Methods and apparatus for attribute-based navigation

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for attribute-based navigation are disclosed. In one embodiment, responsive to a request for a location having a variable attribute, a destination is selected based at least in part upon a value of the variable attribute. Navigation instructions from a current location are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 using one or more processors to perform,
 responsive to a request for a safe path in a battlefield for a dismounted soldier from a current location determined via GPS and that does not identify a destination, selecting the safe path by:
 determining a temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the current location in the battlefield; 
 evaluating potential paths based on temporally-variable safety attributes associated with battlefield conditions along the potential paths, wherein the battlefield conditions comprise data indicating troop movements, artillery fire, presence of friendly forces and air cover; and 
 comparing the temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the current location in the battlefield to the temporally-variable safety attributes associated with the battlefield conditions along the potential paths to identify the safe path as one of the potential paths having greater safety relative to the current location in the battlefield; and 
 
 providing navigation instructions from the current location in the battlefield in accordance with the safe path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating the potential paths further includes calculating a set of values of a temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of a set of possible destinations. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
 updating the set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for the respective ones of the set of possible destinations based at least in part upon condition changes at the respective ones of the set of possible destinations.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 revising the safe path from a revised location based in part upon a set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of a set of possible revised paths based in part upon updated conditions of locations along the safe path.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 evaluating the potential paths further includes calculating a set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of the potential paths to each of a set of possible destinations; and   selecting a destination from the set of possible destinations based at least in part upon the set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a distress signal, wherein the distress signal comprises the current location and the navigation instructions.   
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 using one or more processors to perform,
 responsive to a request for a safe path in a battlefield for a dismounted soldier from a current location determined via GPS and that does not identify a destination, selecting the safe path by:
 determining a temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the current location in the battlefield; 
 evaluating potential paths based on temporally-variable safety attributes associated with battlefield conditions along the potential paths, wherein the battlefield conditions comprise data indicating troop movements, artillery fire, presence of friendly forces and air cover; and 
 comparing the temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the current location in the battlefield to the temporally-variable safety attributes associated with the battlefield conditions along the potential paths to identify the safe path as one of the potential paths having greater safety relative to the current location in the battlefield; and 
 
 providing navigation instructions from the current location in the battlefield along the safe path. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein evaluating the potential paths further includes calculating a set of values of a temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of a set of possible destinations. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 updating the temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the potential paths based at least in part upon condition changes along potential paths.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 revising the safe path from a revised location based in part upon a set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of a set of possible revised paths based in part upon updated conditions of locations along the safe path.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 evaluating the potential paths further includes calculating a set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of the potential paths to each of a set of possible destinations; and   selecting a destination from the set of possible destinations based at least in part upon a value of the temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the potential paths.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 transmitting a distress signal, wherein the distress signal comprises the current location and the navigation instructions.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 calculating the temporally-variable safety attributes associated with the potential paths based on location relative to an attribute fence.   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:
 responsive to a request for a safe path in a battlefield for a dismounted soldier from a current location determined via GPS and that does not identify a destination, selecting the safe path by:
 determining a temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the current location in the battlefield; 
 evaluating potential paths based on temporally-variable safety attributes associated with battlefield conditions along the potential paths, wherein the battlefield conditions comprise data indicating troop movements, artillery fire, presence of friendly forces and air cover; and 
 comparing the temporally-variable safety attribute associated with the current location in the battlefield to the temporally-variable safety attributes associated with the battlefield conditions along the potential paths to identify the safe path as one of the potential paths having greater safety relative to the current location in the battlefield; and 
   providing navigation instructions from the current location in the battlefield in accordance with the safe path.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:
 calculating a set of values of a temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of a set of possible destinations.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , further comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:
 updating the set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for the respective ones of the set of possible destinations based at least in part upon condition changes at the respective ones of the set of possible destinations.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:
 revising the safe path from a revised location based in part upon a set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of a set of possible revised paths based in part upon updated conditions of locations along the safe path.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:
 calculating a set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute for respective ones of the potential paths to each of a set of possible destinations, and   selecting a destination from the set of possible destinations based at least in part upon the set of values of the temporally-variable safety attribute.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:
 transmitting a distress signal, wherein the distress signal comprises the current location and the navigation instructions.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:
 calculating the temporally-variable safety attributes associated with the potential paths based on location relative to an attribute fence.