System for mapping building interior with PDR and ranging and related methods

• US 10,616,723 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2019
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eagle Technology, LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eagle Technology, LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Layne, Dennis R., Carlson, Brian R., Thiessen, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mehendra R
• Application Number:
  US16/512,494
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 1 1, 3423573
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1652 with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/188 for accumulated errors, e.g. by coupling inertial systems with absolute positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/383 Indoor data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• 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 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system is for mapping an interior of a building. The system may include a mobile device having a PDR circuit configured to generate PDR positions as a user moves within the interior of the building, and a ranging circuit configured to generate ranging mapping data of the interior of the building as the user moves within the interior of the building. The system also may include a server configured to map the interior of the building and generate a location of the mobile device within the interior of the building based upon the PDR positions and the ranging mapping data from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for mapping an interior of a building, the system comprising:

at least one mobile device comprising

a pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) circuit configured to generate a plurality of PDR positions as a user moves within the interior of the building, and

a ranging circuit configured to generate ranging mapping data of the interior of the building as the user moves within the interior of the building; and

a server configured to

map the interior of the building and generate a location of said at least one mobile device within the interior of the building based upon the plurality of PDR positions and the ranging mapping data from said at least one mobile device, and

correct an accumulated PDR error in the plurality of PDR positions based upon the ranging mapping data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said ranging circuit comprises a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) circuit.

3. The system of claim 1 comprising a wireless base station coupled to said server;

and wherein said at least one mobile device comprises a wireless transceiver communicating with said wireless base station to send the plurality of PDR positions and the ranging mapping data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises at least one of an ultra high frequency (UHF) transceiver and a very high frequency (VHF) transceiver.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile device comprises a geolocation device configured to generate an initial geolocation value;

and wherein said server is configured to generate the location of said at least one mobile device further based upon the initial geolocation value.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the ranging mapping data comprises a ranging point cloud;

and wherein said at least one mobile device is configured to convert the ranging point cloud into vector graphics data before sending to said server.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile device comprises a plurality thereof;

and wherein said server is configured to receive the ranging mapping data from each mobile device, and to generate the location of a given mobile device based upon the ranging mapping data from the plurality of mobile devices.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said PDR circuit is configured to generate each PDR position to comprise an x-position value, a y-position value, and a z-position value.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said PDR circuit comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and an altimeter.

10. A system for mapping an interior of a building, the system comprising:

at least one mobile device comprising

a pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) circuit configured to generate a plurality of PDR positions as a user moves within the interior of the building, and

a ranging circuit configured to generate ranging mapping data of the interior of the building as the user moves within the interior of the building;

a server configured to

map the interior of the building and generate a location of said at least one mobile device within the interior of the building based upon the plurality of PDR positions and the ranging mapping data from said at least one mobile device, and

correct an accumulated PDR error in the plurality of PDR positions based upon the ranging mapping data; and

a wireless base station coupled to said server;

said at least one mobile device comprising a wireless transceiver communicating with said wireless base station to send the plurality of PDR positions and the ranging mapping data.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said ranging circuit comprises a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) circuit.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises at least one of an ultra high frequency (UHF) transceiver and a very high frequency (VHF) transceiver.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one mobile device comprises a geolocation device configured to generate an initial geolocation value;

and wherein said server is configured to generate the location of said at least one mobile device further based upon the initial geolocation value.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the ranging mapping data comprises a ranging point cloud;

and wherein said at least one mobile device is configured to convert the ranging point cloud into vector graphics data before sending to said server.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one mobile device comprises a plurality thereof;

and wherein said server is configured to receive the ranging mapping data from each mobile device, and to generate the location of a given mobile device based upon the ranging mapping data from the plurality of mobile devices.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said PDR circuit is configured to generate each PDR position to comprise an x-position value, a y-position value, and a z-position value.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said PDR circuit comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and an altimeter.

18. A method for operating a system for mapping an interior of a building, the method comprising:

operating a pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) circuit in at least one mobile device to generate a plurality of PDR positions as a user moves within the interior of the building;

operating a ranging circuit in the at least one mobile device to generate ranging mapping data of the interior of the building as the user moves within the interior of the building;

operating a server in communication with the at least one mobile device to map the interior of the building and generate a location of the at least one mobile device within the interior of the building based upon the plurality of PDR positions and the ranging mapping data from the at least one mobile device; and

operating the server to correct an accumulated PDR error in the plurality of PDR positions based upon the ranging mapping data.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the ranging circuit comprises a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) circuit.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising operating a wireless transceiver in the at least one mobile device to communicate with a wireless base station to send the plurality of PDR positions and the ranging mapping data.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the wireless transceiver comprises at least one of an ultra high frequency (UHF) transceiver and a very high frequency (VHF) transceiver.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising operating a geolocation device in the at least one mobile device to generate an initial geolocation value, and operating the server to generate the location of the at least one mobile device further based upon the initial geolocation value.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising operating the at least one mobile device to convert a ranging point cloud from the ranging mapping data into vector graphics data before sending to the server.