Camera-based indoor position recognition apparatus and method

• US 8,463,541 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Nam-Shik
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/326,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20120158282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A camera-based indoor position recognition apparatus includes: a floor capturing unit capturing a floor image by controlling a camera installed on a ceiling of an indoor space; a grid map generator constructing a grid map including cell images and position values by dividing the captured floor image into cells of a predetermined size and assigning the position values to the cells; a transceiver performing a data communication with a robot in the indoor space; and a controller providing an identifier-registration and a current position-information to the robot in accordance with an identifier-registration-requesting message and a position-information-requesting message of the robot, wherein the identifier-registration-requesting message and the position-information-requesting message of the robot are delivered from the transceiver.

Claims

1. A camera-based indoor position recognition apparatus comprising:

a floor capturing unit capturing a floor image by controlling a camera installed on a ceiling of an indoor space;

a grid map generator constructing a grid map including cell images and position values by dividing the captured floor image into cells of a predetermined size and assigning the position values to the cells;

a transceiver performing a wireless data communication with a robot in the indoor space; and

a controller controlling the floor capturing unit and the grid map generator, and providing an identifier-registration and a current position-information to the robot in accordance with an identifier-registration-requesting message and a position-information-requesting message of the robot, wherein the identifier-registration-requesting message and the position-information-requesting message of the robot are delivered from the transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the controller receives the identifier-registration-requesting message of the robot, the controller extracts a robot name and an identifier image from the identifier-registration-requesting message, and registers an identifier of the robot.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the controller receives the position-information-requesting message, the controller captures the floor image by controlling the floor capturing unit;

detects an identifier of the robot from the captured floor image;

maps an image area to which the identifier belongs onto the grid map; and

transmits a position-information of the cell, where the identifier is detected, to the robot.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit storing an operation program of the apparatus and storing a robot name and an identifier image of the robot.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the floor capturing unit captures the floor image together with an X-axis scale and a Y-axis scale crossing each other on a floor of the indoor space.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the floor is divided into the cells having the predetermined size by gradations of the X-axis scale and the Y-axis scale.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the grid map generator establishes an intersection point of an X-axis scale and a Y-axis scale to be a center point of the grid map, and generates an image grid having the cells as unit based on gradation of the X-axis scale and the Y-axis scale.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the grid map generator constructs the grid map by storing the cell images and points corresponding to the cell images on the image grid.

9. A camera-based indoor position recognition method comprising:

capturing, at a floor capturing unit, a floor image by controlling a camera installed on a ceiling of an indoor space;

constructing, at a grid map generator, a grid map including cell images and position values by dividing the captured floor image into cells of a predetermined size and assigning the position values to the cells;

performing, at a transceiver, a wireless data communication with a robot in the indoor space; and

controlling, at a controller, the floor capturing unit and the grid map generator, and providing an identifier-registration and a current position-information to the robot in accordance with an identifier-registration-requesting message and a position-information-requesting message of the robot, wherein the identifier-registration-requesting message and the position-information-requesting message of the robot are delivered from the transceiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said controlling the floor capturing unit and the grid map generator, when the controller receives the identifier-registration-requesting message of the robot, the controller extracts a robot name and an identifier image from the identifier-registration-requesting message, and registers an identifier of the robot.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said controlling the floor capturing unit and the grid map generator includes:

capturing the floor image by controlling the floor capturing unit, when the controller receives the position-information-requesting message;

detecting an identifier of the robot from the captured floor image;

mapping an image area to which the identifier belongs onto the grid map; and

transmitting a position-information of the cell, where the identifier is detected, to the robot.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing an operation program of the method and storing a robot name and an identifier image of the robot.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said capturing a floor image includes capturing the floor image together with an X-axis scale and a Y-axis scale crossing each other on a floor of the indoor space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the floor is divided into the cells having the predetermined size by gradations of the X-axis scale and the Y-axis scale.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said constructing a grid map includes:

establishing an intersection point of an X-axis scale and a Y-axis scale to be a center point of the grid map; and

generates an image grid having the cells as unit based on gradation of the X-axis scale and the Y-axis scale.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said constructing a grid map includes:

constructing the grid map by storing the cell images and points corresponding to the cell images on the image grid.

17. A camera-based indoor position recognition method comprising:

transmitting an identifier-registration-requesting message including a robot name and an identifier image of a robot to a position recognition apparatus, wherein the robot is located in an indoor space and the robot is wirelessly connected with the position recognition apparatus;

receiving a identifier-registration-completion message from the position recognition apparatus;

transmitting a position-information-requesting message including the robot name of the robot to the position recognition apparatus; and

receiving a position-information-answering message including a current-position-information from the position recognition apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifier-registration-completion message includes:

a grid map identifier for a floor where the robot is located; and

a grid map containing a position-information.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the position-information-requesting message includes a robot name pre-registered in the position recognition apparatus.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifier is attached on top of the robot.