Patent ID: 6097996
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G01C,G05D

Abstract:
A method for the lateral avoidance by a vehicle of at least one mobile zone starting from an initially planned route sing periodically supplied contour information indicating positions of contours of the at least one mobile zone to be avoided and a current position and speed of the vehicle to generate at least one new route, the method comprising the steps of:periodically defining an envelope of one of the at least one mobile zone to be avoided by using said contour information;determining a circumscribed circle about the envelope and a velocity vector of the circumscribed circle by recording successive positions of the circumscribed circle: determining a portion of the planned route situated over a path of the circumscribed circle;positioning the circumscribed circle at a moment at which the vehicle is positioned on said portion of the initially planned route;when the circumscribed circle is traversed by the initially planned route of the vehicle after the circumscribed circle is positioned by the step of positioning the circumscribed circle, computing a port trajectory and a starboard trajectory for avoidance by the vehicle of a zone delimited by the circumscribed circle, wherein said port trajectory and said starboard trajectory connect points of exit from and of return to the initially planned route; andselecting one of the port trajectory and the starboard trajectory as a function of a length of the at least one new route and of a direction of movement of the at least one mobile zone, whereina first one of the at least one new route includes the port trajectory and a second one of the at least one new route includes the starboard trajectory.