OBJECT ASSOCIATION USING DYNAMIC OBJECT LOCATION CORRELATION

• US 20160092832A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynolds, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,536,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method of object association is disclosed. The method includes receiving object location information for a first object, receiving object location information for a second object, determining an existence of a correlation between a varying position of the first object and a varying position of the second object over for a predetermined amount of time and dynamically associating the first object with the second object based on the correlation.

Claims

1. A method of object association comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, object location information for a first object;

receiving, by said computer system, object location information for a second object;

determining, by said computer system, an existence of a correlation between a varying position of said first object and a varying position of said second object over a predetermined amount of time; and

dynamically associating, by said computer system, said first object with said second object based on said correlation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

backdating, by said computer system, said association based on said association.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said location information for said first object includes a travel path of said first object.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said location information for said second object includes a travel path of said second object.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said existence of said correlation is determined by comparing said travel path of said first object to said travel path of said second object.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

inferring, by said computer system, at least one position and time of said first object based on said travel path of said first object.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

reporting, by said computer system, said correlation to a database.

8. A method of object association comprising:

storing, by a computer system, a first route history for a first moving object based on received object PVT information for said first moving object;

storing, by said computer system, a second route history for a moving second object based on received object PVT information for said second moving object;

determining, by said computer system, an existence of a statistical correlation, beyond a predetermined threshold, between said first varying route history and said second route history; and

dynamically associating, by said computer system, said first moving object with said second moving object based on said statistical correlation.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

retrodeclaration, by said computer system, of said association back in time to a first coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

prodeclaration, by said computer system, of said association forward in time to a last coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

inferring, by said computer system, at least one position and time of said first moving object based on said first route history for said first moving object.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

reporting, by said computer system, said statistical correlation to a database.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

determining, by said computer system, that said statistical correlation falls below said predetermined threshold; and

disassociating, by said computer system, said first moving object with said second moving object.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, by said computer system, said first route history for said first moving object from an electronic device coupled with said first moving object.

15. A system for object association comprising:

a processor;

a database coupled with said processor for storing a first route history for a first moving object based on received object PVT information for said first moving object;

said database also for storing a second route history for a moving second object based on received object PVT information for said second moving object;

a correlation determiner coupled with said database and coupled with said processor for determining an existence of a statistical correlation, beyond a predetermined threshold, between said first varying route history and said second route history; and

an object associator coupled with said correlation determiner for dynamically associating said first moving object with said second moving object based on said statistical correlation.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a back-dating determiner coupled with said processor for retrodeclaration of said association back in time to a first coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a forward-dating determiner coupled with said processor for prodeclaration of said association forward in time to a last coincidence of said first route history and said second route history.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a position and time predictor coupled with said processor for inferring at least one position and time of said moving first object based on said received object PVT information of said first object.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

reporting said statistical correlation to a database.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said correlation determiner determines if said statistical correlation falls below said predetermined threshold and in response, said correlation determiner disassociates said first moving object with said second moving object.

21. The system as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

a data receiver coupled with said processor for receiving said first route history for said first moving object from an electronic device coupled with said first moving object.