Control and systems for autonomously driven vehicles

US8126642B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GRAY & COMPANY, INC. · US

Inventors

• Paul Gerard Trepagnier · Metairie, US
• Jorge Emilio Nagel · New Orleans, US
• Matthew Taylor Dooner · Jefferson, US
• Michael Thomas Dewenter · New Orleans, US
• Neil Traft · New Orleans, US
• Sergey Drakunov · New Smyrna Beach, US
• Powell McVay Kinney · Slidell, US
• Aaron Lee · Seoul, KR

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 24, 2008
• Grant date: Feb 28, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 26, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/0278
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A navigation and control system including one or more position sensors configured to generate position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle. The system includes one or more operation control mechanisms having inputs and producing outputs which control an operation of the vehicle and includes a self-contained autonomous controller disposed remote from the operation control mechanisms. The autonomous controller includes a processor configured to receive the position signals from the position sensors and to generate operation control signals defining an updated travel path for the vehicle, and a programmable interface providing communication among the position sensors, the operation control mechanisms, and the processor. The programmable interface is configured to normalize inputs to the processor from the position sensors and to generate compatible operation control signals applied as the inputs to the operation control mechanisms, whereby the self-contained autonomous controller is configurable for operation with a variety of different sensors and different operation control mechanisms.