Path determination

• US 8,744,664 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Day, Peter Stephen, Wragg, David Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/390,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/420, 701/423, 701/468
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system for controlling a vehicle to follow at least one person includes a detection device for detecting a location of at least one person. The system further includes a storage device for recording locations of at least one person at a plurality of points in time, and a path determination device for determining a driveable path for a vehicle based on the recorded locations. The system further includes a control device for operating vehicle to follow one or more persons over the driveable path.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a vehicle to follow at least one person, the system including:

a detection device for detecting a location of the at least one person;

a storage device for recording locations of the at least one person at a plurality of points in time;

a path determination device for determining a driveable path for the vehicle based on the recorded locations; and

a control device for operating said vehicle to follow location movements of said at least one person over the driveable path,

wherein the detection device and the storage device are provided for detecting and storing location data for a plurality of persons and are configured to follow location movements of one person selected from amongst the plurality of persons,

wherein the system is configured to select said one person to follow the location movements of based on a plurality of system operating modes, and

wherein one of the plurality of system operating modes includes following a computed centroid of the plurality of persons, wherein the computed centroid is a point whose coordinates are mean values of the coordinates of all the plurality of persons.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is configured for detecting a location signal transmitted by at least one GNSS or GPS enabled device that transmits location signals at intervals in time.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system operating modes include:

following a nominated person;

and

automatically switching between the plurality of persons based on a specified operational context.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured, if ordered, to stop following said one person and start following another person, provided the system has been recording locations of both the one person and the other person in order to determine the driveable path.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the path determination device is configured in receiving signals from the detection device to determine a path that avoids collision with a person or avoids un-driveable terrain.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the path determination device is configured for:

computing vectors corresponding to stored locations of the at least one person being followed; and

performing a curve-fitting operation to determine a path between the stored locations.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising non-linear optimisation processes for calculating a vector between a pair of said stored locations.

8. The system according to claim 1, in combination with a vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle is at least partially autonomous.

10. A method of controlling a vehicle to follow at least one person, the method comprising:

detecting a location of a plurality of persons;

recording locations of said plurality of persons at a plurality of points in time;

selecting one person to follow location movements of from amongst the plurality of persons,

wherein said one person is selected based on a plurality of system operating modes, and

wherein one of the plurality of system operating modes includes following a computed centroid of the plurality of persons, wherein the computed centroid is a point whose coordinates are mean values of the coordinates of all the plurality of persons;

determining a driveable path for the vehicle based on the recorded locations of said one person; and

operating the vehicle to follow the location movements of said one person over the driveable path.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of controlling a vehicle to follow at least one person, the method comprising:

detecting a location of a plurality of persons;

recording locations of said plurality of persons at a plurality of points in time;

selecting one person to follow location movements of from amongst the plurality of persons,

wherein said one person is selected based on a plurality of system operating modes, and

wherein one of the plurality of system operating modes includes following a computed centroid of the plurality of persons, wherein the computed centroid is a point whose coordinates are mean values of the coordinates of all the plurality of persons;

determining a driveable path for the vehicle based on the recorded locations of said one person; and

operating the vehicle to follow the location movements of said one person over the driveable path.