METHOD & ARRANGEMENT FOR CALCULATING A CONFORMITY BETWEEN A REPRESENTATION OF AN ENVIRONMENT AND SAID ENVIRONMENT

• US 20110066313A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epiroc Rock Drills AB (Epiroc AB)
• Original Assignee: Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB (Atlas Copco AB)
• Inventors: Krasser, Michael, Larsson, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/02 Transport of mined mineral in galleries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/06 of cavities, e.g. tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/005 Map projections or methods associated specifically therewith

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method for determining a conformity between a representation of an environment and said environment, wherein said representation of the environment constitutes a representation in at least two dimensions, where a distance between two points in the representation has a known relation to the corresponding distance in said environment, characterised in that said determination involves the step of determining a first set of parameter values for a first position in said representation of the environment, comparing said first determined set of expected parameter values with a second set of parameter values, where said second set of parameter values has been determined for a second position, where said second position constitutes a position in said environment that essentially corresponds to said first position, and using said comparison to determine a measure of conformity between said environment and said representation of the environment. The invention also concerns an arrangement and the mining and/or construction machine.

Claims

1. A method for calculating a conformity between a representation of an environment and said environment, wherein said representation of the environment constitutes a representation in at least two dimensions, where a distance between two points in the representation has a known relation to the corresponding distance in said environment, wherein the method comprises

estimating, with a mathematical model of a vehicle and on the basis of stored data, a first position for a point on the vehicle in said representation of the environment and, for said first estimated position in said representation of the environment, to calculate a first set of expected parameter values,

comparing said computed first set of expected parameter values with a second set of stored parameter values, where said second set of stored parameter values has been determined for a second position, where said second position constitutes a position in said environment that essentially corresponds to said first estimated position, and

calculating with the help of said comparison a measure of a conformity between said environment and said representation of the environment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first set of expected parameter values is a set of distances from one or more points on said vehicle in one or more different directions to surrounding obstacles in said representation of the environment, and wherein said second set of stored parameter values is a set of distances from corresponding said points in one or more corresponding different directions to surrounding obstacles in the environment.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measure of a conformity between said environment and said representation of the environment is determined for a plurality of positions in said representation of said environment and in said environment, respectively.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measure is determined based on a difference between said first set of parameter values and said determined second set of parameter values.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second set of parameter values is determined from one or more sensors arranged on a vehicle or a machine.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first set of expected parameter values is determined by beam tracking, i.e., the path of a simulated laser beam is followed from a source until an obstacle hinders its propagation in said representation of the environment.

16. Use of a method according to claim 1, for autonomous driving of a vehicle in an environment, wherein a verification that a generated map of the environment really agrees with the environment is done automatically by means of a computer program subsequent in time to the map generating during an autonomous driving and prior in time to the autonomous recording.

17. Use according to claim 16, wherein the same information as used to generate the map is used to verify that the map is of good quality.

18. A method according to claim 2, wherein said measure of a conformity between said environment and said representation of the environment is determined for a plurality of positions in said representation of said environment and in said environment, respectively.

7. An arrangement for determining a conformity between a representation of an environment and said environment, wherein said representation of the environment constitutes a representation in at least two dimensions, where a distance between two points in the representation has a known relation to the corresponding distance in reality, wherein said arrangement comprises means for:

by means of a mathematical model of a vehicle, and on the basis of stored data, estimating a first position for a point on the vehicle in said representation of the environment and, for said first estimated position in said representation of the environment, calculating a first set of expected parameter values,

comparing said first set of expected parameter values with a second set of stored parameter values, where said second set of stored parameter values has been determined for a second position, where said second position constitutes a position in said environment that essentially corresponds to said first estimated position, and

by means of said comparison, computing a measure of a conformity between said environment and said representation of the environment.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said first set of expected parameter values is designed to be a set of distances from one or more points on said vehicle in one or more different directions to surrounding obstacles in said representation of the environment, and wherein said second set of stored parameter values is a set of distances from corresponding said points in one or more corresponding different directions to surrounding obstacles in the environment.

9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said representation of the environment comprises a representation of cavities in rock underground and/or boundary surfaces between rock and tunnels or other type of empty space underground.

10. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of measures for said conformity is determined for a plurality of consecutive time points and/or positions, wherein said measure is based on said plurality of measures.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said measure for said conformity consists of the least value of said plurality of consecutive measures.

12. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said measure for said conformity consists of a mean value of said plurality of consecutive measures.

13. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said second set of parameter values is determined from one or more sensors arranged on a vehicle or a machine.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said vehicle or machine is a mining and/or construction machine designed for autonomous movement.

15. A mining and/or construction machine, wherein it comprises an arrangement according to claim 7.

19. An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said representation of the environment comprises a representation of cavities in rock underground and/or boundary surfaces between rock and tunnels or other type of empty space underground.

20. An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of measures for said conformity is determined for a plurality of consecutive time points and/or positions, wherein said measure is based on said plurality of measures.