Distributed robotic guidance

• US 8,396,597 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US12/543,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/248, 700/250, 700/251, 700/253, 700/258, 700/259, 701/2, 701 23- 26, 701/28, 701/50, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 318/577, 901/1, 901/46, 901/47, 901/50, 56/102.A, 356 3- 22, 356138-155, 356399-401, 356/603, 356/606
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• 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: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

The different illustrative embodiments provide an apparatus that includes a computer system, a number of structured light generators, and a number of mobile robotic devices. The computer system is configured to generate a path plan. The number of structured light generators is configured to project the path plan. The number of mobile robotic devices is configured to detect and follow the path plan.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a mobile robotic device, the method comprising:

receiving commands to generate a guidance projection for a path plan;

responsive to receiving the commands, generating the guidance projection for the path plan using a three-dimensional map; and

projecting the guidance projection onto a contained area, wherein the step of generating the guidance projection using the three dimensional map further comprises;

identifying a number of umbral areas;

responsive to identifying the number of umbral areas, creating a number of umbral guides; and

generating the guidance projection using the three-dimensional map and the number of umbral guides, wherein the guidance projection is a structured light projection that comprises a discernible path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance projection comprises a line path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance projection comprises a number of behavior codes that contain navigational instructions for the mobile robotic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of behavior codes are configured to guide the mobile robotic device after the guidance projection is no longer visible.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contained area is at least one of an inside environment and an outside environment, and further comprising steps of:

monitoring at least one object in the contained area; and

responsive to monitoring the at least one object in the contained area, modifying the path plan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of projecting the guidance projection onto the contained area is performed using multiple structured light generators.

7. The method of claim 6, where the guidance projection comprises a plurality of segments that are simultaneously projected using the multiple structured light generators.

8. The method of claim 6, where the guidance projection comprises a plurality of segments that are consecutively projected using the multiple structured light generators.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the path plan is generated using a path planning algorithm.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

generating the path plan using a mapping process; and

communicating the generated path plan to a structured light generating process that projects the guidance projection onto the contained area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the path plan comprises a set of navigational instructions that define a path for the mobile robotic device to follow.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

tracking a position of the mobile robotic device relative to the guidance projection.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of:

responsive to tracking the position of the mobile robotic device relative to the guidance projection, modifying the path plan.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the guidance projection using the three-dimensional map, further comprises:

creating a first three-dimensional map;

annotating the first three-dimensional map to form a second three-dimensional map;

creating a third three-dimensional map using the second three-dimensional map and current data; and

generating a guidance projection using the third three-dimensional map.