Mobile apparatus and localization method thereof

• US 9,563,528 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Sung Hwan, Kwak, No San, Roh, Kyung Shik, Yoon, Suk June, Hyung, Seung Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US13/723,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 700/245, 700/253
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206

Abstract

A mobile apparatus and a localization method thereof which perform localization of the mobile apparatus using a distributed filter system including a plurality of local filters independently operated and one fusion filter integrating results of localization performed through the respective local filters, and additionally apply accurate topological absolute position information to the distributed filter system to improve localization performance (accuracy, convergence and speed in localization, etc.) of the mobile apparatus on a wide space. The mobile apparatus includes at least one sensor, at least one first distribution filter generating current relative position information using a value detected by the at least one sensor, at least one second distribution filter generating current absolute position information using the value detected by the at least one sensor, and a fusion filter integrating the relative position information and the absolute position information to perform localization.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of sensors;

a plurality of first distribution filters configured to generate current relative position information of the mobile apparatus using sensor information detected by the plurality of sensors;

at least one second distribution filter configured to generate current absolute position information of the mobile apparatus using the sensor information detected by the plurality of sensors; and

a fusion filter configured to fuse the relative position information of the plurality of first distribution filters and the absolute position information of the at least one second distribution filter to perform localization of the mobile apparatus;

wherein the at least one second distribution filter is further configured to generate the absolute position information through detection of at least one node predetermined on a space on which the mobile apparatus moves,

wherein the fusion filter is further configured to transmit updated position/pose information of the mobile apparatus to the plurality of first distribution filters, and

wherein the first distribution filters are further configured to assimilate the updated position/pose information from the fusion filter for generating the current relative position information of the mobile apparatus.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second distribution filter comprises:

a predictor configured to predict position/pose information of the mobile apparatus; and

an updater configured to update the predicted position/pose information of the mobile apparatus using the sensor information detected by the plurality of sensors;

wherein the at least one second distribution filter is further configured to provide the updated position/pose information to the fusion filter to reflect the updated position/pose information in update of position/pose information of the fusion filter.

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the prediction of the position/pose information is periodically performed, and

wherein the update of the position/pose information is performed once the at least one node is detected.

4. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of first distribution filters are configured to reflect fused position/pose information of the fusion filter in update of the relative position information, and

wherein the at least one second distribution filter is configured to reflect the fused position/pose information in update of the absolute position information.

5. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a preprocessor configured to recognize the at least one node predetermined on the space on which the mobile apparatus moves, configured to generate node detection information from which uncertainty of node detection is removed through comparison between a node recognition result and a predetermined local map, and configured to provide the node detection information to the at least one second distribution filter.

6. The mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the preprocessing unit comprises:

a node recognizer configured to recognize the at least one node; and

a node matcher configured to remove the uncertainty of node detection.

7. The mobile apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a storage configured to store the predetermined local map.

8. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one camera configured to photograph the space on which the mobile apparatus moves.

17. The mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the preprocessor is further configured to calculate measurement information to localize the mobile apparatus by performing preprocessing of detected information including image information transmitted from at least one camera.

18. The mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined local map is uploaded via a wired, wireless, or wired-wireless hybrid network.

19. The mobile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one camera includes a charge-coupled device camera, complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera, or time-of-flight (TOF) camera.

20. The mobile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one camera includes a night vision camera configured to acquire images under no or little light condition.

21. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fusion filter is further configured to transmit the updated position/pose information to the each of the first distribution filters.

22. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fusion filter is further configured not to transmit the updated position/pose information back to the at least one second distribution filter.

9. A localization method of a mobile apparatus, the localization method comprising:

generating, by a plurality of first distribution filters, current relative position information of the mobile apparatus using sensor information detected by a plurality of sensors;

generating, by at least one second distribution filter, current absolute position information of the mobile apparatus using the sensor information detected by the plurality of sensors;

fusing, by a fusion filter, the relative position information of the plurality of first distribution filters and the absolute position information of the at least one second distribution filter to perform localization of the mobile apparatus; and

generating, by the fusion filter, updated position/pose information of the mobile apparatus; and

transmitting the updated position/pose information of the mobile apparatus to the plurality of first distribution filters;

wherein the at least one second distribution filter is configured to generate the absolute position information through detection of at least one node predetermined on a space on which the mobile apparatus moves, and

wherein the generating, by the plurality of first distribution filters, of the current relative position information of the mobile apparatus further comprises assimilating the updated position/pose information of the mobile apparatus from the fusion filter.

10. The localization method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one second distribution filter comprises:

a predictor configured to predict position/pose information of the mobile apparatus; and

an updater configured to update the predicted position/pose information of the mobile apparatus using the sensor information detected by the plurality of sensors;

wherein the at least one second distribution filter is configured to provide the updated position/pose information to the fusion filter to reflect the updated position/pose information in update of position/pose information of the fusion filter.

11. The localization method according to claim 10, wherein prediction of the position/pose information is periodically performed, and

wherein update of the position/pose information is performed once the at least one node is detected.

12. The localization method according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of first distribution filters are configured to reflect fused position/pose information of the fusion filter in update of the relative position information, and

wherein the at least one second distribution filter is configured to reflect the fused position/pose information in update of the absolute position information.

13. The localization method according to claim 12, further comprising:

recognizing, by a preprocessor, the at least one node predetermined on the space on which the mobile apparatus moves;

generating, by the preprocessor, node detection information from which uncertainty of node detection is removed through comparison between a node recognition result and a predetermined local map; and

providing, by the preprocessor, the node detection information to the at least one second distribution filter.

14. The localization method according to claim 13, wherein the preprocessing unit comprises:

a node recognizer configured to recognize the at least one node; and

a node matcher configured to remove the uncertainty of node detection.

15. The localization method according to claim 13, further comprising:

storing the predetermined local map in a storage.

16. The localization method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one camera configured to photograph the space on which the mobile apparatus moves.