Documenting test room configurations

• US 9,441,951 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vitaladevuni, Shiv Naga Prasad, Slifka, Janet Louise, Prasad, Rohit
• Primary Examiner(s): GUADALUPE, YARITZA
• Application Number:
  US14/089,540
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1.C, 33D/IG.21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/00 Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/00 Testing static or dynamic balance of machines or structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data

Abstract

Techniques are described for documenting the positions of items in a room, such as in rooms that are configured for testing automated systems that perform position-related functions. A non-contact measuring tool may be placed at different reference positions within the room. At each position, measurements are made to the room corners and to items of interest within the room. Based on this information, coordinates of the reference positions are calculated. Coordinates of the items are calculated based on the determined coordinates of the reference positions.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining coordinates of an item within a room, the method comprising:

placing a laser measuring device at a first reference position within the room, wherein the laser measuring device is capable of being aimed in different directions to measure distances from the first reference position to respective surfaces at which the laser measuring device is aimed;

aiming the laser measuring device at a first corner of the room and measuring a first reference-to-corner distance between the first reference position and the first corner with the laser measuring device;

aiming the laser measuring device at a second corner of the room and measuring a second reference-to-corner distance between the first reference position and the second corner with the laser measuring device;

determining coordinates of the first reference position by minimizing a first function of the first reference-to-corner distance and the second reference-to-corner distance;

aiming the laser measuring device at the item and measuring a first reference-to-item distance between the first reference position and the item with the laser measuring device;

placing the laser measuring device at second reference position within the room;

aiming the laser measuring device at the first corner within the room and measuring a third reference-to-corner distance between the second reference position and the first corner with the laser measuring device;

aiming the laser measuring device at the second corner and measuring a fourth reference-to-corner distance between the second reference position and the second corner with the laser measuring device;

determining coordinates of the second reference position by minimizing the first function of the third reference-to-corner distance and the fourth reference to corner distance;

aiming the laser measuring device at the item and measuring a second reference-to-item distance between the second reference position and the item with the laser measuring device; and

determining coordinates of the item by minimizing a second function of the coordinates of the first reference position and the second reference position and the first reference-to-item distance and the second reference-to-item distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first function comprises:

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second function comprises:

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aiming the laser measuring device at a ceiling and measuring a reference-to-ceiling distance between the reference position and the ceiling with the laser measuring device; and

wherein the first function is a function of the measured reference-to-ceiling distance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing the laser measuring device at the item;

aiming the laser measuring device at a ceiling and measuring an item-to-ceiling distance between the item and the ceiling with the laser measuring device; and

wherein the second function is a function of the measured item-to-ceiling distance.

6. A method comprising:

selecting a first reference position and a second reference position within an environment;

measuring a first reference-to-landmark distance between the first reference position and a first landmark and measuring a second reference-to-landmark distance between the second reference position and the first landmark;

measuring a third reference-to-landmark distance between the first reference position and a second landmark and measuring a fourth reference-to-landmark distance between the second reference position and the second landmark;

determining first coordinates of the first reference position and second coordinates of the second reference position based at least in part on one or more of the first reference-to-landmark distance, the second reference-to-landmark distance, the third reference-to-landmark distance, or the fourth reference-to-landmark distance;

for one or more of the first reference position or the second reference position, measuring one or more reference-to-target distance between one or more of the first reference position or the second reference position and a target within the environment; and

determining coordinates of the target based at least in part on one or more of the first coordinates or second coordinates and the one or more reference-to-target distances.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising specifying one of the first landmark or the second landmark as a coordinate origin, wherein the coordinates of the first reference position and the second reference position and the coordinates of the target are determined relative to the coordinate origin.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first landmark and the second landmark comprise corners of a room.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising placing a laser measuring device at one or more of the first reference position or the second reference position.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the first coordinates of the first reference position comprises minimizing the following function:

11. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the coordinates of the target comprises minimizing the following function:

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising, for the first reference position:

measuring a vertical position of the first reference position; and

wherein determining the coordinates of the first reference position is further based at least in part on the measured vertical position.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising, for the target:

measuring a vertical position of the target; and

wherein determining the coordinates of the target is further based at least in part on the measured vertical position.

14. A method, comprising:

for a first landmark and a second landmark of an environment, measuring a first reference-to-landmark distance between a reference position and the first landmark and measuring a second reference-to-landmark distance between the reference position and the second landmark;

determining coordinates of the reference position based at least in part on the first reference-to-landmark distance and the second reference-to-landmark distance;

measuring a reference-to-item distance between the reference position and an item; and

determining coordinates of the item based at least in part on the coordinates of the reference position and the reference-to-item distance between the item and the reference position.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising specifying one of the room landmarks as a coordinate origin, wherein the coordinates of the reference position and the coordinates of the item are determined relative to the coordinate origin.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising measuring a height of the item and a height of the reference position, and wherein determining the coordinates of the reference position is further based at least in part on the height of the reference position, and wherein determining the coordinates of the item is further based at least in part on the height of the item.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the coordinates of the reference position comprises minimizing the following function:

18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the coordinates of the item comprises minimizing the following function:

∥

R−

D∥

_L2²−

g²

where;

R comprises the coordinates of the reference position;

D comprises a variable representing the coordinates of the item; and

g comprises the measured reference-to-item distance between the reference position and the item.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

measuring a vertical position of the reference position;

wherein determining the coordinates of the reference position is further based at least in part on the measured vertical position.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising, for the item:

measuring a vertical position of the item;

wherein determining the coordinates of the item is further based at least in part on the measured vertical position.