Efficient navigation of autonomous carriers
First Claim
1. A method of navigating an autonomous carrier for the purpose of executing a selected procedure at more than one location on a field of operation, the autonomous carrier being equipped to execute that procedure, comprising the steps of providing an indication of the locations at which it is desired to execute the procedure, determining which of the locations can be preferentially accessed by the carrier from its existing position based on a defined criterion, directing the carrier from its existing position to that location, or, if more than one location can be equally preferentially accessed, to a predetermined one of those locations, executing the selected procedure at the directed location, providing an indication of the remaining locations at which the procedure is to be executed, performing the determining, directing and executing steps based on these remaining locations and the position of the carrier and, thereafter, continuing to perform, seriatim, these same steps until the selected procedure has been executed at all desired locations,wherein the step of providing an indication of the locations at which it is desired to execute the procedure is accomplished by subdividing the field of operation into a two-dimensional grid of equal-sided cells and distinguishing those cells on the basis of cells in which the procedure is to be executed, cells in which the procedure is not to be executed, and cells which contain an obstacle, and, following the execution of the procedure in a particular cell, changing the designation of the cell to a cell in which the procedure is not to be executed, andwherein the defined criterion comprises the determination of the least cost of energy required for the carrier to access a cell at which it is desired to execute the procedure.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to the invention, autonomous carriers or vehicles are efficiently navigated over a field of operation. The carriers are equipped to execute a selected procedure at more than one desired location on the field, and the navigation system of the invention directs the carrier to the location that is preferentially accessible to it, based on a defined criterion. After the carrier has executed the selected procedure at the location which is preferentially accessible to it, the navigation system directs the carrier to the location which is preferentially accessible to the carrier from the carrier'"'"'s new position. This procedure is repeated until all the locations at which the procedure is to be executed have been reached. The task of determining a navigation route to a location that can be preferentially accessed is based on an efficient, structured search procedure of low computational complexity.
243 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of navigating an autonomous carrier for the purpose of executing a selected procedure at more than one location on a field of operation, the autonomous carrier being equipped to execute that procedure, comprising the steps of providing an indication of the locations at which it is desired to execute the procedure, determining which of the locations can be preferentially accessed by the carrier from its existing position based on a defined criterion, directing the carrier from its existing position to that location, or, if more than one location can be equally preferentially accessed, to a predetermined one of those locations, executing the selected procedure at the directed location, providing an indication of the remaining locations at which the procedure is to be executed, performing the determining, directing and executing steps based on these remaining locations and the position of the carrier and, thereafter, continuing to perform, seriatim, these same steps until the selected procedure has been executed at all desired locations,
wherein the step of providing an indication of the locations at which it is desired to execute the procedure is accomplished by subdividing the field of operation into a two-dimensional grid of equal-sided cells and distinguishing those cells on the basis of cells in which the procedure is to be executed, cells in which the procedure is not to be executed, and cells which contain an obstacle, and, following the execution of the procedure in a particular cell, changing the designation of the cell to a cell in which the procedure is not to be executed, and wherein the defined criterion comprises the determination of the least cost of energy required for the carrier to access a cell at which it is desired to execute the procedure.
-
14. An autonomous carrier for navigating over a field of operation for the purpose of executing a selected procedure at more than one location on the field when a program is executed by a computer arranged to control the operation of the carrier, the autonomous carrier comprising means for identifying those locations on the field at which it is desired to execute the procedure, means for determining which of the locations can be preferentially accessed by the carrier from an existing position on the field based on a defined criterion and means for directing the carrier to the location determined to be preferentially accessible,
wherein the means for identifying locations includes means for subdividing the field of operation into a two-dimensional grid of equal-sided cells and distinguishing those cells on the basis of cells in which the procedure is to be executed, cells in which the procedure is not to be executed and cells which contain an obstacle and means for changing the designation of a cell from one in which the procedure is to be executed to one in which the procedure is not to be executed following the execution of the procedure in the cell, and wherein the defined criterion comprises the determination of the least cost of energy required for the carrier to access a cell at which it is desired to execute the procedure.
-
17. An autonomous carrier equipped with implements for executing a selected procedure on a field of operation, the carrier having a navigation system for directing the movement of the carrier, the navigation system including computing means for identifying those locations on the field at which it is desired to execute the procedure, for determining which of the locations can be preferentially accessed by the carrier from an existing position on the field based on a defined criterion and for directing the carrier to the location determined to be preferentially accessible,
wherein the computing means includes means for subdividing the field of operation into a two-dimensional grid of equal-sided cells and distinguishing those cells on the basis of cells in which the procedure is to be executed, cells in which the procedure is not to be executed and cells which contain an obstacle, and means for changing the designation of a cell from one in which the procedure is to be executed to one in which the procedure is not to be executed following the execution of the procedure in the cell, and wherein the defined criterion comprises the determination of the least cost of energy required for the carrier to access a cell at which it is desired to execute the procedure.
Specification