Probabilistic landmark navigation (PLN) system

US10977953B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Juha-Pekka J. Laine · Boston, US
• Simone B. Bortolami · Belmont, US
• Joseph M. Kinast · Arlington, US
• Charles Arant · Wesley Chapel, US
• Stephen P. Smith · Acton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 15, 2018
• Grant date: Apr 13, 2021
• Expiry date: Jun 25, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G5/74
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A probabilistic landmark navigation system is arranged to obtain from one or more image sensors one or more terrain images of a target terrain to be traversed by a vehicle. The terrain images are characterized by multiple individually non-distinctive terrain features without distinctively identifiable landmark features. The non-distinctive terrain features in the one or more terrain images are compared to map database information to make a non-temporal probabilistic determination of absolute location coordinates to associate with the non-distinctive terrain features. Then a navigation path is determined for the vehicle across the target terrain based on the absolute location coordinates.