Object association using dynamic object location correlation

• US 9,536,217 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Reynolds, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/502,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20160092832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 701/519
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method of object association is disclosed. The method includes receiving object location information for a first object, receiving object location information for a second object, determining an existence of a correlation between a varying position of the first object and a varying position of the second object over for a predetermined amount of time and dynamically associating the first object with the second object based on the correlation.

Claims

1. A method of object association comprising:

receiving, at a data receiver communicatively coupled to a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-enabled device and a second GNSS-enabled device, position and time information for a first object from the first GNSS-enabled device, the first GNSS-enabled device coupled to the first object;

receiving, at the data receiver, position and time information for a second object from the second GNSS-enabled device, the second GNSS-enabled device coupled to the second object;

compiling, by a time-lapse history compiler, a first route history for the first object based on the position and time information of the first object;

compiling, by the time-lapse history compiler, a second route history for the second object based on the position and time information of the second object;

determining, by a processor coupled to the time-lapse history compiler, an existence of a correlation between the first route history of the first object and the second route history of the second object over a predetermined amount of time; and

associating, by the processor, the first object with the second object based on the correlation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

backdating, by the processor, said association based on said association.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

predicting, by the processor, at least one position and time of said first object based on said first route history of said first object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

reporting, by the processor, said correlation to a database.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the compiling the first route history of the first object comprises interpreting the first route history based on the position and time information of the first object at a first set of time intervals; and

the compiling the second route history of the second object comprises interpreting the second route history based on the position and time information of the second object at a second set of time intervals.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second set of time intervals is mismatched from the first set of time intervals.

7. A method of object association comprising:

receiving, at a data receiver communicatively coupled to a first electronic device and a second electronic device, position, velocity and time (PVT) information about a first moving object from the first electronic device, the first electronic device coupled to the first moving object;

receiving, at the data receiver, PVT information about a second moving object from the second electronic device, the second electronic device coupled to the second moving object;

storing, at a database coupled to the data receiver, the PVT information about the first moving object and the PVT information about the second moving object;

compiling, by a time-lapse history compiler coupled to the database, a first route history for the first moving object based on the PVT information about the first moving object;

compiling, by the time-lapse history compiler, a second route history for the second moving object based on the PVT information about the second moving object;

determining, by a processor coupled to the time-lapse history compiler, an existence of a statistical correlation, beyond a predetermined threshold, between the first route history and the second route history; and

associating, by the processor, the first moving object with the second moving object based on the statistical correlation.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

retrodeclaration, by the processor, of said association back in time to a first coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

prodeclaration, by the processor, of said association forward in time to a last coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

predicting, by the processor, at least one position and time of said first moving object based on said first route history for said first moving object.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

reporting, by the processor, said statistical correlation to a database.

12. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

determining, by the processor, that said statistical correlation falls below said predetermined threshold; and

disassociating, by the processor, said first moving object with said second moving object.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the compiling the first route history for the first moving object comprises interpreting the first route history based on the PVT information about the first moving object at a first set of time intervals; and

the compiling the second route history for the second moving object comprises interpreting the second route history based on the PVT information about the second moving object at a second set of time intervals.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second set of time intervals is mismatched from the first set of time intervals.

15. A system for object association comprising:

a processor;

a data receiver communicatively coupled with a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the data receiver for receiving position, velocity and time (PVT) information from the first electronic device about a first moving object coupled thereto, and for receiving PVT information from the second electronic device about a second moving object coupled thereto;

a database coupled with the data receiver for storing the PVT information about the first moving object and the PVT information about the second moving object;

a time-lapse history compiler coupled to the database for compiling a first route history for the first moving object based on the PVT information about the first moving object, and for compiling a second route history for the second moving object based on the PVT information about the second moving object; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations including;

determining an existence of a statistical correlation, beyond a predetermined threshold, between the first route history and the second route history; and

associating the first moving object with the second moving object based on the statistical correlation.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said operations further comprise:

retrodeclaration of said association back in time to a first coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said operations further comprise:

prodeclaration of said association forward in time to a last coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said operations further comprise:

predicting at least one position and time of said moving first object based on said received PVT information of said first object.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said operations further comprise:

reporting said statistical correlation to a database.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said operations further comprise:

in response to said statistical correlation falling below said predetermined threshold, disassociating said first moving object with said second moving object.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the time-lapsed history compiler compiles the first route history for the first moving object by interpreting the first route history based on the PVT information about the first moving object at a first set of time intervals, and compiles the second route history for the second moving object by interpreting the second route history based on the PVT information about the second moving object at a second set of time intervals.