System and Method for Autonomous Vehicle Control

• US 20100168949A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ReconRobotics Inc.
• Original Assignee: ReconRobotics Inc.
• Inventors: Her, Lue, Thompson, Ryan J., Giang, Anthony H., Malecki, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches

Abstract

A system for localizing an autonomous vehicle to a target area can include a position indicator adapted for association with the vehicle in a three dimensional configuration, a detection device configured to detect the position indicator, a computation device configured to compute a position of the vehicle based on the detected position indicator and the relationship of the configuration to the vehicle orientation, a transmitter configured to receive information from the computation device and produce a signal carrying the information, a receiver configured to receive the signal from the transmitter and filter the information therefrom, and a control system configured for association with and control of one or more directional control components of the vehicle, the control being based on the information received from the receiver relating to localizing the vehicle to the target area. A method of for localizing a vehicle to a target area is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for localizing an autonomous vehicle to a target area, comprising:

a position indicator adapted for association with the vehicle in a three dimensional configuration, the configuration having a relationship to the vehicle orientation;

a detection device adapted for association with the target area and configured to detect the position indicator;

a computation device in communication with the detection device and configured to compute a position of the vehicle based on the detected position indicator and the relationship of the position indicator configuration to the vehicle orientation;

a transmitter in communication with the computation device and configured to receive information from the computation device and produce a signal carrying the information;

a receiver adapted for positioning on the vehicle and configured to receive the signal from the transmitter and filter the information therefrom; and

a control system in communication with the receiver, the control system being configured for association with and control of one or more directional control components of the vehicle, the control being based on the information received from the receiver relating to localizing the vehicle to the target area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the position indicator includes a plurality of point sources, wherein at least one is positioned on each of two wingtips of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and at least one is positioned on an underside or a top side of a vertical stabilizer of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the position indicator comprise a plurality of point sources adapted for arrangement on the vehicle in the three dimensional configuration.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the point sources include sources of electromagnetic radiation.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sources of electromagnetic radiation comprise LED'"'"'s.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the sources of electromagnetic radiation are defined by a paint scheme on the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the detection device is adapted for capture of electromagnetic radiation from the point sources on a two dimensional plane.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection device is a camera configured to detect visible light.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computation device is a personal computer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computation device includes an image capture module configured to control the detection of the detection device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computation device includes a position calculating module configured to convert a two dimensional representation of the position indicator to a three dimensional position and orientation of the vehicle.

13. A method for localizing an autonomous vehicle to a target area, comprising:

capturing a two dimensional representation of a position indicator positioned on the vehicle;

computing a position and orientation of the vehicle based on the two dimensional representation and further based on a known configuration of the position indicator and a known relationship between the configuration and vehicle orientation;

transmitting information to a control system associated with one or more directional control components of the vehicle; and

manipulating the one or more directional control components using the control system, based on the transmitted information, to localize the vehicle to the target area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein capturing comprises receiving electromagnetic radiation projected on a two dimensional plane.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising filtering background noise out of the two dimensional representation.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising analyzing the two dimensional representation to determine the two dimensional orientation of the position indicator.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein computing comprises solving linear equations.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the linear equations are bounded by one or more assumptions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the linear equations comprise a Taylor series expansion.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein manipulating the one or more directional control components comprises manipulating one or more of the ailerons, rudder, elevator, or powerplant of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein manipulating the one or more directional control components causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to localize toward the target area.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the target area is a landing area and the detection device is located near the target area thereby causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform an approach for landing.