Apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station
First Claim
1. An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station comprising:
- an autonomous vehicle provided with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system; and
a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker;
wherein the control system is configured to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the docking station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers, andwherein the control system is configured to;
compare a relative distance between the representation of the first fiducial marker and the representation of the second fiducial marker in the image with a predetermined threshold value,in response to determining that the relative distance is less than the predetermined threshold value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a first movement, andin response to determining that the relative distance is greater than the predetermined value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a second movement that is different than the first movement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station including an autonomous vehicle with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system. The apparatus includes a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker, wherein the control system is operable to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the base station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the received image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers.
16 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for guiding an autonomous vehicle towards a docking station comprising:
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an autonomous vehicle provided with a camera-based sensing system, a drive system for driving the autonomous vehicle, and a control system for controlling the drive system; and a docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker; wherein the control system is configured to receive an image provided by the camera-based sensing system, the image including a representation of the first and second fiducial markers, and to control the drive system so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the docking station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers, and wherein the control system is configured to; compare a relative distance between the representation of the first fiducial marker and the representation of the second fiducial marker in the image with a predetermined threshold value, in response to determining that the relative distance is less than the predetermined threshold value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a first movement, and in response to determining that the relative distance is greater than the predetermined value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a second movement that is different than the first movement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle to guide the vehicle towards a docking station, the docking station including a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker, the method comprising:
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capturing an image, by a camera-based sensing system of the autonomous vehicle, the image including a representation of the first fiducial marker and the second fiducial marker; and controlling a drive system of the autonomous vehicle, by a control system of the autonomous vehicle, so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the docking station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers by; comparing a relative distance between the representation of the first fiducial marker and the representation of the second fiducial marker in the image with a predetermined threshold value, in response to determining that the relative distance is less than the predetermined threshold value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a first movement, and in response to determining that the relative distance is greater than the predetermined value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a second movement that is different than the first movement. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code instructions that, when carried out on an autonomous vehicle, cause the autonomous vehicle to:
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capture an image, by a camera-based sensing system of the autonomous vehicle, of a docking station that includes a first fiducial marker and a second fiducial marker, wherein the second fiducial marker is positioned on the docking station to define a predetermined relative spacing with the first fiducial marker and the image includes a representation of the first fiducial marker and the second fiducial marker; and control a drive system of the autonomous vehicle, by a control system of the autonomous vehicle, so as to guide the autonomous vehicle towards the docking station based on a difference between the representation of the first and second fiducial markers in the received image and the predetermined relative spacing between the first and second fiducial markers by; comparing a relative distance between the representation of the first fiducial marker and the representation of the second fiducial marker in the image with a predetermined threshold value, in response to determining that the relative distance is less than the predetermined threshold value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a first movement, and in response to determining that the relative distance is greater than the predetermined value without performing any geometrical calculation using the predetermined threshold value, control the drive system to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform a second movement that is different than the first movement.
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Specification