Patent Document ID: 9896202
Application ID: 14559365
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for navigating an airborne vehicle relative to a target, comprising: detecting, at a signal detector associated with the airborne vehicle, a signal generated by a signal emitter associated with the target; correlating, by a processor associated with the airborne vehicle, the detected signal with a previously-detected signal; determining, by the processor based on the correlating, a change in location of the target; adjusting a position of the airborne vehicle based, at least in part, on the determined change in location in order to cause the airborne vehicle to follow a flight path that maintains a first following distance between the airborne vehicle and the target; detecting an obstacle in the flight path of the airborne vehicle; responsively adjusting the flight path of the airborne vehicle to cause the airborne vehicle to connect to an obstacle-free path traversed by the target; and causing the airborne vehicle to follow behind the target on the obstacle-free path at a second following distance that is less than the first following distance until the obstacle is no longer detected.