US 12,140,975 B2
Devices, systems and methods for navigating a mobile platform
Yair Kahn, Netanya (IL); Nir Burshtein, Netanya (IL); Ohad Volvovitch, Netanya (IL); Alon Faraj, Netanya (IL); and Amit Nativ, Netanya (IL)
Assigned to ELBIT SYSTEMS C4I AND CYBER LTD., Netanya (IL)
Filed by ELBIT SYSTEMS C4I AND CYBER LTD., Netanya (IL)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/406,729.
Application 18/406,729 is a continuation of application No. PCT/IB2022/056413, filed on Jul. 12, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 284872 (IL), filed on Jul. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0152159 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. G01S 19/43 (2010.01); G05D 1/246 (2024.01); G05D 1/644 (2024.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 20/10 (2022.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); G05D 101/15 (2024.01); G05D 109/20 (2024.01); G05D 111/10 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/644 (2024.01) [G05D 1/246 (2024.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06V 20/17 (2022.01); G06V 20/176 (2022.01); G05D 2101/15 (2024.01); G05D 2109/20 (2024.01); G05D 2111/10 (2024.01); G06T 2207/10032 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30184 (2013.01); G06V 2201/07 (2022.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
12. A system for navigating a mobile platform using imaging from a point of origin towards a target located in a scene, and without requiring a Global Navigation Satellite system (GNSS), the system comprising:
a mobile platform comprising an imaging device and a distance sensing device;
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing software code portions executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform the following steps:
a) acquiring, by the imaging device, an image of a scene comprising a target;
b) determining, based on analysis of the image, a direction vector pointing from the mobile platform to the target;
c) advancing the mobile platform in accordance with the direction vector to a new position;
d) generating, by a distance sensing device, an output as a result of attempting to determine, with the distance sensing device, a distance between the mobile platform and the target;
e) repeating a) to d) to advance the mobile platform towards the target, comprising generating a plurality of direction vectors until the output produced by the distance sensing device is descriptive of a distance which meets a low-distance criterion at a current position where the distance is below a low-distance threshold having a magnitude which is smaller than a distance from the point of origin to the target and having an associated current position estimate;
f) retroactively updating, based on the distance meeting the low-distance criterion, the plurality of direction vectors to obtain a plurality of displacement vectors having a magnitude, and which are descriptive of a path that was traversed by the mobile platform from the point of origin to the current mobile platform position in accordance with the direction vectors; and
g) determining, based on the plurality of displacement vectors, an updated estimate of a current mobile platform position relative to the target.