Patent ID: 11948468
Assignee: AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 24:
25. An apparatus for detecting and avoiding conflict along a current route of a robot, the apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store computer-readable program code; and
processing circuitry configured to access the memory, and execute the computer-readable program code to cause the apparatus to at least:
access or determining trajectories of the robot and a nearby moving object forward in time from respective current positions of the robot and the nearby moving object;
detect a conflict between the robot and the nearby moving object from a comparison of the trajectories;
select a maneuver to avoid the conflict, including:
determine a plurality of angles that describe the conflict, the plurality of angles including a first angle at which the robot observes the moving object, and either a second angle at which the moving object observes the robot, or a third angle between the trajectories at a crossing point of the trajectories;
evaluate the plurality of angles to select the maneuver to avoid the conflict;
determine if the conflict is a first type in which a closest point of approach of the moving object and the robot is within a defined horizontal miss distance (HMD) threshold; and
determine if the conflict is of a second type in which the closest point of approach of the moving object and the robot is outside the defined HMD threshold;

output an indication of the maneuver for use in at least one of guidance, navigation or control of the robot to avoid the conflict;
a region centered on the robot is divided into sectors that include a first set of sectors and a second set of sectors centered on the robot;
the first set of sectors are disposed closer to the robot than the second set of sectors; and
the first set of sectors include more sectors than the second set of sectors.