Autonomous vehicle and method for coordinating the paths of multiple autonomous vehicles

Abstract

A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code causes a processor at a first vehicle (e.g., a first autonomous vehicle) to generate a first planned path based on a current position of the first vehicle and a mission requirement assigned to the first vehicle. A first planned path associated with a second vehicle (e.g., a second autonomous vehicle), which is based on a current position of the second vehicle and a mission requirement assigned to the second vehicle, is received at the first vehicle. After the first planned path associated with the second vehicle is received, a second planned path is generated based on the first planned path associated with the second vehicle and at least one of the mission requirement assigned to the first vehicle or the first planned path of the first vehicle. The second planned path of the first vehicle is transmitted to the second vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory processor readable medium storing code representing code to cause the processor to:
 receive, at a control station, a first planned path for an autonomous vehicle;   after receiving the first planned path, receive a second planned path for the autonomous vehicle, the second planned path being different from the first planned route, the second planned path generated by the autonomous vehicle in response to the autonomous vehicle determining a conflict exists between the first planned path and a third planned path, the third planned path being a path for a vehicle;   after receiving the second planned path, receive an indication of a position of the autonomous vehicle;   determine that the position of the autonomous vehicle is not within a threshold distance of the second planned path; and   transmit a signal indicating a deviation of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
 receive, between receiving the first planned path and receiving the second planned path, the third planed path.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the code to cause the processor to transmit the indication of the deviation includes code to cause the processor to transmit the indication of the deviation such that the vehicle is alerted to the deviation. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first planned path includes a current position of the autonomous vehicle and a destination of the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is an aerial vehicle and the vehicle is not capable of flight. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first planned path and the second planned path are received from the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first planned path has a first rank, and the second planned path has a second rank, the second planned path generated based, at least in part on the second rank being higher than the first rank. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory processor readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:
 generate, at a first autonomous vehicle, a first planned path for the first autonomous vehicle, the first planned path including a destination;   receive, at the first autonomous vehicle and from a control station, a second planned path associated with a second autonomous vehicle;   generate, at the first autonomous vehicle in response to receiving the second planned path, a third planned path including the destination based, at least in part, on the first planned path and the second planned path, the third planned path generated in response to a conflict between the first planned path and the second planned path;   transmit the third planned path; and   cause the first autonomous vehicle to follow the third planned path.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the process or to receive, from the control station, a mission objective, the third planned path generated based, at least in part, on the mission objective. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to receive, from the control station an indication of the conflict between the first planned path and the second planned path. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to determine that the conflict between the first planned path and the second planned path exists. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the control station is remote from the first autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the first autonomous vehicle has a first rank, the second autonomous vehicle has a second rank, and the third planned path is generated, at least in part, on the second rank being higher than the first rank. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 13 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
 change the rank of the first autonomous vehicle from the first rank to a third rank, the third rank being higher than the second rank; and   generate, at the first autonomous vehicle and based, at least in part, on the rank of the first autonomous vehicle changing from the first rank to the third rank, a fourth planned path including the destination.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 14 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
 transmit the fourth planned path; and   receive, at the first autonomous vehicle, a fifth planned path associated with the second autonomous vehicle, the fifth planned path generated in response to a conflict between the fourth planned path and the third planned path.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 8 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to determine that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprise a team based, at least in part, on receiving the second planned path, the third planned path generated based, at least in part, on a mission objective for the team. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 16 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
 determine that the second autonomous vehicle has left the team; and   generate a fourth planned path, based, at least in part, on the second autonomous vehicle having left the team.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory processor readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:
 generate, at a first autonomous vehicle, a first planned path for the first autonomous vehicle;   receive, at a first autonomous vehicle and from a control station, a mission to form a team with a second autonomous vehicle such that the team can perform an objective;   receive, at the first autonomous vehicle, a second planned path associated with the second autonomous vehicle;   generate, at the first autonomous vehicle, a third planned path based, at least in part, on the second planned path and the objective, the third planned path generated in response to joining the team;   cause the first autonomous vehicle to follow the third planned path.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 18 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to transmit the third planned path. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the second planned path is received from the second autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the second planned path is received from the control station. 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the third planned path is based, at least in part, on a manual input supplied by a user associated with the control station. 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 18 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
 determine that the objective has been accomplished; and   generate, at the first autonomous vehicle, a fourth planned path based, at least in part, on the objective having been accomplished.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory processor readable medium of  claim 18 , the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:
 determine that the second autonomous vehicle has left the team; and   generate, at the first autonomous vehicle, a fourth planned path based, at least in part, on the second autonomous vehicle having left the team.