Generating environmental map by aligning captured scans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12436288-B2
Application number	US-202217737250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2022
Priority date	May 12, 2021
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A method for performing a simultaneous location and mapping of a scanner device in a surrounding environment includes capturing a scan-data of a portion of a map of the surrounding environment. The scan-data comprises a point cloud. Further, at runtime, a user-interface is used to make, a selection of a feature from the scan-data, and a selection of a submap that was previously captured. The submap includes the same feature. The method further includes determining a first scan position as a present position of the scanner device, and determining a second scan position as a position of the scanner device. The method further includes determining a displacement vector for the map based on the first and the second scan positions. Further, a revised first scan position is computed based on the second scan position and the displacement vector. The scan-data is registered using the revised first scan position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a scanner device configured to capture scan-data of a surrounding environment; and
one or more processors operably coupled to the scanner device, wherein the one or more processors are operable to perform simultaneous locating and mapping of the scanner device in the surrounding environment, which comprises:
capturing the scan-data of a portion of a map of the surrounding environment, wherein the scan-data comprises a point cloud;
receiving, at runtime, via a user-interface, a selection of a feature from the scan-data, and a selection of a submap that was previously captured, wherein the submap includes the same feature;
determining a first scan position as a present position of the scanner device, and determine a second scan position as a position of the scanner device;
determining a displacement vector for the map based on a difference between the first scan position and the second scan position;
computing a revised first scan position based on the second scan position and the displacement vector; and
registering the scan-data using the revised first scan position.

2. The system of claim 1 , the one or more processors are operable to assign a unique identifier to the feature.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a semantic feature in the map.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a predetermined area in the map.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide, via the user-interface, an identification of one or more features in the scan-data.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide, via the user-interface, a list of submaps that include the feature that is selected.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the scanner device is equipped on a movable platform.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to:
determine a constraint by computing a relationship between a first measurement and a second measurement of the feature, the first measurement captured from the first scan position, and the second measurement captured from a third scan position; and
perform the simultaneous locating and mapping by using the constraint.

9. A method for performing a simultaneous location and mapping of a scanner device in a surrounding environment, the method comprising:
capturing a scan-data of a portion of a map of the surrounding environment, wherein the scan-data comprises a point cloud;
receiving, at runtime, via a user-interface, a selection of a feature from the scan-data, and a selection of a submap that was previously captured, wherein the submap includes the same feature;
determining a first scan position as a present position of the scanner device, and determining a second scan position as a position of the scanner device;
determining a displacement vector for the map based on a difference between the first scan position and the second scan position;
computing a revised first scan position based on the second scan position and the displacement vector; and
registering the scan-data using the revised first scan position.

10. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprises assigning a unique identifier to the feature.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the feature comprises a semantic feature in the map.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the feature comprises a predetermined area in the map.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises providing, via the user-interface, an identification of one or more features in the scan-data.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises providing, via the user-interface, a list of submaps that include the feature that is selected.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the scanner device is equipped on a movable platform.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a constraint by computing a relationship between a first measurement and a second measurement of the feature, the first measurement captured from the first scan position, and the second measurement captured from a third scan position; and
performing the simultaneous locating and mapping by using the constraint.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method performing a simultaneous location and mapping of a scanner device in a surrounding environment, the method comprising:
capturing a scan-data of a portion of a map of the surrounding environment, wherein the scan-data comprises a point cloud;
receiving, at runtime, via a user-interface, a selection of a feature from the scan-data, and a selection of a submap that was previously captured, wherein the submap includes the same feature;
determining a first scan position as a present position of the scanner device, and determine a second scan position as a position of the scanner device;
determining a displacement vector for the map based on a difference between the first scan position and the second scan position;
computing a revised first scan position based on the second scan position and the displacement vector; and
registering the scan-data using the revised first scan position.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises providing, via the user-interface, an identification of one or more features in the scan-data.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises providing, via the user-interface, a list of submaps that include the feature that is selected.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a constraint by computing a relationship between a first measurement and a second measurement of the feature, the first measurement captured from the first scan position, and the second measurement captured from a third scan position; and
performing the simultaneous locating and mapping by using the constraint.

Assignees

• Faro Tech Inc

Inventors

• Zweigle Oliver
• Brenner Mark
• Frank Aleksej
• Ramadneh Ahmad

Classifications

• G01S7/484

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G06V10/7715

  Feature extraction, e.g. by transforming the feature space, e.g. multi-dimensional scaling [MDS]; Mappings, e.g. subspace methods · CPC title

• F16M11/041

  Allowing quick release of the apparatus · CPC title

• F16M13/04

  for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains {, e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head (apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B)} · CPC title

• F16M11/42

  with arrangement for propelling the support {stands on wheels} · CPC title