a color-coded heat map, within a memory of the computer system, an area having at least one flight object contained within the area;

C) defining a sub-area of the area and a summation parameter associated with the sub-area;

D) modifying a value for the summation parameter in accordance with a relative distance of the sub-area to each of the flight objects contained within the area; and

E) determining if the value of the summation parameter of the sub-area satisfies a predetermined rule,

wherein each of the sub-areas has associated therewith a color indicating if the summation value associated with the sub-area satisfies the predetermined rule and, displaying on a navigation display, the identified path of the vehicle.