Surveying physical environments and monitoring physical events

• US 10,365,372 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Byron S., Notohardjono, Budy D., Tsfasman, Arkadiy O., Werner, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abraham, Samantha K
• Application Number:
  US15/176,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20170357001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/36 with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving surveying data from a proximity barrier survey device. The proximity barrier survey device is mounted to a package. The package is located within a physical environment. The method includes generating a map based on the surveying data. The method includes tracking movement within the physical environment based on the map and the surveying data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for surveying indoor physical environments comprising:

receiving surveying data from a proximity barrier survey device, said proximity barrier survey device being mounted to a package, said package being located within a physical environment;

identifying, based on said surveying data, an impact event wherein said package experiences a shock greater than a predetermined threshold;

generating a three-dimensional map based on said surveying data wherein said surveying data comprises dimensions for said physical environment, dimensions for objects within said physical environment and dimensions of placement of the objects placed within said physical environment; and

tracking movement of said package within said physical environment based on said map and said surveying data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said proximity barrier survey device comprises a lidar based device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said proximity barrier survey device comprises an accelerometer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said proximity barrier survey device comprises an altimeter.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein tracking movement within said physical environment based on said map and said surveying data further comprises:

recording said movement; and

generating an animated map.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording at least one of an impact time and an impact position for said impact event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the magnitude of said impact event.

8. A computer-implemented method for surveying indoor physical environments comprising:

monitoring impact events associated with a package within a physical environment based on receiving input from;

a lidar sensor, said lidar sensor being mounted to said device, said lidar sensor continuously scanning said physical environment to yield location data;

an altitudinal sensor, said altitudinal sensor determining altitudes associated with said package to yield altitude data;

an accelerometer, said accelerometer determining movements associated with said package to yield accelerometer data; and

generating a map based on said location data, altitude data, and said accelerometer data, said map being three-dimensional, said map being animated, wherein said map is based on said surveying data wherein said surveying data comprises dimensions for said physical environment, dimensions for objects within said physical environment and dimensions of placement of the objects placed within said physical environment.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein monitoring impact events associated with a package within a physical environment further comprises:

tracking movement based on said location data, altitude data, and said accelerometer data;

recording said movement; and

generating said animated map.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said impact event is an event wherein said package experiences a shock greater than a predetermined threshold.

11. A computer system for surveying indoor physical environments, comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

computer program instructions;

a package, said package being located within a physical environment;

a proximity barrier survey device, said proximity barrier survey device being mounted to said package; and

said computer program instructions being stored on said computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of said one or more processors, said computer program instructions comprising instructions to;

receive surveying data from said proximity barrier survey device;

identify, based on said surveying data, an impact event wherein said package experiences a shock greater than a predetermined threshold;

generating a three-dimensional map based on said surveying data wherein said surveying data comprises dimensions for said physical environment, dimensions for objects within said physical environment and dimensions of placement of the objects placed within said physical environment; and

track movement within said physical environment based on said map and said surveying data.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said proximity barrier survey device comprises a lidar based device.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said proximity barrier survey device comprises an accelerometer.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said proximity barrier survey device comprises an altimeter.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein tracking movement within said physical environment based on said map and said surveying data further comprises instructions to:

record said movement; and

generate an animated map.

16. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instruction to:

record at least one of an impact time and an impact position for said impact event.