Multi-tasked navigation system and method for an autonomous land based vehicle

US5548516A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Caterpillar Inc. · US

Inventors

• Adam J. Gudat · Lacon, US
• Prithvi Narayana Rao · Allen, US
• Gary K. Shaffer · Tickfaw, US
• Wenfan Shi · Pittsburgh, US
• Dong Hun Shin · Wonju-si, KR
• James W. Sennott · Bloomington, US
• William Whittaker · Pittsburgh, US
• Karl W. Kleimenhagen · Peoria, US
• Jay H. West · Pittsburgh, US
• Richard G. Clow · Phoenix, US
• Baoxin Wu · Pittsburgh, US
• Sanjiv Singh · Pittsburgh, US
• Dana A. Christensen · Peoria, US
• Carl A. Kemner · Peoria Heights, US
• Walter J. Bradbury · Peoria, US
• Craig L. Koehrsen · East Peoria, US
• Christos Kyrtsos · Southfield, US
• Norman K. Lay · Peoria, US
• Joel L. Peterson · East Peoria, US
• Larry E. Schmidt · Peoria, US
• Darrell E. Stafford · Dunlap, US
• Louis J. Weinbeck · Peoria, US
• Lonnie J. Devier · Channahon, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 1, 1995
• Grant date: Aug 20, 1996
• Expiry date: May 1, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S19/41
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).