US 11,886,182 B2
Systems and methods of detecting intent of spatial control
Matthew D. Summer, Melbourne, FL (US); William S. Bowman, Melbourne, FL (US); Andrew D. Falendysz, Winter Green, FL (US); Kevin M. Makovy, Palm Bay, FL (US); Daniel R. Hedman, Palm Bay, FL (US); and Bradley D. Truesdell, Vero Beach, FL (US)
Assigned to Tomahawk Robotics, Inc., Melbourne, FL (US)
Appl. No. 17/417,176
Filed by TOMAHAWK ROBOTICS, INC., Melbourne, FL (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 31, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/069141
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/142543, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/786,888, filed on Dec. 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0083069 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B62D 57/02 (2006.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G06F 3/0346 (2013.01)
CPC G05D 1/0016 (2013.01) [B62D 57/02 (2013.01); G05D 1/0033 (2013.01); G05D 1/0038 (2013.01); G05D 1/0223 (2013.01); G06F 3/0346 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting an intent of spatial control of a vehicle comprising:
receiving, from a spatial controller, spatial motion data generated from movement of the spatial controller with respect to a global reference frame, wherein the spatial motion data of the spatial controller is representative of a desired motion of at least a portion of a vehicle;
computing, from the spatial motion data, an initial desired velocity vector representing a desired linear velocity or a desired angular velocity of at least the portion of the vehicle;
transforming the initial desired velocity vector from the global reference frame into a control reference frame;
identifying, from a set of principal axis directions that are parallel to principal axes of the control reference frame, a nearest principal axis direction based on comparing a direction of the initial desired velocity vector with the set of principal axis directions;
computing a misalignment angle that represents a deviation in the direction of the initial desired velocity vector from the nearest principal axis direction;
upon determining that the misalignment angle is less than or equal to an axis-snapping tolerance value, defining a final desired velocity vector by rotating the initial desired velocity vector such that the final desired velocity vector parallel to the nearest principal axis direction; and
sending information indicating the final desired velocity vector to at least the portion of the vehicle.