Apparatus and method generating a grid map

• US 8,996,292 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jun-Ho, Jeong, Woo-Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US12/926,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/25, 701/301, 901/1
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An apparatus and method generating a grid map are provided. The grid map generating apparatus generates a grid map while turning 360 degrees at a dynamically adjustable rotational velocity. The dynamically adjustable rotational velocity allows grid points to have equal intervals on the grid map. The grid map generating apparatus generates a grid map while making a complete turn, and generates a grid map corresponding to a non-linear section while making another turn.

Claims

1. An apparatus generating a grid map, the apparatus comprising:

a distance measuring unit configured to measure a distance to a scanned object; and

a rotational velocity determination unit configured to set a needed rotational velocity of a grid map generating apparatus based on the measured distance to the object according to a velocity at which a surrounding environment is scanned.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the rotational velocity is defined using an angular velocity and is in inverse proportion to the measured distance to the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if a first point of the object corresponding to a first rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus and a second point of the object corresponding to a second rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus exist, the rotational velocity determination unit calculates a rotational velocity for a rotational motion from the first rotational position to the second rotational position based on a distance to the first point.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is the grid map generating apparatus and is provided as a mobile robot or provided in the mobile robot.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining of the rotational velocity is based on determining the rotational velocity so as to control an interval between a first position on the object corresponding to the measured distance and a subsequent position on the object corresponding to a subsequently measured distance to the object measured while rotating at the determined rotational velocity.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining of the rotational velocity includes determining the rotational velocity so as to be instituted while a subsequent distance measurement is performed by the distance measuring unit.

5. An apparatus generating a grid map, the apparatus comprising:

a distance measuring unit configured to measure a distance to an object;

a first rotational velocity determination unit configured, if a turn of a grid map generating apparatus is incomplete, to determine a first rotational velocity of the grid map generating apparatus based on the measured distance to the object; and

a second rotational velocity determination unit configured, if a turn of the grid map generating apparatus is complete, to determine a second rotational velocity of the grid map generating apparatus based on a presence of a non-linear section that is defined as an area of a generated grid map having a grid interval exceeding a threshold value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second rotational velocity is determined by the generated grid map being obtained based on the first rotational velocity.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first rotational velocity is defined using an angular velocity and is in inverse proportion to the measured distance to the object.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, if a first point of the object corresponding to a first rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus and a second point of the object corresponding to a second rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus exist, the first rotational velocity determination unit calculates a rotational velocity for a rotational motion from the first rotational position to the second rotational position based on a distance to the first point.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is the grid map generating apparatus and is provided as a mobile robot or provided in the mobile robot.

10. A method generating a grid map by rotating a grid map generating apparatus, the method comprising:

measuring a distance to a scanned object using a distance measuring device; and

setting a needed rotational velocity of the grid map generating apparatus based on the measured distance to the object according to a velocity at which a surrounding environment is scanned.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the rotational velocity is defined using an angular velocity and is in inverse proportion to the measured distance to the object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein, the determining of the rotational velocity comprises, if a first point of the object corresponding to a first rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus and a second point of the object corresponding to a second rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus exist, calculating a rotational velocity for a rotational motion from the first rotational position to the second rotational position based on a distance to the first point.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining of the rotational velocity is based on determining the rotational velocity so as to control an interval between a first position on the object corresponding to the measured distance and a subsequent position on the object corresponding to a subsequently measured distance to the object measured while rotating at the determined rotational velocity.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining of the rotational velocity is based on determining the rotational velocity so as to be instituted while a subsequent distance measurement is performed using the distance measuring device.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein the distance measuring device includes a distance measuring sensor configured to detect reflected light, an ultrasonic sensor configured to detect reflected ultrasonic waves, and/or a laser sensor configured to detect reflected laser light.

13. A method generating a grid map by rotating a grid map generating apparatus, the method comprising:

measuring a distance to an object using a distance measuring device;

if a turn of the grid map generating apparatus is incomplete, determining a first rotational velocity of the grid map generating apparatus based on the measured distance to the object; and

if a turn of the grid map generating apparatus is complete, determining a second rotational velocity of the grid map generating apparatus based on a presence of a non-linear section that is defined as an area of a generated grid map having a grid interval exceeding a threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second rotational velocity is determined by the generated grid map being obtained based on the first rotational velocity.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the rotational velocity is defined using an angular velocity and is in inverse proportion to the measured distance to the object.

16. The method of 13, wherein, the determining of the first rotational velocity comprises, if a first point of the object corresponding to a first rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus and a second point of the object corresponding to a second rotational position of the grid map generating apparatus exist, calculating a rotational velocity for a rotational motion from the first rotational position to the second rotational position based on a distance to the first point.

17. A method generating a grid map of a robot, the method comprising:

measuring a distance to a first point of a scanned object using a distance measuring device; and

generating a portion of the grid map by rotating the robot at a first needed rotational velocity set based on the distance to the first point and measuring a distance to a second point of the object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether a turn of the robot is complete;

if a turn of the robot is incomplete, generating a remaining portion of the grid map by continually and sequentially performing the measuring of distance and the generating of the remaining portion of the grid map;

if a turn of the robot is complete, determining a presence of a non-linear section that is defined as an area of a generated grid map having a grid interval exceeding a threshold value; and

if the non-linear section is present, regenerating the area of the grid map corresponding to the non-linear section based on a second rotational velocity different from the first rotational velocity.