Methods and apparatus to generate a synthetic point cloud of a spacecraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10733338-B2
Application number	US-201715637584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate a synthetic point cloud of a spacecraft. An example apparatus includes a point cloud generator to generate a first synthetic point cloud of a first simulated space vehicle based on a simulated illumination source and a simulated image sensor, where the simulated illumination source and the simulated image sensor is operatively coupled to a second simulated space vehicle at a first position, where the simulated image sensor measures a parameter of the first simulated space vehicle, where the simulated illumination source uses a first configuration. The example apparatus further includes a pose determiner to determine a first pose of the simulated illumination source based on a first difference between the first synthetic point cloud and a reference synthetic point cloud using a first registration method, and a command generator to generate a command to move the second simulated space vehicle from the first position to a second position based on the first pose.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a point cloud generator to generate a first synthetic point cloud of a first simulated space vehicle in a simulated environment, the first synthetic point cloud based on a simulated illumination source and a simulated image sensor, the simulated illumination source and the simulated image sensor operatively coupled to a second simulated space vehicle at a first position in the simulated environment, the simulated image sensor measuring a parameter of the first simulated space vehicle, the simulated illumination source using a first configuration including a second position of the simulated illumination source within the simulated environment;
a pose determiner to determine a first pose of the simulated illumination source based on a first difference between the first synthetic point cloud and a reference synthetic point cloud using a first registration method;
a targeting system manager to, in response to the first difference not satisfying a threshold, adjust the simulated illumination source from the first configuration to a second configuration, the second configuration including a third position different from the second position, the simulated illumination source to have a second pose based on a second difference between a second synthetic point cloud and the reference synthetic point cloud; and
a command generator to, in response to the second difference satisfying the threshold, generate a command to move the second simulated space vehicle from the first position to a fourth position based on the second pose, the point cloud generator, the pose determiner, the targeting system manager, and the command generator implemented using at least hardware.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the simulated illumination source represents a laser or an infrared illuminator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second configuration is determined by:
the point cloud generator generating the second synthetic point cloud of the first simulated space vehicle, the second synthetic point cloud based on the simulated illumination source using the second configuration;
a difference calculator calculating the second difference between the second synthetic point cloud and the reference synthetic point cloud using the first registration method; and
a configuration manager to:
compare the first difference to the second difference; and
identify the second configuration based on the comparison, the difference calculator and the configuration manager implemented using at least hardware.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first registration method is determined based on a difference calculator calculating the second difference using a second registration method, comparing the first difference to the second difference, and identifying the first registration method based on the comparison, the difference calculator implemented using at least hardware.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein generating at least one of the first synthetic point cloud or the second synthetic point cloud is based on a configuration adjuster to simulate a light reflection characteristic of a surface of the first simulated space vehicle, the configuration adjuster implemented using at least hardware.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein generating the second synthetic point cloud is based on:
a pointing system simulator to simulate a third pose of a simulated pointing system operatively coupled to the simulated illumination source; and
an optic assembly simulator to simulate a fourth pose of an optic assembly operatively coupled to the simulated image sensor, the pointing system simulator and the optic assembly simulator implemented using at least hardware.

7. A method comprising:
generating a first synthetic point cloud of a first simulated space vehicle in a simulated environment, the first synthetic point cloud based on a simulated illumination source and a simulated image sensor, the simulated illumination source and the simulated image sensor operatively coupled to a second simulated space vehicle at a first position in the simulated environment, the simulated image sensor measuring a parameter of the first simulated space vehicle, the simulated illumination source using a first configuration including a second position of the simulated illumination source within the simulated environment;
determining a first pose of the simulated illumination source based on a first difference between the first synthetic point cloud and a reference synthetic point cloud using a first registration method;
in response to the first difference not satisfying a threshold, adjusting the simulated illumination source from the first configuration to a second configuration, the second configuration including a third position different from the second position, the simulated illumination source to have a second pose based on a second difference between a second synthetic point cloud and the reference synthetic point cloud; and
generating a command to move the second simulated space vehicle from the first position to a fourth position based on the second pose.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the simulated illumination source represents a laser or an infrared illuminator.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first configuration is based on at least one of a wavelength, an intensity, a point size, a dispersion, a duration, or a cycle time of the laser.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second configuration is determined by:
generating the second synthetic point cloud of the first simulated space vehicle, the second synthetic point cloud based on the simulated illumination source using the second configuration;
calculating the second difference between the second synthetic point cloud and the reference synthetic point cloud using the first registration method;
comparing the first difference to the second difference; and
identifying the second configuration based on the comparison.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first registration method is determined by calculating the second difference using a second registration method, comparing the first difference to the second difference, and identifying the first registration method based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating at least one of the first synthetic point cloud or the second synthetic point cloud is based on simulating a light reflection characteristic of a surface of the first simulated space vehicle.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the second synthetic point cloud is based on simulating a third pose of a simulated pointing system operatively coupled to the simulated illumination source and simulating a fourth pose of an optic assembly operatively coupled to the simulated image sensor.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
generate a first synthetic point cloud of a first simulated space vehicle in a simulated environment, the first synthetic point cloud based on a simulated illumination source and a simulated image sensor, the simulated illumination source and the simulated image sensor operatively coupled to a second simulated space vehicle at a first position in the simulated environment, the simulated image sensor measuring a parameter of the first simulated space vehicle, the simulated illumination source using a first configuration including a second position of the simulated illumination source within the simulated environment;
determine a first pose of the simulated illumination source based on a first difference between

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kwon Hyukseong
• Kim Kyungnam

Classifications

• G06T7/74

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G06F2119/18

  Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability · CPC title

• G06T2207/30244

  Camera pose · CPC title

• G06T7/536

  from perspective effects, e.g. by using vanishing points · CPC title