Drone localization

• US 10,845,457 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2019
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fowe, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US16/519,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20190353747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/04 using angle measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

An apparatus is configured to perform a method for collaborative localization of multiple devices in a geographic area including receiving global localization data originating with one or more neighboring devices, receiving local localization data originating with a mobile device, determining a first confidence level from the local localization data, determining a second confidence level from the global localization data, and performing, by a processor, a collaborative localization calculation for the mobile device based on the first confidence level and the second confidence level.

Claims

1. A method for collaborative localization of multiple devices in a geographic area, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data for the geographic area at an aerial vehicle collected by a sensor coupled to the aerial vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes a marker in the geographic area;

calculating an angle between the aerial vehicle and the marker;

perform, at the aerial vehicle, a local localization for a location of the aerial vehicle based on the sensor data and the angle between the aerial vehicle and the marker; and

sending data indicative of the location of the aerial vehicle to a mobile device, wherein a collaborative localization calculation for the mobile device is based in part on the local localization for the aerial vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes a quick response (AR) code, a universal product code (UPC), an alphanumeric code, a hexadecimal code, a binary code, a geometric shape, or another code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a camera configured to collected the sensor data for the geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a distance to the marker from the aerial vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the distance is calculated from an image analysis of the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the angle is based on an aspect ratio of features of the marker.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the local localization includes a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) protocol to generate a map when the marker is used to determine the location of the aerial vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a height of the aerial vehicle from the sensor data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between the aerial vehicle and the mobile device is estimated based on a property of a signal including the data indicative of the location of the aerial vehicle.

10. An apparatus for an aerial vehicle for providing positioning assistance to other vehicles, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor array configured to receive sensor data for a geographic area at an aerial vehicle collected by a sensor coupled to the aerial vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes a marker; and

a controller configured to perform a local localization for a location of the aerial vehicle based on the sensor data and send data indicative of the location of the aerial vehicle to a mobile device, wherein the controller is configured to calculate, for the local localization, an angle between the aerial vehicle and the marker, wherein a collaborative localization calculation for the mobile device is based in part on the local localization for the aerial vehicle.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the sensor array includes a camera.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further is configured to calculate a distance to the marker from the aerial vehicle.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the distance is calculated from an image analysis of the sensor data.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the local localization includes a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) protocol to generate a map when the marker is used to determine the location of the aerial vehicle.

15. A method comprising:

receiving first localization data originating with an aerial vehicle;

receiving second localization data originating with a mobile device; and

performing, by a processor, a collaborative localization calculation for the mobile device based on the first localization data and the second localization data;

determining a first confidence level from the first localization data; and

determining a second confidence level from the second localization data, wherein the collaborative localization calculation for the mobile device is based on the first confidence level and the second confidence level.