SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATION

• US 20110082668A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Escrig M. Teresa, Juan Carlos Peris
• Original Assignee: Escrig M. Teresa, Juan Carlos Peris
• Inventors: Peris, Juan Carlos, Escrig, M. Teresa
• Application Number:
  US12/899,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082668A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

This invention relates generally to robotics, and more specifically, to systems and methods for establishing an environmental representation. In one embodiment, the invention includes a method of operations including determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks; determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks; and establishing at least a portion of an environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks;

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks; and

establishing at least a portion of an environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks using one or more sensors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks using user input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks using one or more queries.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks using data input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining quantitative data relating to one or more corners, curved surfaces, and/or other irregularities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more distances between two or more landmarks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining an existence of one or more open spaces between two or more landmarks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more angles at the one or more landmarks.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more angles at the one or more landmarks with one or more other landmarks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks using the determined quantitative data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks based on previously determined qualitative data for one or more other landmarks.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks using one or more sensors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks using user input.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks using one or more queries.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks using data input.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks using one or more images.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to one or more corners, curved surfaces, and/or other irregularities.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more landmarks relating to the one or more landmarks.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more landmarks within one or more regions relating to the one or more landmarks.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more shapes, colors, and/or sizes relating to the one or more landmarks.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining one or more orientations, relative distances, and/or relative positions relating to the one or more landmarks.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining qualitative data relating to the one or more landmarks comprises:

determining qualitative data relating to two or more landmarks.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing at least a portion of an environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data comprises:

establishing at least a portion of a human-readable environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing at least a portion of an environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data comprises:

establishing at least a portion of a computer-readable environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing at least a portion of an environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data comprises:

establishing at least a portion of a two-dimensional environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing at least a portion of an environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data comprises:

establishing at least a portion of a three-dimensional environmental representation using the quantitative data and/or the qualitative data.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the one or more landmarks from one or more positions using one or more sensors.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the identifying the one or more landmarks from one or more positions using one or more sensors comprises:

identifying the one or more landmarks from one or more positions using one or more sensors positioned locally.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the identifying the one or more landmarks from one or more positions using one or more sensors comprises:

identifying the one or more landmarks from one or more positions using one or more sensors positioned remotely.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the identifying the one or more landmarks from one or more positions using one or more sensors comprises:

identifying the one or more landmarks from a series of positions using one or more sensors.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining quantitative data relating to one or more landmarks comprises:

measuring quantitative data dependent upon one or more positions and relating to one or more landmarks; and

determining quantitative data independent from the one or more positions and relating to the one or more landmarks using the measured quantitative data.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations are enabled by one or more software applications embodied in computer readable media.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations are enabled by one or more software applications of a device configured for association with machinery.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations are enabled by one or more software applications of a robot.