Automated localization for GNSS device

• US 10,386,497 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Javad GNSS, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Javad GNSS, Inc.
• Inventors: Ashjaee, Javad
• Primary Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US14/505,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing automated localization are provided. In one example method, a plurality of coordinates representing positions of a plurality of locations may be received. The plurality of coordinates may be from two or more different coordinate systems. The numerical values of each of the plurality of coordinates may be evaluated to determine the coordinate system to which the coordinate belongs. The coordinates may be grouped into sets of coordinates based on their determined coordinate systems. Coordinates from one coordinate system may be paired with coordinates that represent the same locations from another coordinate system. A shape matching algorithm may be used to determine coordinates from different systems that represent the same locations. A localization process may then be used to convert the coordinates of the first coordinate system into coordinates of the second coordinate system based on the paired coordinates.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for converting coordinates of one coordinate system to another, the method comprising:

receiving, by a Global Network Satellite System (GNSS) device, GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites;

converting the GNSS signals into a first plurality of coordinates representing positions for a plurality of locations associated with the GNSS device;

receiving, by a processor, a second plurality of coordinates comprising the first plurality of coordinates representing positions for a plurality of locations associated with the GNSS device;

separating the second plurality of coordinates into a first set of coordinates of a first coordinate system and a second set of coordinates of a second coordinate system;

generating pairs of coordinates from the first set of coordinates with coordinates from the second set of coordinates that represent positions for the same locations associated with the GNSS device;

converting at least a portion of the first set of coordinates into coordinates of the second coordinate system based on the paired coordinates; and

storing the converted coordinates on the GNSS device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the plurality of coordinates into the first set of coordinates and the second set of coordinates comprises evaluating the numerical values of the plurality of coordinates.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein evaluating the numerical values of the plurality of coordinates comprises evaluating one or more of the sign of a first numerical value, the magnitude of the first numerical value, the unit associated with the first numerical value, and the value of the first numerical value relative to the value of a second numerical value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein converting at least a portion of the first set of coordinates into coordinates of the second coordinate system based on the paired coordinates comprises performing a localization process using the generated pairs of coordinates.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein converting at least a portion of the first set of coordinates into coordinates of the second coordinate system is performed in response to a user request to convert the at least a portion of the first set of coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coordinate system is a coordinate system of a computer-aided design application, and wherein the second coordinate system is an Earth-Centered coordinate system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of coordinates are received from a database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating pairs of coordinates from the first set of coordinates with coordinates from the second set of coordinates that represent positions for the same locations comprises generating three or more pairs of coordinates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating pairs of coordinates is performed without user intervention.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein generating pairs of coordinates from the first set of coordinates with coordinates from the second set of coordinates comprises:

generating at least a first subset of all possible shapes that can be generated using three or more locations represented by the first set of coordinates;

generating at least a second subset of all possible shapes that can be generated using three or more locations represented by the second set of coordinates;

identifying a first shape from the first subset of all possible shapes that match a second shape from the second subset of all possible shapes; and

pairing coordinates representing locations from the first shape with coordinates representing corresponding locations from the second shape.

10. An apparatus for converting coordinates of one coordinate system to another to, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a first plurality of coordinates comprising a second plurality of coordinates representing positions for a plurality of locations associated with a Global Network Satellite System (GNSS) device, wherein the GNSS device is configured to convert GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites into the second plurality of coordinates;

separate the first plurality of coordinates into a first set of coordinates of a first coordinate system and a second set of coordinates of a second coordinate system;

generate pairs of coordinates from the first set of coordinates with coordinates from the second set of coordinates that represent positions for the same locations associated with the GNSS device;

convert at least a portion of the first set of coordinates into coordinates of the second coordinate system based on the paired coordinates; and

store the converted coordinates on the GNSS device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein separating the plurality of coordinates into the first set of coordinates and the second set of coordinates comprises evaluating the numerical values of the plurality of coordinates.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein evaluating the numerical values of the plurality of coordinates comprises evaluating one or more of the sign of a first numerical value, the magnitude of the first numerical value, the unit associated with the first numerical value, and the value of the first numerical value relative to the value of a second numerical value.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein converting at least a portion of the first set of coordinates into coordinates of the second coordinate system based on the paired coordinates comprises performing a localization process using the generated pairs of coordinates.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein converting at least a portion of the first set of coordinates into coordinates of the second coordinate system is performed in response to a user request to convert the at least a portion of the first set of coordinates.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first coordinate system is a coordinate system of a computer-aided design application, and wherein the second coordinate system is an Earth-Centered coordinate system.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of coordinates are received from a database.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein generating pairs of coordinates from the first set of coordinates with coordinates from the second set of coordinates that represent positions for the same locations comprises generating three or more pairs of coordinates.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein generating pairs of coordinates is performed without user intervention.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein generating pairs of coordinates from the first set of coordinates with coordinates from the second set of coordinates comprises:

generating at least a first subset of all possible shapes that can be generated using three or more locations represented by the first set of coordinates;

generating at least a second subset of all possible shapes that can be generated using three or more locations represented by the second set of coordinates;

identifying a first shape from the first subset of all possible shapes that match a second shape from the second subset of all possible shapes; and

pairing coordinates representing locations from the first shape with coordinates representing corresponding locations from the second shape.

19. A computer implemented method for converting a first of set of coordinates from a first coordinate system to a second set of coordinates from a second coordinate system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a Global Network Satellite System (GNSS) device, GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites;

converting the GNSS signals into a first plurality of coordinates representing positions for a plurality of locations associated with the GNSS device;

receiving, by a processor, a second plurality of coordinates comprising the first plurality of coordinates representing positions for a plurality of locations associated with the GNSS device;

identifying at least three points within the first coordinate system and three points within the second coordinate system that have the same spacing and angles therebetween by determining the spacings between pairs of points within each coordinate system, determining the angles between sets of three points within each coordinate system, and comparing the spacings and angles;

converting the first set of coordinates to coordinates in the second coordinate system based on the identification; and

storing the converted coordinates on the GNSS device.