AUTOMATIC OBSTACLE LOCATION MAPPING

• US 20120237083A1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Lange, Arthur F., Lindores, Robert J., Weisenburger, Shawn D., France, Peter G., Janky, James M., Cash, Michael, Bringuel, Marin C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables

Abstract

A method of automatic obstacle location mapping comprises receiving an indication of a feature to be identified in a defined area. An instance of the feature is found within an image. A report is then generated conveying the location of said feature.

Claims

1. A method of automatically mapping the location of obstacles comprising:

receiving an indication of a feature to be identified in a defined area;

finding an instance of said feature within an image; and

generating a report conveying the location of said feature.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a representation showing the location of said feature and wherein said representation is selected from the group consisting of a map of said defined area, a picture of said defined area, a moving image of said defined area, and a real-time representation of said defined area; and

conveying said representation via said report.

3. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a reference feature within said image; and

determining a set of geographic coordinates of said reference feature.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

determining the geographic coordinates of said feature relative to said reference feature; and

sending the geographic coordinates of said feature to a device located at said defined area.

5. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

converting the geographic coordinates of said feature to a coordinate system usable by said device located at said defined area.

6. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

accessing a second image which at least in part shows a portion of said defined area;

identifying said reference feature in said second image; and

determining the geographic coordinates of said feature relative to said reference feature in said second image.

7. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving with said image, a set of coordinates conveying a position of an image capture device which created said image.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method of automatically mapping the location of obstacles, said method comprising:

receiving an indication of a feature to be identified in a defined area;

finding an instance of said feature within an image; and

generating a report conveying the location of said feature.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 8, wherein said method further comprises:

generating a representation showing the location of said feature and wherein said representation is selected from the group consisting of a map of said defined area, a picture of said defined area, a moving image of said defined area, and a real-time representation of said defined area; and

conveying said representation via said report.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

identifying a reference feature within said image; and

determining a set of geographic coordinates of said reference feature.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

determining the geographic coordinates of said feature relative to said reference feature; and

sending the geographic coordinates of said feature to a device located at said defined area.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:

converting the geographic coordinates of said feature to a coordinate system usable by said device located at said defined area.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

accessing a second image which at least in part shows a portion of said defined area;

identifying said reference feature in said second image; and

determining the geographic coordinates of said feature relative to said reference feature in said second image.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 8, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving with said image, a set of coordinates conveying a position of an image capture device which created said image.

15. An automatic object mapping system comprising:

an image receiver configured for receiving an image for use in determining the location of an object in a defined area, said image comprising digital image information;

a feature identifier configured to analyze said image and to identify said object based upon at least one pre-defined characteristic; and

an output engine configured to generate a report comprising a map which conveys the location of said object.

16. The automatic object mapping system of claim 15, further comprising:

a provenance checker for checking for and determining a provenance of accuracy for a georeferenced position fix.

17. The automatic object mapping system of claim 15, further comprising:

an image identification processor configured for identifying a second image from an image database, wherein said second image correlates to said image;

a communicative coupling with a geographic location information system;

a reference feature determiner configured for determining a reference feature common to both said second image and said image; and

a feature locator configured for accessing said geographic location information system to identify and obtain geographic location information related to said common reference feature.

18. The automatic object mapping system of claim 17, further comprising:

a registration comparer configured for comparing georeferenced registration information received in conjunction with said image to existing georeferenced registration information associated with said second image to determine which is more accurate, wherein level of accuracy is determined based upon comparing accuracy of sources of said georeferenced registration information; and

a registration updater configured for updating said existing georeferenced registration information with said received georeferenced registration information if said georeferenced registration information for said image is determined to be more accurate than said existing georeferenced registration information for said second image.

19. The automatic object mapping system of claim 17, further comprising:

a coordinate system transformer configured for transforming geographic location information related to a common reference feature into a desired coordinate system.

20. The automatic object mapping system of claim 17, further comprising:

an accuracy validator configured to validate a level of accuracy associated with geographic location information accessed from said geographic location information system by said feature locator.

21. A method of automatic obstacle location mapping, said method comprising:

coupling an obstacle detecting apparatus with an implement;

determining, using said obstacle detecting apparatus, that said implement has struck an object; and

generating a report conveying the location of said object.

22. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising:

using a sensing device of said obstacle detecting apparatus to determine that said implement has struck said object, said sensing device selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a strain gauge, a load cell, and a gyroscope.

23. The method recited in claim 22, further comprising:

determining that the acceleration of said implement exceeds a pre-defined threshold value.

24. The method recited in claim 22, further comprising:

determining that said acceleration exceeds a percentage of a baseline acceleration value.

25. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising:

sending an indication of the location of said object via a wide-area farming information collection and dissemination network; and

receiving a report via said wide-area farming information collection and dissemination network indicating the location of said object on a representation of a defined area where implement has struck said object.

26. A method of detecting an object comprising:

receiving an indication of the presence of a selected object in a defined area, wherein said selected object is a rock and said defined area is a farm field; and

generating a report indicating the location of said selected object on a representation of said farm field.

27. The method recited in claim 26, wherein said receiving an indication of the presence of a selected object in a defined area comprises:

receiving said indication from a vehicle monitor coupled with an obstacle detection system.

28. The method recited in claim 27, further comprising:

generating said indication in response to a change in acceleration of a device coupled with an implement.

29. The method recited in claim 26, wherein said receiving an indication of the presence of a selected object in a defined area comprises:

analyzing an image of said defined area; and

finding an instance of said selected object based upon said analyzing.

30. The method recited in claim 29, further comprising:

analyzing a second image to derive a first set of coordinates of a reference feature shown in said second image;

correlating said second image with said image; and

deriving a second set of coordinates which describe the location of said selected object based upon said correlating of said second image with said image.

31. The method recited in claim 26, wherein said representation is selected from the group consisting of a map of said defined area, a picture of said defined area, a moving image of said defined area, and a real-time representation of said defined area.