Landmark placement for localization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697779-B2
Application number	US-201715494216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments are provided that include receiving sensor data from a sensor positioned at a plurality of positions in an environment. The environment includes a plurality of landmarks. The embodiments also include determining, based on the sensor data, a subset of the plurality of landmarks detected at each of the plurality of positions. The embodiments further include determining, based on the subset of the plurality of landmarks detected at each of the plurality of positions, a detection frequency of each landmark. The embodiments additionally include determining, based on the determined detection frequency of each landmark, a localization viability metric associated with each landmark. The embodiments still further include providing for display, via a user interface, a map of the environment. The map includes an indication of the localization viability metric associated with each landmark.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
moving a sensor to a plurality of positions within an environment, wherein the environment comprises a plurality of landmarks;
obtaining sensor data using the sensor at each of the plurality of positions;
detecting one or more landmarks based on the sensor data obtained at each of the plurality of positions;
defining a respective region surrounding each respective landmark, wherein two or more different landmarks of the plurality of landmarks have different defined regions;
determining a detection frequency for each landmark, wherein the detection frequency corresponds to a number of positions at which sensor data was obtained within the region defined for a respective landmark, and to a number of times that the respective landmark was detected at the positions at which sensor data was obtained within the region;
determining, based on the determined detection frequency of each landmark, a localization viability metric associated with each landmark; and
providing for display, via a user interface, a map of the environment, wherein the map comprises an indication of the localization viability metric associated with each landmark.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted on a manually-operated sensor device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted on a robotic vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving additional sensor data from a second sensor positioned at a plurality of positions in the environment; and
determining, based on the additional sensor data, an updated localization viability metric associated with each landmark, wherein the map comprises an indication of the updated localization viability metric associated with each landmark.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, for a given landmark, a number of landmarks detected at each position at which the given landmark was detected; and
determining the localization viability metric associated with the given landmark based on the number of landmarks detected at each position at which the given landmark was detected.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, for the given landmark, a number of landmarks detected at a particular position of the plurality of positions;
determining whether the number of landmarks detected at the particular position meets or exceeds a detected landmark threshold; and
determining the localization viability metric associated with the given landmark based on the determination of whether the number of landmarks detected at the particular position meets or exceeds the detected landmark threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, for a given landmark, that the landmark is part of a geometric arrangement of landmarks that is similar to another arrangement of landmarks within the environment; and
determining the localization viability metric associated with the given landmark based on the determination that the landmark is part of a geometric arrangement of landmarks that is similar to another arrangement of landmarks within the environment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the localization viability metric associated with a given landmark is selected from a plurality of viability levels, wherein each viability level is associated with a different color for display on the map.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein selecting a viability level of the plurality for the given landmark comprises:
determining within which of a plurality of ranges of detection frequencies the detection frequency associated with the given landmark falls, wherein;
a first viability level of the plurality is associated with a first range of detection frequencies rates, and a second viability level of the plurality is associated with a second range of detection frequencies; and
the first viability level corresponds to a first color for display on the map of the environment and the second viability level corresponds to a second color for display on the map of the environment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the localization viability metric associated with a given landmark comprises a colored portion of the map corresponding to a position of the landmark within the environment, wherein the colored portion of the map corresponding to the position of the landmark within the environment provides a visual indication of a viability level of the localization viability metric.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provided map of the environment comprises an indication of a portion of the environment from which the sensor has obtained the sensor data and an indication of a portion of the environment from which the sensor has yet to obtain sensor data, wherein the portion of the environment from which the sensor has obtained the sensor data corresponds to the plurality of positions within the environment at which the sensor data was obtained.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the map of the environment comprises providing updates to the map based on the received sensor data.

13. A system comprising:
a sensor;
one or more processors;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the one or more processors to:
move a sensor to a plurality of positions within an environment, wherein the environment comprises a plurality of landmarks;
obtain sensor data using the sensor at each of the plurality of positions;
detect one or more landmarks based on the sensor data obtained at each of the plurality of positions;
define a respective region surrounding each respective landmark, wherein two or more different landmarks of the plurality of landmarks have different defined regions;
determine a detection frequency for each landmark, wherein the detection frequency corresponds to a number of positions at which sensor data was obtained within the region defined for a respective landmark, and to a number of times that the respective landmark was detected at the positions at which sensor data was obtained within the region;
determine, based on the determined detection frequency of each landmark, a localization viability metric associated with each landmark; and
provide for display, via a user interface, a map of the environment, wherein the map comprises an indication of the localization viability metric associated with each landmark.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising:
moving a sensor to a plurality of positions within an environment, wherein the environment comprises a plurality of landmarks;
obtaining sensor data using the sensor at each of the plurality of positions;
detecting one or more landmarks based on the sensor data obtained at each of the plurality of positions;
defining a respective region surrounding each respective landmark, wherein two or more different landmarks of the plurality of landmarks have different defined regions;
determining a detection frequency for each landmark, wherein the detection frequency corresponds to a number of positions at which sensor data was obtained within the region defined for a respective landmark, and to a number of times that the respective landmark was detected at the positions at which sensor data was obtained within the region;
determining, based on the determined detection frequency of each landmark, a localization viability metric associated with each landmark; and
providi

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Holz Dirk

Classifications

• G01S17/87 Primary

  Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S5/16

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S7/4808

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• G01C21/206

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title