Method and apparatus for simulating a physical environment to facilitate vehicle operation and task completion
First Claim
1. A method of operating a vehicle by simulating a physical environment, the method comprising:
- collecting data from a sensor array, wherein the collected data relates to various physical attributes, including size and shape, of objects within the physical environment;
using the collected data to construct digital, three-dimensional models of the objects within the physical environment;
accessing the three-dimensional models associated with respective ones of the plurality of objects, wherein the three-dimensional models enable creation of visual representations of respective ones of the plurality of objects from any perspective;
correlating the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array to produce a correlation result;
generating at least one visual representation of the physical environment from at least one viewpoint based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array;
identifying at least one obstruction represented by the three-dimensional models, within the physical environment, using the at least one visual representation generated based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array; and
operating the vehicle to complete a task based on the obstruction identified using the visual representation generated based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for simulating a physical environment to facilitate vehicle operation and task completion is described. In one embodiment, the method includes processing data that is transmitted from a sensor array comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices are placed throughout a physical environment that comprises a plurality of objects, accessing model information associated with the plurality of objects, wherein the model information indicates at least one physical attribute associated with each of the plurality of objects, correlating the model information with the transmitted data from the sensor array to produce a correlation result, generating at least one visual representation of the physical environment from at least one viewpoint based on the correlation result and identifying at least one obstruction, within the physical environment, using the at least one visual representation.
132 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating a vehicle by simulating a physical environment, the method comprising:
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collecting data from a sensor array, wherein the collected data relates to various physical attributes, including size and shape, of objects within the physical environment; using the collected data to construct digital, three-dimensional models of the objects within the physical environment; accessing the three-dimensional models associated with respective ones of the plurality of objects, wherein the three-dimensional models enable creation of visual representations of respective ones of the plurality of objects from any perspective; correlating the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array to produce a correlation result; generating at least one visual representation of the physical environment from at least one viewpoint based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array; identifying at least one obstruction represented by the three-dimensional models, within the physical environment, using the at least one visual representation generated based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array; and operating the vehicle to complete a task based on the obstruction identified using the visual representation generated based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for simulating a physical environment to facilitate vehicle operation and task completion, the system comprising a mobile computer coupled to a vehicle, a central computer, and a sensor array, wherein:
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the mobile computer, the central computer, and the sensor array are coupled to each other through a network; and software modules within the central computer, the mobile computer, or both, render three-dimensional models of a plurality of objects within a physical environment in which the vehicle operates and, based on the three-dimensional models, generate visual representations of the physical environment at any selected viewpoint to facilitate vehicle operation by collecting data from a sensor array, wherein the collected data relates to various physical attributes, including size and shape, of objects within the physical environment, using the collected data to construct digital, three-dimensional models of the objects within the physical environment, accessing the three-dimensional models associated with respective ones of the plurality of objects, wherein the three-dimensional models enable creation of visual representations of respective ones of the plurality of objects from any perspective, correlating the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array to produce a correlation result, generating at least one visual representation of the physical environment from at least one viewpoint based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array, identifying at least one obstruction represented by the three-dimensional models, within the physical environment, using the at least one visual representation generated based on the correlation of the three-dimensional models with the transmitted data from the sensor array, and operating the vehicle to complete a task based on the obstruction. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification