INTENSITY MAP-BASED LOCALIZATION WITH ADAPTIVE THRESHOLDING

• US 20140297092A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Delp, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system, device, and methods for autonomous navigation using intensity-based localization. One example computer-implemented method includes receiving data including a plurality of intensity values from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle as the vehicle traverses a route and generating a first group of intensity values wherein the first group includes at least some of the plurality of intensity values received. The method further includes removing the intensity values below an adaptive threshold from the first group of intensity values to generate a second group of intensity values, comparing the second group of intensity values to an intensity map, and generating a localized vehicle position based on the comparison between the second group of intensity values and the intensity map.

Claims

1. An autonomous navigation system using intensity-based localization, comprising:

one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle; and

a computing device in communication with the one or more sensors, comprising;

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive data including a plurality of intensity values from the one or more sensors as the vehicle traverses a route;

generate a first group of intensity values wherein the first group includes at least some of the plurality of intensity values received;

remove the intensity values below an adaptive threshold from the first group of intensity values to generate a second group of intensity values;

compare the second group of intensity values to an intensity map; and

generate a localized vehicle position based on the comparison between the second group of intensity values and the intensity map.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the adaptive threshold is the intensity value below which a fixed percentage of the first group of intensity values fall.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the adaptive threshold is calculated by integrating a histogram of the first group of intensity values.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors measures laser returns from physical objects in the area surrounding the vehicle and the intensity values represent the brightness of the laser returns.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors measures vehicle position in global coordinates based on data from one or more satellites.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a portion of the intensity map is compared to the second group of intensity values and wherein the portion of the intensity map compared to the second group of intensity values is selected based on an estimate of the vehicle'"'"'s position in global coordinates.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the intensity map is based on intensity values previously captured along the route that the vehicle is currently traversing.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first group of intensity values includes intensity values captured within a predetermined distance from the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the route.

9. A computer-implemented method for autonomous navigation using intensity-based localization, comprising:

receiving data including a plurality of intensity values from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle as the vehicle traverses a route;

generating a first group of intensity values wherein the first group includes at least some of the plurality of intensity values received;

removing the intensity values below an adaptive threshold from the first group of intensity values to generate a second group of intensity values;

comparing the second group of intensity values to an intensity map; and

generating a localized vehicle position based on the comparison between the second group of intensity values and the intensity map.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the adaptive threshold is the intensity value below which a fixed percentage of the first group of intensity values fall.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the adaptive threshold is calculated by integrating a histogram of the first group of intensity values.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the sensors measures laser returns from physical objects in the area surrounding the vehicle and the intensity values represent the brightness of the laser returns.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the sensors measures vehicle position in global coordinates based on data from one or more satellites.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a portion of the intensity map is compared to the second group of intensity values and wherein the portion of the intensity map compared to the second group of intensity values is selected based on an estimate of the vehicle'"'"'s position in global coordinates.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the intensity map is based on intensity values previously captured along the route that the vehicle is currently traversing.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the first group of intensity values includes intensity values captured within a predetermined distance from the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the route.

17. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive data including a plurality of intensity values from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle as the vehicle traverses a route;

generate a first group of intensity values wherein the first group includes at least some of the plurality of intensity values received;

remove the intensity values below an adaptive threshold from the first group of intensity values to generate a second group of intensity values;

compare the second group of intensity values to an intensity map; and

generate a localized vehicle position based on the comparison between the second group of intensity values and the intensity map.

18. The computing device of claim 17 wherein the adaptive threshold is the intensity value below which a fixed percentage of the first group of intensity values fall.

19. The computing device of claim 18 wherein the adaptive threshold is calculated by integrating a histogram of the first group of intensity values.

20. The computing device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the sensors measures laser returns from physical objects in the area surrounding the vehicle and the intensity values represent the brightness of the laser returns.