Localization system and method

• US 20100215216A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Jae Yong, Joo, Jae Man, Hong, Jun Pyo, Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Kim, Dong Won, Jang, Hwi Chan, Chung, Woo Bam
• Application Number:
  US12/659,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20100215216A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a localization system and method to recognize the location of an autonomous mobile platform. In order to recognize the location of the autonomous mobile platform, a beacon (three-dimensional structure) having a recognizable image pattern is disposed at a location desired by a user, the mobile platform which knows image pattern information of the beacon photographs the image of the beacon and finds and analyzes a pattern to be recognized from the photographed image. A relative distance and a relative angle of the mobile platform are computed using the analysis of the pattern such that the location of the mobile platform is accurately recognized.

Claims

1. A localization system comprising:

a beacon having a recognizable image pattern; and

a mobile platform, the location of which is recognized using the image pattern of the beacon.

2. The localization system according to claim 1, wherein the beacon is a polygonal structure separated from the mobile platform.

3. The localization system according to claim 2, wherein the polygonal structure further comprises:

at least two sides, and one or more recognizable image patterns printed on the sides.

4. The localization system according to claim 3, wherein the image patterns printed on the sides are the same.

5. The localization system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile platform includes:

an image acquisition unit photographing the beacon and acquiring single image information of the beacon; and

a controller analyzing the acquired single image information and acquiring coordinate information of the location of the mobile platform.

6. The localization system according to claim 5, wherein the acquired coordinate information includes a relative distance and a relative angle of the mobile platform with respect to the beacon.

7. The localization system according to claim 6, wherein the controller measures the height of the recognized pattern in the photographed image and computes the relative distance.

8. The localization system according to claim 6, wherein the controller measures the width of the recognized pattern in the photographed image and computes the relative angle.

9. The localization system according to claim 6, wherein, if one side of the polygonal structure is viewed in the photographed image, the controller compares the heights of the right and left portions of the recognized pattern and computes the relative angle of the mobile platform with respect to the beacon.

10. The localization system according to claim 6, wherein, if two sides of the polygonal structure are viewed in the photographed image, the controller computes the relative angle of the mobile platform with respect to the beacon using a ratio of the widths of the two recognized patterns.

11. The localization system according to claim 5, wherein the mobile platform further includes a storage unit to store geometrical information of the image patterns printed on the sides of the polygonal structure.

12. The localization system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile platform performs an operation in a specific region in which the mobile platform is located with respect to the beacon.

13. The localization system according to claim 1, wherein the beacon is a polygonal structure attached to the mobile platform.

14. The localization system according to claim 13, wherein the polygonal structure comprises at least two sides, and

one or more recognizable image patterns printed on the sides.

15. The localization system according to claim 14, further comprising an image acquisition unit photographing the beacon and acquiring single image information of the beacon,

wherein the image acquisition unit is separated from the mobile platform.

16. The localization system according to claim 15, wherein the mobile platform further includes a controller analyzing the acquired single image information and acquiring coordinate information of the location of the mobile platform.

17. The localization system according to claim 16, wherein the acquired coordinate information includes a relative distance and a relative angle of the mobile platform with respect to the beacon.

18. The localization system according to claim 16, wherein the controller measures the height of the recognized pattern or the beacon in the photographed image and computes the relative distance.

19. The localization system according to claim 16, wherein the controller measures the width of the recognized pattern or the beacon in the photographed image and computes the relative angle.

20. The localization system according to claim 16, wherein, if one side of the polygonal structure is viewed in the photographed image, the controller compares the heights of the right and left portions of the recognized pattern and computes the relative angle of the mobile platform with respect to the beacon.

21. The localization system according to claim 16, wherein, if two sides of the polygonal structure are viewed in the photographed image, the controller computes the relative angle of the mobile platform with respect to the beacon using a ratio of the widths of the two recognized patterns.

22. The localization system according to claim 15, further comprising a communication unit to transmit the acquired single image information to the mobile platform,

wherein the communication unit transmits any one of an audible frequency signal, an ultrasonic wave, visible light, infrared light, a laser beam, or a Radio Frequency (RF) signal.

27. The localization system according to claim 3, wherein the image patterns printed on the sides are different from each other.

23. A localization method comprising:

photographing a beacon having a recognizable image pattern and recognizing the image pattern of the beacon;

retrieving candidate patterns from the recognized image pattern using a mask pattern;

extracting a normal pattern from the retrieved candidate patterns using a check pattern;

computing a relative distance and a relative angle of a mobile platform with respect to the beacon using size information of the extracted pattern; and

recognizing the location of the mobile platform using the computed relative distance and relative angle.

24. The localization method according to claim 23, wherein the size information includes at least one of height information of the center of the pattern, vertex information of the right and left portions of the pattern, width information of the right and left portions of the pattern, or combinations thereof.

25. The localization method according to claim 23, further comprising determining the number of sides of the extracted pattern,

wherein the computing of the relative distance and the relative angle includes computing the relative distance using the height of the center of the pattern and computing the relative angle by comparing the heights of the right and left portions of the pattern.

26. The localization method according to claim 23, further comprising determining the number of sides of the extracted pattern,

wherein the computing of the relative distance and the relative angle includes computing the relative distance using the height of the center of the pattern and computing the relative angle using a ratio of the widths of the right and left portions of the pattern.