Systems and methods for collecting data

• US 8,854,362 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Poursohi, Arshan, Hickman, Ryan, Gharpure, Chaitanya, Lewis, Thor
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Phi
• Application Number:
  US13/592,450
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

Systems and methods for collecting data from an object are provided. In examples, a plurality of sensing components are configured to receive information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object. The information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object can be associated with respective data points of the object. The system is further configured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) view of the object based on the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object and the association with respective data points.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of sensing components configured to determine information indicative of one or more characteristics of a first object, wherein each sensing component is configured to determine a confidence level associated with the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object provided by that sensing component;

one or more computing devices; and

a memory, the memory configured to store instructions, that when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform functions comprising;

comparing information about the first object acquired by a first sensing component of the plurality of sensing components to a database of information indicative of characteristics of other objects that are separate from the first object;

determining, based on the comparison, whether to acquire additional information indicative of characteristics of the first object using one or more other sensing components of the plurality of sensing components;

associating the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object with respective data points on the first object to which the one or more characteristics correspond, wherein the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object is associated with parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the first object; and

generating a three-dimensional (3D) view of the object based on the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object and the association with respective data points.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing components includes an image capture device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensing components includes at least one sensing component selected from the group consisting of:

an odor sensor, weight sensor, temperature sensor, and audio sensor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the image capture device is configured to operate first among the plurality of sensing components.

5. The system of claim 1, configured such that the functions are operative to provide a display including an embedded viewer configured to render a three-dimensional (3D) object data model that represents the first object so as to present a view of the first object, wherein the 3D object data model is characterized by the parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the first object.

6. The system of claim 5, configured such that the functions are operative to cause the one or more computing devices to associate the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object with respective data points on the 3D object data model.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the embedded viewer is operable to receive input, wherein the input comprises one or more of a request to zoom in on a given data point, a request to provide a second view of the first object, a request to rotate a rendering of the 3D object data model, a selection of a given data point, and a mouse-over of a given data point.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the rendering of the 3D object data model is tailored for each data point based on the information associated with each data point.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object comprises information based on multiple senses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

identifying the first object based on the comparison; and

in response to identifying the first object, determining an order of operation of the plurality of sensing components.

11. A method comprising:

determining information indicative of one or more characteristics of a first object using one or more sensing components;

comparing the information to a database of information indicative of characteristics of other objects that are separate from the first object;

based on the comparison, determining whether to acquire further information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object using the one or more sensing components;

associating the information indicative of the one or more characteristics of the first object with respective data points on the first object to which the one or more characteristics correspond, wherein the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object is associated with parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the first object; and

generating a three-dimensional (3D) view of the first object based on the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object and the association with respective data points.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a confidence level associated with the determined information, and

wherein the determination regarding whether to acquire further information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object is further based on the confidence level.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a display including an embedded viewer configured to render a three-dimensional (3D) object data model that represents the first object so as to present a view of the first object, wherein the 3D object data model is characterized by the parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the first object.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, from the embedded viewer, information indicating an input to the embedded viewer, wherein the input is based on a given data point of the view of the first object presented by the embedded viewer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the input comprises one or more of a request to zoom in on the given data point, a request to provide a second view of the first object, a request to rotate a rendering of the 3D object data model, a selection of the given data point, and a mouse-over of the given data point.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of sensing components configured to determine information indicative of one or more characteristics of an object, comprising;

a first sensing component configured to determine data regarding a first property of the object and produce a first output based on the determined data regarding the first property, wherein the first sensing component comprises an image capture device and the data regarding the first property of the object comprises an image of the object;

a second sensing component configured to determine data regarding a second property of the object and produce a second output based on the determined data regarding the second property; and

a third sensing component configured to determine data regarding a third property of the object and produce a third output based on the determined data regarding the third property;

one or more computing devices; and

a memory configured to store instructions that when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform functions comprising;

associating the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object with respective data points on the object to which the one or more characteristics correspond, wherein the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object is associated with parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the object;

determining, based on the first output, whether the second sensing component determines data regarding the second property;

determining, based on the first output, whether the third sensing component determines data regarding the third property; and

generating a three-dimensional (3D) view of the object based on the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object and the association with respective data points.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining whether the second sensing component determines data regarding the second property comprises comparing the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the object to a database of information indicative of characteristics of other objects that are separate from the object, and determining whether to acquire additional information based on the comparison.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sensing components are located on an assembly line, wherein the assembly line comprises a robotic arm configured to move the object.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise providing a display including an embedded viewer configured to render a three-dimensional (3D) object data model that represents the object so as to present a view of the object, wherein the 3D object data model is characterized by the parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the object.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining information indicative of one or more characteristics of a first object using one or more sensing components;

comparing the information to a database of information indicative of characteristics of other objects that are separate from the first object;

based on the comparison, determining whether to acquire further information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object using the one or more sensing components;

associating the information indicative of the one or more characteristics of the first object with respective data points on the first object to which the one or more characteristics correspond, wherein the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object is associated with parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the first object; and

generating a three-dimensional (3D) view of the first object based on the information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object and the association with respective data points.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining a confidence level associated with the determined information, and

wherein the determination regarding whether to acquire further information indicative of one or more characteristics of the first object is further based on the confidence level.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the functions further comprise providing a display including an embedded viewer configured to render a three-dimensional (3D) object data model that represents the first object so as to present a view of the first object, wherein the 3D object data model is characterized by the parameters defining rendering features for the respective data points of the first object.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the functions further comprise receiving, from the embedded viewer, information indicating an input to the embedded viewer, wherein the input is based on a given data point of the view of the first object presented by the embedded viewer.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the input comprises one or more of a request to zoom in on the given data point, a request to provide a second view of the first object, a request to rotate a rendering of the 3D object data model, a selection of the given data point, and a mouse-over of the given data point.