US 12,359,922 B2
Vehicle navigation
Thomas Hines, Victoria (AU); Kazys Stepanas, Victoria (AU); Fletcher Talbot, Victoria (AU); Inkyu Sa, Victoria (AU); Emili Hernandez, Victoria (AU); Navinda Kottege, Victoria (AU); and Jake Lewis, Victoria (AU)
Assigned to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton (AU)
Filed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton (AU)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/482,942.
Claims priority of application No. 2020904756 (AU), filed on Dec. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0196410 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G01C 21/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/246 (2024.01); G06T 15/08 (2011.01); G06V 20/64 (2022.01)
CPC G01C 21/3407 (2013.01) [G01C 21/3807 (2020.08); G01C 21/3826 (2020.08); G05D 1/2464 (2024.01); G06T 15/08 (2013.01); G06V 20/64 (2022.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for use in navigating a vehicle within an environment, the method including in one or more electronic processing devices:
a) acquiring range data from a range sensor mounted on the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the environment, the range data being indicative of a range between the range sensor and a sensed part of the environment;
b) analysing the range data to generate:
i) mapping data indicative of a three dimensional map of the environment; and,
ii) position data indicative of one or more range sensor positions within the environment;
c) identifying occluded parts of the environment using the mapping and position data;
d) generating a virtual surface, the virtual surface being a boundary between occluded parts of the environment and unoccupied parts of the environment;
e) calculating a gradient of the virtual surface;
f) determining if the virtual surface is traversable based on the gradient;
g) calculating a navigable path within the environment at least in part using the virtual surface by considering the virtual surface as a real surface, wherein the navigable path traverses the virtual surface;
h) controlling the vehicle at least in part using the navigable path to move the vehicle within the environment;
i) using acquired range data to update the virtual surface as the vehicle moves within the environment; and,
j) recalculating the navigable path at least in part using the updated virtual surface, wherein, where the gradient is too steep for the vehicle to traverse, the path will be labelled as non-traversable.