METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING MAP DATA ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOMATED INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES

• US 20120323431A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inro Technologies Limited
• Inventors: WONG, LISA, GRAHAM, ANDREW EVAN, GOODE, CHRISTOPHER W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing map data between industrial vehicles in a physical environment is described. In one embodiments, the method includes processing local map data associated with a plurality of industrial vehicles, wherein the local map data comprises feature information generated by the plurality of industrial vehicles regarding features observed by industrial vehicles in the plurality of vehicles; combining the feature information associated with local map data to generate global map data for the physical environment; and navigating an industrial vehicle of the plurality of industrial vehicles using at least a portion of the global map data.

Claims

1. A method of sharing map data between industrial vehicles in a physical environment, comprising:

processing local map data associated with a plurality of industrial vehicles, wherein the local map data comprises feature information generated by the plurality of industrial vehicles regarding features observed by industrial vehicles in the plurality of vehicles;

combining the feature information associated with local map data to generate global map data for the physical environment; and

navigating an industrial vehicle of the plurality of industrial vehicles using at least a portion of the global map data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the feature information further comprises combining features associated with at least one landmark.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature information comprises slot occupancy data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature information comprises at least one of a static feature or a dynamic feature.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a dynamic feature is assigned a sundown value to eliminate the dynamic feature from the global map data after a predefined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step further comprises extracting at least one feature from sensor data, where the at least one feature represents a physical attribute of the physical environment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the at least a portion of the global map data to at least one industrial vehicle of the plurality of industrial vehicles.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one portion of the global map data is communicated in response to request from the at least one industrial vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the local map data comprises landmark data.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the dynamic feature represents an obstacle for at least one industrial vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the feature information comprises at least one of a static feature or a dynamic feature.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a dynamic feature is assigned a sundown value to eliminate the dynamic feature from the global map data after a predefined time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the dynamic feature represents an obstacle for at least one industrial vehicle.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature information comprises at least one of a static feature or a dynamic feature.

20. The method of claim 4 wherein a dynamic feature is assigned a sundown value to eliminate the dynamic feature from the global map data after a predefined time period.

11. An apparatus for sharing map data between industrial vehicles in a physical environment, comprising

a mobile computer coupled at least one industrial vehicle, comprising:

a local map module for processing sensor data representing a feature of the physical environment to form feature information and transmitting the feature information to a central computer; and

the central computer remotely located from the mobile computer, comprising;

the global map module for combining the feature information associated with a plurality of industrial vehicles to generate global map data representing the physical environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the central computer transmits at least a portion of the global map data to the mobile computer to facilitate navigation of the at least one industrial vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the global map module updates the feature information of the global map data using slot occupancy data.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the global map module combines features associated with at least one landmark.

18. A computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

processing local map data associated with a plurality of industrial vehicles, wherein the local map data comprises feature information generated by the plurality of industrial vehicles regarding features observed by industrial vehicles in the plurality of vehicles;

combining the feature information associated with local map data to generate global map data for the physical environment; and

navigating an industrial vehicle of the plurality of industrial vehicles using at least a portion of the global map data.