AUTO RECOGNITION OF AT LEAST ONE STANDOFF TARGET TO DETERMINE POSITION INFORMATION FOR A MOBILE MACHINE

• US 20150106004A1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Arthur James, Nichols, Mark, Jackson, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/842 using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers

Abstract

A method and system for auto recognition of at least one standoff target to determine position information for a mobile machine. One example automatically scans for at least one standoff target. A location for the at least one standoff target is determined. In addition, a distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least one standoff target is generated. The location information for the at least one standoff target and the distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least one standoff target is utilized to provide a position for the mobile machine.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor mounted on a mobile machine, the sensor for auto recognition of at least one standoff target;

a standoff target location determiner to determine location information for the at least one standoff target;

a standoff target measurer to determine a distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least one standoff target; and

a mobile machine position determiner to utilize the location information for the at least one standoff target and the distance and direction between the mobile machine to the at least one standoff target to determine position information for the mobile machine.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one standoff target disposed remotely from said mobile machine in an operating environment of said mobile machine.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a position signal monitor to recognize a degradation of a position signal being used to provide position information for the mobile machine, wherein the position signal is selected from the group consisting of;

a navigation satellite system (NSS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and

the mobile machine position determiner to utilize said position signal in conjunction with the location information for the at least one standoff target and the distance and direction between the mobile machine to the at least one standoff target to determine position information for the mobile machine when an accuracy of the position signal is degraded.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

the standoff target location determiner to determine a location for at least three standoff targets;

the standoff target measurer to determine a distance and direction from the mobile machine to the at least three standoff targets; and

the mobile machine position determiner to utilize a last reliable position for the mobile machine from one of a navigation satellite system (NSS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the location information for the at least three standoff targets, and the distance and direction from the mobile machine to the at least three standoff targets to determine position information for the mobile machine when an accuracy of a position information from a position signal is degraded.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one standoff target is placed in a non-surveyed location and determining the location of the at least one standoff target comprises:

the standoff target location determiner to take at least two photos of the target over a known time interval;

the standoff target location determiner to measure the distance moved during the known time interval; and

the standoff target location determiner to perform an angular displacement change to determine the location of the standoff target.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one standoff target is selected from the group consisting of:

a standoff target mounted on a stationary object and a standoff target mounted on a mobile object.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one standoff target has a unique passive identifier selected from the group consisting of:

an optical pattern and a height.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one standoff target has a unique active identifier selected from the group consisting of:

an infra-red identifier, a unique light pattern identifier, a personal area network identifier, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a computer system to perform a method for auto recognition of at least one standoff target to determine position information for a mobile machine, said method comprising:

automatically scanning for at least one standoff target;

determining location information for the at least one standoff target;

generating a distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least one standoff target; and

utilizing the location information for the at least one standoff target and the distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least one standoff target to provide a position for the mobile machine.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

recognizing a degradation of a position signal being used to provide position information for the mobile machine, wherein the position signal is selected from the group consisting of;

a navigation satellite system (NSS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU);

accessing a last reliable position from the position signal prior to the degradation of the position signal; and

utilizing a last reliable position from the position signal, the location information for the at least one standoff target and the distance, and direction from the mobile machine to the at least one standoff target to provide a position for the mobile machine.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

recognizing at least three different standoff targets;

determining a location of each of the three different standoff targets;

generating a distance and direction from the mobile machine to each of the three different standoff targets; and

utilizing a last reliable position from a position signal from one of a navigation satellite system (NSS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the location information for the three different standoff targets, and the distance and direction from the mobile machine to the three different standoff targets to provide a position for the mobile machine.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one standoff target is placed in a non-surveyed location and wherein the determining location information for the at least one standoff target comprises:

taking at least two photos of the target at different locations;

measuring the distance moved between the different locations; and

utilizing an angular displacement change to determine the location of the standoff target.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the location of the at least one standoff target is stored in a database.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one standoff target has a unique passive identifier selected from the group consisting of:

an optical pattern and a height.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one standoff target has a unique active identifier selected from the group consisting of:

an infra-red identifier, a unique light pattern identifier, a personal area network identifier, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

16. A system comprising:

a sensor mounted on a mobile machine, the sensor for auto recognition of at least one standoff target;

a standoff target location determiner to determine location information for at least three standoff targets;

a standoff target measurer to determine a distance and direction from the mobile machine to the at least three standoff targets;

a position signal monitor to recognize a degradation of a position signal being used to provide position information for the mobile machine; and

a mobile machine position determiner to utilize the location information for the at least three standoff targets and the distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least three standoff targets to determine position information for the mobile machine.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the position signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a navigation satellite system (NSS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and

the mobile machine position determiner utilizes the position signal in conjunction with the location information for the at least three standoff targets and the distance and direction between the mobile machine and the at least three standoff targets to determine position information for the mobile machine when the position signal is degraded.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one standoff target is placed in a surveyed location and the location of the standoff target is associated with a standoff target identifier.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one standoff target is placed in a non-surveyed location and determining the location of the at least one standoff target comprises:

the standoff target location determiner to take at least two photos of the target at different locations;

the standoff target location determiner to measure a distance between the different locations; and

the standoff target location determiner to perform an angular displacement change to determine the location of the standoff target.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one standoff target has a unique passive identifier selected from the group consisting of:

an optical pattern and a height.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one standoff target has a unique active identifier selected from the group consisting of:

an infra-red identifier, a unique light pattern identifier, a personal area network identifier, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.