METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SENSING THE POSITION OF A VEHICLE

• US 20120287280A1
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zeno Track GmbH
• Original Assignee: Zeno Track GmbH
• Inventors: Essati, Alec, Wildenauer, Horst
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and a system for purposes of registering the position of a vehicle (1) in a defined region (3), wherein a digital map of the defined region (3) is created, having a defined coordinates system, wherein the digital map includes stationary reference features (T1) with a unique identifying feature, before digital images are recorded of at least a sub-region of the defined region (3), preferably of the whole defined region (3), for purposes of registering and detecting further reference features (T1, T2, T3), wherein stationary and/or temporary reference features (T2, T3) without unique identifying features are also registered and detected, and are added to the digital map and/or an associated buffer store, so that the absolute position of the vehicle (1) in the defined region (3) can subsequently be determined, in that a digital image of a portion of the defined region (3) is recorded by the vehicle (1), and in the digital image reference features (T1, T2, T3) are detected and optionally identified, wherein the determination of absolute position is undertaken on the basis of the stationary and/or temporary reference features (T1, T2, T3) that have been detected and optionally identified.

Claims

1. A method for registering the position of a vehicle (1) in a defined region (3), characterised in that, a digital map of the defined region (3) is created, having a defined coordinates system, wherein the digital map includes stationary reference features (T1) with a unique identifying feature, before digital images are recorded of at least a sub-region of the defined region (3), preferably of the whole defined region (3), for purposes of registering and detecting further reference features (T1, T2, T3), wherein stationary and/or temporary reference features (T2, T3) without unique identifying features are also registered and detected, and are added to the digital map and/or an associated buffer store, so that the absolute position of the vehicle (1) in the defined region (3) can subsequently be determined, in that a digital image of a portion of the defined region (3) is recorded by the vehicle (1), and in the digital image reference features (T1, T2, T3) are detected and optionally identified, wherein the determination of absolute position is undertaken on the basis of the stationary and/or temporary reference features (T1, T2, T3) that have been detected and optionally identified.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that, when setting down a goods item (4) having an identifying feature in the defined region (3), or when driving past with the vehicle (1), the coordinates of the goods item (4), preferably the corner points (5) of the goods item, are added to the buffer store.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that, when detecting an identifying feature of a goods item (4) and at least one corner point (5) of the goods item (4) an absolute position of the vehicle (1) is determined by means of the coordinates held in the buffer store.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that, a determination of absolute position is undertaken by means of tracking of stationary reference features (T1, T2), and a determination of absolute position is undertaken by means of tracking of temporary reference features (T3), and/or the identification of a goods item (4), and the absolute position of the vehicle is undertaken by way of a fusion of coordinates determined by means of the determinations of absolute position.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that, after recording a digital image for purposes of determining position at least one detail of the image, in which at least one stationary reference feature (T1, T2) is located, is selected and stored, and, for purposes of determining the absolute position of the vehicle (1), the detail of the image is projected by means of transformation onto a subsequently recorded digital image.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that, each reference feature (T1, T2, T3) and that is not stored in the digital map identified in a recorded digital image is preferably buffer stored and the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is used for purposes of determining absolute position, provided that the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is identified in a subsequently recorded digital image.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that, when determining the absolute position sub-regions of the defined region (3) that cannot be navigated/driven through, or reached, and/or maximum possible alterations in position within a time period are taken into account on the basis of performance data of the vehicle (1) in combination with a movement history.

10. The method in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that, after recording a digital image for purposes of determining position at least one detail of the image, in which at least one stationary reference feature (T1, T2) is located, is selected and stored, and, for purposes of determining the absolute position of the vehicle (1), the detail of the image is projected by means of transformation onto a subsequently recorded digital image.

11. The method in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that, after recording a digital image for purposes of determining position at least one detail of the image, in which at least one stationary reference feature (T1, T2) is located, is selected and stored, and, for purposes of determining the absolute position of the vehicle (1), the detail of the image is projected by means of transformation onto a subsequently recorded digital image.

12. The method in accordance with claim 4, characterised in that, after recording a digital image for purposes of determining position at least one detail of the image, in which at least one stationary reference feature (T1, T2) is located, is selected and stored, and, for purposes of determining the absolute position of the vehicle (1), the detail of the image is projected by means of transformation onto a subsequently recorded digital image.

13. The method in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that, each reference feature (T1, T2, T3) and that is not stored in the digital map identified in a recorded digital image is preferably buffer stored and the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is used for purposes of determining absolute position, provided that the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is identified in a subsequently recorded digital image.

14. The method in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that, each reference feature (T1, T2, T3) and that is not stored in the digital map identified in a recorded digital image is preferably buffer stored and the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is used for purposes of determining absolute position, provided that the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is identified in a subsequently recorded digital image.

15. The method in accordance with claim 4, characterised in that, each reference feature (T1, T2, T3) and that is not stored in the digital map identified in a recorded digital image is preferably buffer stored and the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is used for purposes of determining absolute position, provided that the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is identified in a subsequently recorded digital image.

16. The method in accordance with claim 5, characterised in that, each reference feature (T1, T2, T3) and that is not stored in the digital map identified in a recorded digital image is preferably buffer stored and the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is used for purposes of determining absolute position, provided that the buffer stored reference feature (T1, T2, T3) is identified in a subsequently recorded digital image.

17. The method in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that, when determining the absolute position sub-regions of the defined region (3) that cannot be navigated/driven through, or reached, and/or maximum possible alterations in position within a time period are taken into account on the basis of performance data of the vehicle (1) in combination with a movement history.

18. The method in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that, when determining the absolute position sub-regions of the defined region (3) that cannot be navigated/driven through, or reached, and/or maximum possible alterations in position within a time period are taken into account on the basis of performance data of the vehicle (1) in combination with a movement history.

19. The method in accordance with claim 4, characterised in that, when determining the absolute position sub-regions of the defined region (3) that cannot be navigated/driven through, or reached, and/or maximum possible alterations in position within a time period are taken into account on the basis of performance data of the vehicle (1) in combination with a movement history.

20. The method in accordance with claim 5, characterised in that, when determining the absolute position sub-regions of the defined region (3) that cannot be navigated/driven through, or reached, and/or maximum possible alterations in position within a time period are taken into account on the basis of performance data of the vehicle (1) in combination with a movement history.

21. The method in accordance with claim 6, characterised in that, when determining the absolute position sub-regions of the defined region (3) that cannot be navigated/driven through, or reached, and/or maximum possible alterations in position within a time period are taken into account on the basis of performance data of the vehicle (1) in combination with a movement history.

8. A system for registering the position of a vehicle (1) in a defined region (3), characterised in that, a memory for purposes of storing a digital map having a defined coordinates system of the defined region is provided, wherein the digital map includes stationary reference features (T1) with a unique identifying feature, and an imaging sensor device (2) is provided for purposes of registering and detecting further stationary and/or temporary reference features (T1, T2, T3) with or without unique identification features, which are assigned to the digital map and/or an associated buffer store, wherein the imaging sensor device (2) is moreover provided for purposes of registering a digital image of a portion of the defined region (3), and for purposes of detecting and optionally identifying the reference features (T1, T2, T3) held in the digital image, so that a determination of absolute position of a vehicle (1) provided with the imaging sensor device (2) is undertaken on the basis of the detected and optionally identified stationary and/or temporary reference features (T1, T2, T3).

9. The system in accordance with claim 8, characterised in that, at least one digital camera is provided as an imaging sensor device (2).