How Vehicles and Drones Find Their Way Using Many Sensors
This patent describes a layered computer system that combines data from many different sensors and an Inertial Measurement Unit to precisely determine a mobile platform's position, velocity, and orientation, even in challenging environments.
Original patent title: “Adaptive navigation for airborne, ground and dismount applications (ANAGDA)”
This patent describes a layered computer system that combines data from many different sensors and an Inertial Measurement Unit to precisely determine a mobile platform's position, velocity, and orientation, even in challenging environments. Granted to Northrop Grumman Systems in 2018 with 23 claims and 5 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2037.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes an adaptive navigation system for mobile platforms like aircraft, ground vehicles, or even dismounted soldiers. It uses a computer onboard the platform with a specific layered architecture to combine various data sources. First, a sensing layer gathers signals from multiple sensors, such as cameras, GPS, or lidar (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 5). Next, a processing layer prepares this raw sensor data, potentially using pre-loaded maps or landmark databases (Claim 6). A measurement abstraction layer then converts this data into a standard format, making it independent of the specific sensor hardware. Finally, a fusion layer combines this processed sensor data with movement information from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to calculate the platform's exact position, velocity, and attitude (Claim 1). For example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) preparing to land on a moving ship could use this system to fuse its camera images of the ship, GPS data, and its own IMU readings to precisely calculate its relative position to the ship, ensuring a safe landing (Claim 11).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover navigation systems that do not include an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) onboard the mobile platform.
- Does not cover systems that lack the specific layered architecture of sensing, processing, measurement abstraction, and fusion layers as described in the claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →.
- Does not cover navigation systems that rely solely on a single type of sensor without fusing it with IMU data and other sensor measurements.
- Does not cover systems where the fusion calculations do not also produce error estimates, such as IMU error or sensor alignment error (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 2).
- Does not cover navigation systems that do not produce a full 'platform navigation state' including position, velocity, and attitude.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in its adaptive, hierarchical architecture that intelligently fuses diverse sensor data with IMU information, and critically, incorporates geo-registration to continuously correct for accumulating errors over time, ensuring sustained accuracy.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Autonomous military drones
Precision-guided munitions
Advanced aircraft navigation systems
Robotic ground vehicles for reconnaissance
Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs)
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is crucial for autonomous systems that need to operate reliably in environments where traditional GPS signals might be unavailable, jammed, or spoofed. By fusing diverse sensor inputs with IMU data, it provides a robust and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solution. This capability is vital for military applications, such as guiding airborne weapons or operating unmanned aerial vehicles, where precision and resilience against signal interference are paramount.
Filed
March 8, 2017
Granted
October 23, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Northrop Grumman, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, continues to be a major player in advanced navigation systems for defense and aerospace. Other large defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, as well as companies developing autonomous vehicles and robotics, are actively working on similar multi-sensor fusion technologies to enhance navigation accuracy and robustness.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the ongoing development of highly resilient navigation systems, particularly important for military and high-stakes industrial applications. It enables more reliable autonomous operations in GPS-denied or degraded environments, which has driven advancements in precision guidance for defense systems and expanded the capabilities of unmanned platforms. The structured approach to sensor fusion outlined in the patent helps set a standard for robust PNT solutions.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes an adaptive navigation system for mobile platforms like aircraft, ground vehicles, or even dismounted soldiers. It uses a computer onboard the platform with a specific layered architecture to combine various data sources. First, a sensing layer gathers signals from multiple sensors, such as cameras, GPS, or lidar (Claim 5). Next, a processing layer prepares this raw sensor data, potentially using pre-loaded maps or landmark databases (Claim 6). A measurement abstraction layer then converts this data into a standard format, making it independent of the specific sensor hardware. Finally, a fusion layer combines this processed sensor data with movement information from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to calculate the platform's exact position, velocity, and attitude (Claim 1). For example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) preparing to land on a moving ship could use this system to fuse its camera images of the ship, GPS data, and its own IMU readings to precisely calculate its relative position to the ship, ensuring a safe landing (Claim 11).
The clever bit
The novelty lies in its adaptive, hierarchical architecture that intelligently fuses diverse sensor data with IMU information, and critically, incorporates geo-registration to continuously correct for accumulating errors over time, ensuring sustained accuracy.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover navigation systems that do not include an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) onboard the mobile platform.
- Does not cover systems that lack the specific layered architecture of sensing, processing, measurement abstraction, and fusion layers as described in the claims.
- Does not cover navigation systems that rely solely on a single type of sensor without fusing it with IMU data and other sensor measurements.
- Does not cover systems where the fusion calculations do not also produce error estimates, such as IMU error or sensor alignment error (Claim 2).
- Does not cover navigation systems that do not produce a full 'platform navigation state' including position, velocity, and attitude.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$49K – $156K
Midpoint $98K · 10.4 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Fung, A. C., Thai, B. M., & Aboutalib, O. (2018). How Vehicles and Drones Find Their Way Using Many Sensors (U.S. Patent No. 10,107,627). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10107627/adaptive-navigation-for-airborne-ground-and-dismount-applications-anagda
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Vehicles and Drones Find Their Way Using Many Sensors cover?
This patent describes a layered computer system that combines data from many different sensors and an Inertial Measurement Unit to precisely determine a mobile platform's position, velocity, and orientation, even in challenging environments.
Who owns patent US 10107627?
Northrop Grumman Systems owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 8, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10107627 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is crucial for autonomous systems that need to operate reliably in environments where traditional GPS signals might be unavailable, jammed, or spoofed. By fusing diverse sensor inputs with IMU data, it provides a robust and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solution. This capability is vital for military applications, such as guiding airborne weapons or operating unmanned aerial vehicles, where precision and resilience against signal interference are paramount.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover navigation systems that do not include an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) onboard the mobile platform.
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