Measurement of a Dimension on a Surface

• US 20170320437A1
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Liebau, Daniel, Langner, Claudia
• Granted Patent: US 10,611,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/108 using 'non-standard' camera systems, e.g. camera sensor used for additional purposes i.a. rain sensor, camera sensor split in multiple image areas
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8995 Combining images from different aspect angles, e.g. spatial compounding
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93273 on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/935 for measuring the contour, e.g. a trajectory of measurement points, representing the boundary of the parking space
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/937 sensor installation details constructional features of transducers G01S7/521 and B06B; casing of transducers, e.g. housing, cover or filler details, G10K9/22; mounting of transducers, i.e. fixture, fitting or holder details, G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 : Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 : Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device, to a vehicle, and to a method for measuring a dimension between at least two points on surfaces. The device comprises an image-generating apparatus configured to scan the surroundings of the vehicle, and a display apparatus configured to display a representation of the surroundings of the vehicle. The device also includes an input apparatus configured to define at least two points as measuring points between which a dimension is to be determined in the displayed representation, a surroundings sensor configured to sense a distance and a direction of each of the measuring points with respect to the vehicle, and an evaluation apparatus configured to determine the dimension based on the sensed distances and directions of the measuring points, wherein the evaluation apparatus is further configured to output the determined dimension.

Claims

1. A device configured to measure a dimension between at least two points on at least one surface for a vehicle, the device comprising:

an image-generating apparatus configured to scan the surroundings of the vehicle;

a display apparatus configured to display a representation of the surroundings of the vehicle;

an input apparatus configured to define at least two points as measuring points between which a dimension is to be determined in the displayed representation;

a surroundings sensor configured to sense a distance and a direction of each of the measuring points with respect to the vehicle; and

an evaluation apparatus configured to determine the dimension based on the sensed distances and directions of the measuring points, wherein the evaluation apparatus is further configured to output the determined dimension.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image-generating apparatus is one of a camera, a stereo camera, a thermal imaging camera, a 3D time-of-flight camera, a laser scanner, a rotation laser, a lidar, and a radar.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image-generating apparatus is configured in at least one of a rotatable, pivotable and zoomable fashion.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surroundings sensor is one of a stereo camera, a 3D time-of-flight camera, a camera with auto-focusing apparatus or rangefinder, an optical distance-measuring device with line scan camera, a laser scanner, a rotation laser, a lidar, a radar, and an ultrasonic sensor.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surroundings sensor is configured in at least one of a rotatable and pivotable fashion.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image-generating apparatus comprises the surroundings sensor.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of image-generating apparatuses and/or a plurality of surroundings sensors that are arranged to point in different directions with respect to corresponding viewing directions.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the image-generating apparatus and surroundings sensor is arranged to scan a ground region underneath the vehicle.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a driving movement sensor configured to detect a movement of the vehicle, and wherein the evaluation apparatus is further configured such that a respective measuring point is scanned at different vehicle positions, wherein the movement of the vehicle is also taken into account during the determination of the dimension.

10. A method for measuring a dimension between at least two points of at least one surface for a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

scanning and generating a representation of the surroundings of the vehicle;

displaying the representation of the surroundings of the vehicle;

defining at least two points as measuring points between which a dimension is to be determined in the displayed representation;

sensing a distance and a direction of each of the measuring points with respect to the vehicle;

determining the dimension based on the sensed distances and directions of the measuring points; and

outputting the determined dimension.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising detecting a curvature of one of the at least one surface between the measuring points by sensing distances and directions of further points that lie on one of a virtual line and a projected line on the surface between the measuring points from the image-generating apparatus and/or from the surroundings sensor, wherein the curvature is also taken into account during the determination of the dimension.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

scanning a plurality of measuring points; and

producing a plan or a 3D model of the surroundings of the vehicle from data determined by said scanning of the plurality of measuring points.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the plan comprises a floor plan and/or an elevation.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising filtering out objects that have been predetermined from sensed data on an autonomous basis.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising sensing, automatically by image analysis, at least one predetermined object, wherein the predetermined object is one of a fence, a boundary stone, a wall, a ceiling of a building, a floor, an outer or inner edge of a building, a roadway, a leveling rod, a beacon, a post, a passage, an entry, an industrial truck, transportation material, a transportation pallet, a storage rack, a piece of baggage, and a vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

moving the vehicle between at least two instances of said sensing of the distances and the directions of the measuring points;

detecting said moving of the vehicle; and

taking said detected moving of the vehicle into account during the determining of the dimension.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said moving the vehicle comprises moving the vehicle autonomously between the at least two instances of said sensing of the distances and the directions of the measuring points.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising checking, after defining one of the at least two points as a measuring point, whether the measuring point can be sensed with the surroundings sensor.

19. The method as claimed claim 10, wherein the dimension is one of 3D coordinates, a distance, an angle, a diameter, and radii which can also be classified with minimum, maximum and average values.

20. A vehicle comprising a device that is configured to measure a dimension between at least two points on at least one surface for a vehicle, wherein the device comprises:

an image-generating apparatus configured to scan the surroundings of the vehicle;

a display apparatus configured to display a representation of the surroundings of the vehicle;

an input apparatus configured to define at least two points as measuring points between which a dimension is to be determined in the displayed representation;

a surroundings sensor configured to sense a distance and a direction of each of the measuring points with respect to the vehicle; and

an evaluation apparatus configured to determine the dimension based on the sensed distances and directions of the measuring points, wherein the evaluation apparatus is further configured to output the determined dimension.

21. The vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the vehicle has a four-wheel drive and/or a ground clearance of at least 15 cm.