Distributed position identification

• US 9,214,021 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vian, John Lyle, Saad, Emad William, Reynolds, Carson Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): NAKHJAVAN, SHERVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/647,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying a position of a mobile platform. Images are provided by a camera system on a first mobile platform. The images include images of a second platform. An identified position of the first mobile platform is generated using the images and the position information for the second platform. The position information for the second platform identifies a location of the second platform.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a position of a mobile platform, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor unit, images provided by a camera system on a first mobile platform,

wherein the images include images of features and images of a second platform;

identifying, by the processor unit, a first position and a first position accuracy from the features in the images from shifts in positions of the features in the images;

identifying, by the processor unit, a second position and a second position accuracy using the images of the second platform and position information from the second platform; and

determining, by the processor unit, an identified position and an identified position accuracy of the first mobile platform using a combination of the first position, the first position accuracy, the second position, and the second position accuracy,

wherein the position information from the second platform identifies a location of the second platform.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using the identified position and the identified position accuracy of the first mobile platform to control the first mobile platform.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the identified position of the first mobile platform and the identified position accuracy of the first mobile platform.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the position information for the second platform is generated using images provided by a camera system on the second platform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile platform and the second platform are selected from a robot and an unmanned air vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein the features include fiducial markers;

wherein the combination is a statistical combination, a geometry combination, and a Baysian combination;

wherein the first mobile platform includes a number of working components;

wherein the number of working components include parts used to perform a task at a specific position in an operating environment;

wherein the number of working components includes manipulator arms;

wherein the method further comprises;

determining, by the processor unit, whether the identified position accuracy is sufficient to perform the task,

wherein when the identified position accuracy is not sufficient, the task is not performed, and

wherein when the identified position accuracy is sufficient, the first mobile platform is controlled to perform the task;

wherein position identification at a sub-millimeter level is desired;

wherein the first mobile platform is one of a number of robots and identified position information and identified position accuracy information for the number of robots and a number of working components on the number of robots are displayed on a position information display; and

wherein each row of the position information display comprises

a robot identifier,

a working component identifier,

position identifiers for X, Y, Z, pitch, roll, and yaw axes for a working component identified by the working component identifier and the robot identifier, and

position accuracy identifiers for spatial units, angular units, a time between updates, and a latency.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a camera system on a first mobile platform,

wherein the camera system provides images and wherein the images include images of features and images of a second mobile platform;

a communications system that receives the images; and

a processor unit that

identifies a first position and a first position accuracy from the features in the images from shifts in positions of the features in the images,

identifies a second position and a second position accuracy using the images of the second mobile platform and position information from the second mobile platform, and

determines an identified position and an identified position accuracy of the first mobile platform using a combination of the first position, the first position accuracy, the second position, and the second position accuracy,

wherein the position information from the second mobile platform identifies a location of the second mobile platform.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a platform controller that uses the identified position and the identified position accuracy of the first mobile platform to control the first mobile platform.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the platform controller displays the identified position of the first mobile platform and the identified position accuracy of the first mobile platform.

9. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the position information for the second mobile platform is generated using images provided by a camera system on the second mobile platform.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the identified position of the first mobile platform is a first identified position and wherein the processor unit determines a second identified position of the first mobile platform without using the position information for the second mobile platform;

and determines a final identified position of the first mobile platform using the first identified position of the first mobile platform and the second identified position of the first mobile platform.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first mobile platform and the second mobile platform are selected from a robot and an unmanned air vehicle.

12. A method for identifying a position of a mobile platform, comprising:

determining, by a processor unit, a plurality of identified positions and a plurality of identified position accuracies for the mobile platform using a plurality of different methods,

wherein one of the plurality of different methods for identifying an identified position for the mobile platform includes

receiving images provided by a camera system on the mobile platform and

identifying a first position and a first position accuracy from features in the images from shifts in positions of the features in the images, and

wherein a second one of the plurality of different methods for identifying an identified position for the mobile platform includes

identifying, by the processor unit, a second position and a second position accuracy using images of a second mobile platform and position information from the second mobile platform; and

combining, by the processor unit, the plurality of identified positions and the plurality of identified position accuracies for the mobile platform to generate a final identified position and a final identified position accuracy for the mobile platform,

wherein the final identified position of the mobile platform identifies a location and an orientation of the mobile platform.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the position information for the second mobile platform is generated using images provided by a camera system on the second mobile platform.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

using the final identified position and the final identified position accuracy for the mobile platform to control the mobile platform.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

displaying the final identified position and the final identified position accuracy for the mobile platform and the accuracy of the final identified position for the mobile platform.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile platform is selected from a robot and an unmanned air vehicle.