Sharing neighboring map data across devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11853639-B2
Application number	US-202217806126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A computing device and method are provided for transmitting a relevant subset of map data, called a neighborhood, to enable mutual spatial understanding by multiple display devices around a target virtual location to display a shared hologram in the same exact location in the physical environment at the same moment in time. The computing device may comprise a processor, a memory operatively coupled to the processor, and an anchor transfer program stored in the memory and executed by the processor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A first autonomous robot configured to network with a second autonomous robot, the first autonomous robot comprising:
a processor;
a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing local map data including at least a first pose graph created based on sensor measurements of the first autonomous robot, the first pose graph including a first virtual place-located anchor defining a first target virtual location;
an anchor transfer program stored in the memory and executed by the processor to be configured to execute an import anchor mode, wherein
in the import anchor mode, the anchor transfer program is configured to:
receive, from the second autonomous robot, neighboring map data of a neighborhood around a second virtual place-located anchor at a second target virtual location including a second pose graph created based on sensor measurements of the second autonomous robot;
incorporate, via a stitching process, the neighboring map data into the local map data of the first autonomous robot to create integrated map data comprising keyframes, each keyframe including feature matching data, the stitching process including stitching together the second pose graph of the neighboring map data and the first pose graph of the local map data by connecting the first pose graph and the second pose graph based on a spatial relationship determined by the anchor transfer program of at least one point of the first pose graph and at least one point of the second pose graph, wherein the spatial relationship comprises the first pose graph, the second pose graph, and a third pose graph connecting the first virtual place-located anchor defining the first target virtual location to the second virtual place-located anchor defining the second target virtual location;
determine a pose of the first autonomous robot with predictive corrective localization based on the feature matching data in the keyframes of the integrated map data; and
cause the first autonomous robot to align movements in aligned coordinate space with the second autonomous robot based on the integrated map data and the determined pose of the first autonomous robot, wherein

a virtual model is anchored by the first virtual place-located anchor and the second virtual place-located anchor, the virtual model including predetermined spaces in which the movements of the first and second autonomous robots are instructed, and prohibited spaces in which the movements of the first and second autonomous robots are prohibited.

2. The first autonomous robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first display operatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein
the anchor transfer program is executed by the processor to receive first anchor data, causing the first display to display one or more holograms at the first virtual place-located anchor at the first target virtual location from a vantage point of the first autonomous robot.

3. The first autonomous robot of claim 1 , wherein the anchor transfer program is configured to send an instruction to a server computing device to generate the first virtual place-located anchor at the first target virtual location, and receive the first virtual place-located anchor from the server computing device.

4. The first autonomous robot of claim 1 , wherein
the anchor transfer program is configured to receive the neighboring map data in a serialized format; and
the anchor transfer program is configured to send the neighboring map data to the second autonomous robot in a deserialized format.

5. The first autonomous robot of claim 2 , wherein the first target virtual location is world-locked to a position that is fixed in a three-dimensional coordinate space overlaid upon a real world three-dimensional environment.

6. The first autonomous robot of claim 2 , wherein the first target virtual location is world-locked to a position relative to an object in a real world three-dimensional environment.

7. The first autonomous robot of claim 1 , wherein the neighboring map data comprises keyframes and at least a portion of a pose-graph describing rotational motion and translational motion of the first autonomous robot and the second autonomous robot through a real world three-dimensional environment.

8. The first autonomous robot of claim 7 , further comprising:
visual sensors and/or inertial measurement sensors, wherein
the visual sensors and/or inertial measurement sensors track the rotational motion and translational motion of the first autonomous robot and second autonomous robot for the keyframes and pose-graphs.

9. The first autonomous robot of claim 7 , wherein the keyframes comprise at least one of a fingerprint of a Wi-Fi beacon, gravity data, temperature data, global positioning data, or calibration data.

10. A method for a first autonomous robot configured to network with a second autonomous robot, the method comprising:
storing local map data including at least a first pose graph created based on sensor measurements of the first autonomous robot, the first pose graph including a first virtual place-located anchor defining a first target virtual location;
causing the first autonomous robot to execute an import anchor mode, wherein
in the import anchor mode:
neighboring map data is received from the second autonomous robot of a neighborhood around a second virtual place-located anchor at a second target virtual location including a second pose graph created based on sensor measurements of the second autonomous robot;
via a stitching process, the neighboring map data is incorporated into the local map data of the first autonomous robot to create integrated map data comprising keyframes, each keyframe including feature matching data, the stitching process including stitching together the second pose graph of the neighboring map data and the first pose graph of the local map data by connecting the first pose graph and the second pose graph based on a spatial relationship of at least one point of the first pose graph and at least one point of the second pose graph, wherein the spatial relationship comprises the first pose graph, the second pose graph, and a third pose graph connecting the first virtual place-located anchor defining the first target virtual location to the second virtual place-located anchor defining the second target virtual location;
a pose of the first autonomous robot is determined with predictive corrective localization based on the feature matching data in the keyframes of the integrated map data; and
the first autonomous robot is caused to align movements in aligned coordinate space with the second autonomous robot based on the integrated map data and the determined pose of the first autonomous robot, wherein

a virtual model is anchored by the first virtual place-located anchor and the second virtual place-located anchor, the virtual model including predetermined spaces in which the movements of the first and second autonomous robots are instructed, and prohibited spaces in which the movements of the first and second autonomous robots are prohibited.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving first anchor data causing a first display of the first autonomous robot to display one or more holograms at the first virtual place-located anchor at the first target virtual location from a vantage point of the first autonomous robot.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
sending an instruction to a server computing device to generate the first virtual place-located anchor at the first target virtual location; and
receiving the first virtual place-located anchor from the server computing device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Eade Ethan
• Vanturennout Jeroen
• Lyons Jonathan
• Fields David
• Lazarow Gavin Dean
• Bhatnagar Tushar Cyril

Classifications

• G06F3/1454 Primary

  involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay · CPC title

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G03H1/0005

  Adaptation of holography to specific applications (holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042) · CPC title

• G03H1/2249

  Holobject properties · CPC title