MOBILE APPARATUS AND LOCALIZATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130166137A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: AHN, Sung Hwan, Roh, Kyung Shik, Yoon, Suk June, Hyung, Seung Yong, Kwak, No San
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/32.3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206

Abstract

A mobile apparatus and a localization method thereof which perform localization of the mobile apparatus using a distributed filter system including a plurality of local filters independently operated and one fusion filter integrating results of localization performed through the respective local filters, and additionally apply accurate topological absolute position information to the distributed filter system to improve localization performance (accuracy, convergence and speed in localization, etc.) of the mobile apparatus on a wide space. The mobile apparatus includes at least one sensor, at least one first distribution filter generating current relative position information using a value detected by the at least one sensor, at least one second distribution filter generating current absolute position information using the value detected by the at least one sensor, and a fusion filter integrating the relative position information and the absolute position information to perform localization.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor;

at least one first distribution filter to generate current relative position information using a value detected by the at least one sensor;

at least one second distribution filter to generate current absolute position information using the value detected by the at least one sensor; and

a fusion filter to integrate the relative position information of the at least one first distribution filter and the absolute position information of the at least one second distribution filter to perform localization.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second distribution filter generates the absolute position information through detection of at least one node predetermined on a space on which the mobile apparatus moves.

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one second distribution filter comprises:

a prediction unit to predict position/pose information of the mobile apparatus; and

an update unit to update the predicted position/pose information of the mobile apparatus using the value detected by the at least one sensor; and

the at least one second distribution filter provides the updated position/pose information to the fusion filter to reflect the updated position/pose information in update of position/pose information of the fusion filter.

4. The mobile apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

prediction of the position/pose information is periodically performed; and

update of the position/pose information is performed when the at least one node is detected.

5. The mobile apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the at least one first distribution filter reflects the fused position/pose information of the fusion filter in update of the relative position information; and

the at least one second distribution filter reflects the fused position/pose information in update of the absolute position information.

6. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a preprocessing unit to recognize at least one node predetermined on a space on which the mobile apparatus moves, to generate node detection information from which uncertainty of node detection is removed through comparison between a node recognition result and a predetermined local map, and providing the node detection information to the at least one second distribution filter.

7. The mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the preprocessing unit comprises:

a node recognition unit to recognize the at least one node; and

a node matching unit to remove uncertainty of node detection.

8. The mobile apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a storage unit to store the local map.

9. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a camera to photograph a space on which the mobile apparatus moves.

19. The mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the preprocessing unit calculates measurement information to localize the walking robot by performing preprocessing of detected information including rotating angle information, image information and inertial information transmitted from the encoders, the cameras, and the initial measurement unit (IMU).

20. The mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the local map is uploaded via a wired, wireless, or wired-wireless hybrid network.

21. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is a charge-coupled device camera, complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera or time of flight (TOF) camera.

22. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is a night vision camera capable of acquiring images under no or little light condition.

10. A localization method of a mobile apparatus comprising:

allowing at least one first distribution filter to generate current relative position information using a value detected by at least one sensor;

allowing at least one second distribution filter to generate current absolute position information using the value detected by the at least one sensor; and

allowing a fusion filter to fuse the relative position information of the at least one first distribution filter and the absolute position information of the at least one second distribution filter to perform localization.

11. The localization method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one second distribution filter generates the absolute position information through detection of at least one node predetermined on a space on which the mobile apparatus moves.

12. The localization method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one second distribution filter comprises:

a prediction unit predicting position/pose information of the mobile apparatus; and

an update unit updating the predicted position/pose information of the mobile apparatus using the value detected by the at least one sensor; and

the at least one second distribution filter provides the updated position/pose information to the fusion filter to reflect the updated position/pose information in update of position/pose information of the fusion filter.

13. The localization method according to claim 12, wherein:

prediction of the position/pose information is periodically performed; and

update of the position/pose information is performed whenever the at least one node is detected.

14. The localization method according to claim 12, wherein:

the at least one first distribution filter reflects the fused position/pose information of the fusion filter in update of the relative position information; and

the at least one second distribution filter reflects the fused position/pose information in update of the absolute position information.

15. The localization method according to claim 10, further comprising allowing a preprocessing unit to recognize at least one node predetermined on a space on which the mobile apparatus moves, to generate node detection information from which uncertainty of node detection is removed through comparison between a node recognition result and a predetermined local map, and to provide the node detection information to the at least one second distribution filter.

16. The localization method according to claim 15, wherein the preprocessing unit comprises:

a node recognition unit to recognize the at least one node; and

a node matching unit to remove uncertainty of node detection.

17. The localization method according to claim 15, further comprising storing the local map in a storage unit.

18. The localization method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is a camera to photograph a space on which the mobile apparatus moves.