Camera-based heading-hold navigation

US10724871B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Juha-Pekka J. Laine · Boston, US
• Simone B. Bortolami · Belmont, US
• Jeffrey Korn · Lexington, US
• Gregory P. Blasche · Burlington, US
• Matthew T. Jamula · Wilmington, US
• Paul Bohn · St. Petersburg, US
• Robin Mark Adrian Dawson · Waltham, US
• Benjamin F. Lane · Grafton, US
• Eric T. Hoke · Somerville, US
• Daniel M. Meiser · Providence, US
• Joseph M. Kinast · Arlington, US
• Timothy J. McCarthy · San Jose, US
• Stephen P. Smith · Acton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 3, 2017
• Grant date: Jul 28, 2020
• Expiry date: Sep 1, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04W4/026
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A visual navigation system includes a compass configured to orient a user in a heading direction, an image sensor configured to capture a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers, data storage memory configured to store the series of successive navigation images, a navigation processor configured to identify at least one principal marker and at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the principal marker positioned within a principal angle and the ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle, which is greater than the principal angle, and to determine heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, and a user interface configured to provide the heading direction information to the user.