Systems and methods for GPS-based and sensor-based relocalization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674807-B2
Application number	US-202117356329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 11, 2020
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

Systems are configured for performing GPS-based and sensor-based relocalization. During the relocalization, the systems are configured to obtain radio-based positioning data indicating an estimated position of the system within a mapped environment. The systems are also configured to identify, based on the estimated position, a subset of keyframes of a map of the mapped environment, wherein the map of the mapped environment includes a plurality of keyframes captured from a plurality of locations within the mapped environment, and the plurality of keyframes are associated with anchor points identified within the mapped environment. The systems are further configured to perform relocalization within the mapped environment based on the subset of keyframes.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for transitioning between tracking modes within an environment, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more hardware storage devices storing computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the system to transition between tracking modes within an environment and by at least configuring the system to perform the following: track an estimated position of the system within the environment using a first tracking mode of the system; detect a presence of a triggering condition for selectively switching from the first tracking mode to a second tracking mode of the system, the triggering condition being at least partially based on first tracking data obtained according to the first tracking mode, wherein the second tracking mode comprises a high-fidelity tracking mode relative to the first tracking mode, the second tracking mode also being based on visual tracking images; and in response to detecting the presence of the triggering condition, selectively activate the second tracking mode of the system and track a position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode, wherein the triggering condition comprises a determination that the estimated position of the system tracked using the first tracking mode of the system is within a threshold proximity to a pre-mapped portion of the environment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the triggering condition comprises a determination that the estimated position of the system tracked using the first tracking mode of the system is within a threshold proximity to a target region within the environment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein tracking the position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode comprises localizing the system within the environment based on one or more keyframes associated with the pre-mapped portion of the environment.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more keyframes are selected based on orientation similarity between (i) an estimated orientation associated with the system and (ii) one or more orientations associated with the one or more keyframes.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first tracking mode is a tracking mode that is based data other than visual tracking images.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first tracking mode comprises GPS tracking.

7. A method for transitioning a system between tracking modes within an environment, the method comprising: using the system to track an estimated position of the system within the environment using a first tracking mode of the system; detect a presence of a triggering condition for selectively switching from the first tracking mode to a second tracking mode of the system, the first tracking mode comprising a GPS based tracking mode based on GPS data obtained by a GPS sensor of the system, the second tracking mode being based on visual tracking images; and in response to detecting the presence of the triggering condition, causing the system to switch from the first tracking mode to the second tracking mode and to track a position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode, wherein the triggering condition comprises a determination that the estimated position of the system tracked using the first tracking mode of the system is within a threshold proximity to a target region within the environment.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the triggering condition comprises a determination that the estimated position of the system tracked using the first tracking mode of the system is within a threshold proximity to a target region within the environment.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein tracking the position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode comprises localizing the system within the environment based on one or more keyframes associated with the pre-mapped portion of the environment.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further includes selecting the one or more keyframes based on orientation similarity between (i) an estimated orientation associated with the system and (ii) one or more orientations associated with the one or more keyframes.

11. A system for transitioning between tracking modes within an environment, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more hardware storage devices storing computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the system to transition between tracking modes within an environment and by at least configuring the system to perform the following: track an estimated position of the system within the environment using a first tracking mode of the system; detect a presence of a triggering condition for selectively switching from the first tracking mode to a second tracking mode of the system, the triggering condition being at least partially based on first tracking data obtained according to the first tracking mode, wherein the second tracking mode comprises a high-fidelity tracking mode relative to the first tracking mode; and in response to detecting the presence of the triggering condition, selectively activate the second tracking mode of the system and track a position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode, wherein tracking the position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode comprises localizing the system within the environment based on one or more keyframes associated with a pre-mapped portion of the environment, and wherein the one or more keyframes are selected based on orientation similarity between (i) an estimated orientation associated with the system and (ii) one or more orientations associated with the one or more keyframes.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the triggering condition comprises a determination that the estimated position of the system tracked using the first tracking mode of the system is within a threshold proximity to a target region within the environment.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the triggering condition comprises a determination that the estimated position of the system tracked using the first tracking mode of the system is within a threshold proximity to a pre-mapped portion of the environment.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein tracking the position of the system within the environment using the second tracking mode comprises localizing the system within the environment based on one or more keyframes associated with the pre-mapped portion of the environment.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more keyframes are selected based on orientation similarity between (i) an estimated orientation associated with the system and (ii) one or more orientations associated with the one or more keyframes.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first tracking mode is a tracking mode that is based data other than visual tracking images.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first tracking mode comprises GPS tracking.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Price Raymond Kirk
• Bleyer Michael
• Edmonds Christopher Douglas

Classifications

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G06T7/74

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title