Range Sensing Using a Hybrid Range Sensing Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016187486-A1
Application number	US-201414586630-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes identifying, by a processor, a first range data set. The first range data set is generated by a first device and includes first range data points. The processor identifies a second range data set. The second range data set is generated by a second device and includes second range data points. The processor compares the second range data points to the first range data points. The processor identifies a third range data set based on the comparison. The third range data set includes a subset of the second range data points. The processor adjusts distance values for first range data points of the first range data set corresponding to a portion of the surface of interest based on the third range data set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
identifying, by a processor, a first range data set, the first range data set being generated by a first device and comprising first range data points, the first range data points representing distance values from the first device to first positions on a surface of interest, respectively, the surface of interest being made of at least a first material and a second material; identifying, by the processor, a second range data set, the second range data set being generated by a second device and comprising second range data points, the second range data points representing distance values from the second device to second positions on the surface of interest, respectively; comparing, by the processor, the second range data points to the first range data points; identifying, by the processor, a third range data set based on the comparison, the third range data set comprising a subset of the second range data points; and adjusting, by the processor, distance values for first range data points of the first range data set corresponding to a portion of the surface of interest based on the third range data set.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first range data set comprises generating the first range data set using the first device, the first device comprising an optical sensor, and
wherein identifying the second range data set comprises generating the second range data set using the second device, the second device comprising an ultrasonic sensor.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a transparent material, and the second material is an opaque material.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of first range data points is greater than the number of second range data points, and
wherein the second positions are the same as a subset of the first positions.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein comparing the second range data points to the first range data points comprises:
calculating, for each of the second range data points, a difference between the second range data point and the corresponding first range data point; and comparing the differences to a predetermined threshold.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein identifying the third range data set comprises identifying the subset of the second range data set, the identified subset of the second range data set comprising second range data points where the corresponding differences are greater than the predetermined threshold.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises:
selecting a range data point of the third range data set; identifying two adjacent range data points of the third range data set, the two adjacent range data points being closest data points of the third range data set to the range data point, with respect to positions on the surface of interest; fitting a two-dimensional (2D) plane to the range data point and the two adjacent range data points; determining a number of first range data points of the first range data set within a predetermined distance to the 2D plane; identifying the second position corresponding to the selected range data point as corresponding to the first material when the determined number of first range data points is greater than a predetermined number; identifying first range data points corresponding to positions closest to the second position corresponding to the selected range data point; and adjusting the distance values for the first range data points corresponding to the portion of the surface of interest based on the identified first range data points.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the distance values for the first range data points corresponding to the portion of the surface of interest comprises setting the distance values for the first range data points corresponding to the portion of the surface of interest to equal the distance value for the selected range data point.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the number of first range data points within the predetermined distance to the 2D plane comprises determining the number of first range data points that intersect the 2D plane.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the selecting, the identifying of the two adjacent range data points, the fitting, the determining, the identifying of the second position corresponding to the selected range data point as corresponding to the first material, the identifying of the first range data points corresponding to positions closest to the second position corresponding to the selected range data point, and the adjusting of the distance values for the first range data points corresponding to the portion of the surface of interest based on the identified first range data points are repeated for at least some range data points of the third range data set.

11 . A method comprising:
receiving a first range data set from an optical distancing system, the first range data set representing distances from the optical distancing system to points on a surface of interest, respectively; receiving a second range data set from an ultrasonic distancing system, the second range data set representing distances from the ultrasonic distancing system to a subset of the points on the surface of interest, respectively; comparing, for the subset of the points on the surface of interest, the second range data set to the first range data set; identifying a first portion of the surface of interest as being made of a transparent material based on the comparison; and adjusting distances of the first range data set corresponding to the first portion of the surface of interest based on a subset of the distances of the second range data set, the subset of the distances of the second range data set corresponding to the first portion of the surface of interest.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the comparing comprises:
calculating, for each of the points on the surface of interest represented by the second range data set, a difference between the corresponding distance of the second range data set and the corresponding distance of the first range data set; comparing the difference to a predetermined threshold; and identifying the subset of the second range data set based on the comparison.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the identified subset of the second range data set comprises distances for points on the surface of interest where the corresponding difference is greater than the predetermined threshold.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein identifying the first portion of the surface of interest as being made of the transparent material comprises:
selecting a point on the surface of interest represented by a distance of the subset of the second range data set; identifying two adjacent points on the surface of interest represented by distances of the subset of the second range data set, respectively, the two adjacent points being points on the surface of interest nearest to the selected point; fitting a two-dimensional (2D) plane to the selected point and the two identified adjacent points; determining a number of points on the surface of interest represented by distances of the first range data set within a predetermined distance to the 2D plane; identifying the selected point on the surface of interest as corresponding to the transparent material when the determined number of points on the surface of interest represented by the first range data set within the predetermined distance is greater than or equal to a predetermined number; and defining a border around the selected point, the de

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Chen Xin
• Yang Ruigang

Classifications

• G01S15/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S17/86

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S17/88 Primary

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01S15/08

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) · CPC title