METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING UNIQUE LANDMARKS TO LOCATE INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES AT START-UP
First Claim
1. A method of operating an industrial vehicle in a navigation system comprising the industrial vehicle, one or more sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle, a mobile computer operably coupled to the industrial vehicle, and an environment based navigation module comprised in the mobile computer, wherein the method comprises:
- starting-up the industrial vehicle such that the industrial vehicle has no information about its pose;
utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to process measurement data from the sensors after starting-up the industrial vehicle, wherein the measurement data is indicative of the presence of pre-positioned objects or landmarks within a range of the sensors;
utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to determine initial pose prediction data for the industrial vehicle from the measurement data, whereinthe initial pose prediction data is sufficient to determine a sub-area of a physical environment in which the industrial vehicle is positioned, but the initial pose prediction data is insufficient to determine a location of the industrial vehicle within the determined sub-area;
utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to select a sub-area based on the initial pose prediction data and obtain a sub-area map from an overview map of the physical environment based on the initial pose prediction data;
utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to refine the initial pose prediction data for the industrial vehicle using the sub-area map and features observable by the sensors from the selected sub-area to generate a new pose; and
utilizing the refined initial pose prediction, the sensors, and the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle through the physical environment.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for using unique landmarks to position industrial vehicles during start-up. In one embodiment, a method of using pre-positioned objects as landmarks to operate an industrial vehicle is provided. The method comprises identifying a start-up scenario from sensor data, wherein the start-up scenario comprises a unique marker start-up or a pre-positioned object start-up. in response to the identified start-up scenario, either a unique marker or pre-positioned object is identified within a physical environment, wherein the pre-positioned object or unique marker corresponds with a sub-area of the physical environment. The industrial vehicle pose is determined in response to the identity of the pre-positioned object or unique marker and the industrial vehicle is operated based on the determined industrial vehicle pose.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating an industrial vehicle in a navigation system comprising the industrial vehicle, one or more sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle, a mobile computer operably coupled to the industrial vehicle, and an environment based navigation module comprised in the mobile computer, wherein the method comprises:
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starting-up the industrial vehicle such that the industrial vehicle has no information about its pose; utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to process measurement data from the sensors after starting-up the industrial vehicle, wherein the measurement data is indicative of the presence of pre-positioned objects or landmarks within a range of the sensors; utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to determine initial pose prediction data for the industrial vehicle from the measurement data, wherein the initial pose prediction data is sufficient to determine a sub-area of a physical environment in which the industrial vehicle is positioned, but the initial pose prediction data is insufficient to determine a location of the industrial vehicle within the determined sub-area; utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to select a sub-area based on the initial pose prediction data and obtain a sub-area map from an overview map of the physical environment based on the initial pose prediction data; utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to refine the initial pose prediction data for the industrial vehicle using the sub-area map and features observable by the sensors from the selected sub-area to generate a new pose; and utilizing the refined initial pose prediction, the sensors, and the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle through the physical environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating an industrial vehicle in a navigation system comprising the industrial vehicle, one or more sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle, a mobile computer operably coupled to the industrial vehicle, wherein the mobile computer comprises an environment based navigation module and the method comprises:
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starting-up the industrial vehicle such that the industrial vehicle has no information about its pose or its location relative to particular sub-areas of the environment; utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to process measurement data from the sensors after starting-up the industrial vehicle, wherein the measurement data is indicative of the presence of at least one pre-positioned object within a range of the sensors; utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to develop an initial pose estimate; utilizing the initial pose estimate and data from the sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle to navigate the industrial vehicle to the pre-positioned object; accessing a position of the pre-positioned object from placed object data associated with the pre-positioned object or from a warehouse management system in communication with the mobile computer; developing a new start-up pose estimate using the accessed position of the pre-positioned object; and utilizing the new start-up pose, data from the sensors, and the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle through the physical environment. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification