USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Stacy J Hills

Neil J Dubois

John J Vaillancourt

Christopher Shaw

Gregory B Jones

A method is provided for navigating a vehicle. Waypoint exclusion zones are efined as circles whose centers are known-position waypoints. The vehicle is steered along a path that is tangential to the 'current' waypoint exclusion zone. This path that is maintained until a relative bearing between the vehicle and a center of the current waypoint exclusion zone is at least 90.degree. if the path is left of the center of the current waypoint exclusion zone, and at most -90.degree. if the path is right of the center of the current waypoint exclusion zone. When either of these conditions is met, the vehicle is located along the circle of the current waypoint exclusion zone. The vehicle is then advanced along the circle of the current waypoint exclusion zone until a heading of the vehicle matches a heading of a path that: is tangential to the 'next' waypoint exclusion zone. When the heading of the vehicle matches the heading of the path that is tangential to the next waypoint exclusion zone, the next waypoint exclusion zone becomes the current waypoint exclusion zone for carrying out the steering, maintaining and advancing of the vehicle.

Waypoint navigation using exclusion zones

A debris deflector protects an underwater vehicle's control. surface while ntroducing little or no flow disturbance around the control surface. The deflector extends outward from the vehicle to peninsulate the control surface. The deflector's cross-section is defined by a wedge shape subtended by an arc with the apex of the wedge shape always pointing towards the control surface.

Growing community of inventors

Tiverton, RI, United States of America

Stacy J Hills