Method and System for Displaying a Projected Path for a Machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016353049-A1
Application number	US-201514722535-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying a projected path of a machine using image data of the ground engaging members of the machine. One method includes receiving one or more images; displaying on a display device a first image of the one or more images; determining one or more ground engaging members of the machine in the one or more images; determining a current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members using at least information regarding the one or more ground engaging members contained in the one or more images; determining a projected path of the machine based on at least the current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members; and displaying on the display device a graphic corresponding to the projected path of the machine overlaying the first image.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for displaying a path of travel of a machine, comprising:
receiving from a first image capture device a landscape image; displaying on a display device the landscape image; receiving one or more localized images from one or more additional image capture devices, each of the one or more localized images depicting a section of one or more ground engaging members of the machine; determining one or more portions of the one or more localized images that correspond to the one or more ground engaging members; analyzing the one or more portions to determine a current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members; determining a first projected path of the machine based on at least the current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members; and displaying on the display device a graphic corresponding to the first projected path of the machine, the graphic displayed overlaying the landscape image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more additional image capture devices is a digital camera including a wide-angle lens.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more portions to determine a current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members comprises:
comparing a first portion of the one or more portions to a set of reference portions to identify a second portion of the set of reference portions that matches the first portion, each of the set of reference portions depicting the same ground engaging member as the first portion and associated with a state of the ground engaging member; and determining the current state of the ground engaging member depicted in the first portion based on at least the respective state associated with the second portion.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more portions to determine a current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members comprises:
identifying one or more features of a specific ground engaging member in the one or more portions; analyzing a configuration of the one or more features; and determining the current state of the specific ground engaging member based on at least the analyzing the configuration of the one or more features.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more features comprises one or more of a tread and an applied marking.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a plurality of states of a specific ground engaging member, the plurality of states representing a range of movement of the specific ground engaging member; capturing, using the one or more additional image capture devices, a plurality of reference images for the specific ground engaging member; determining, for each of the plurality of states, a reference image of the plurality of reference images that depicts the specific ground engaging member in the respective state; and associating, for each of the plurality of states, the determined reference image with the respective state.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a steering wheel angle of the machine; and retrieving information regarding the machine and the one or more ground engaging members; determining a second projected path of the machine based on the steering wheel angle and the retrieved information; analyzing differences between the first projected path and the second projected path of the machine; and determining a third projected path of the machine based on the analyzed differences.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more portions of the one or more localized images that correspond to the one or more ground engaging members comprises filtering each localized image to remove a background of the localized image.

9 . A method for displaying a path of travel of a machine, comprising:
receiving one or more images from one or more image capture devices, the one or more image capture devices disposed on the machine; displaying on a display device a first image of the one or more images; determining one or more ground engaging members of the machine in the one or more images; determining a current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members using at least information regarding the one or more ground engaging members contained in the one or more images; determining a first projected path of the machine based on the current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members; and displaying on the display device a graphic corresponding to the first projected path of the machine, the graphic displayed overlaying the first image.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the one or more image capture devices is a digital camera including a wide-angle lens.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members comprises:
determining a first portion of an image of the one or more images that depicts a ground engaging member; comparing the image including the first portion to a set of reference images to identify a reference image that includes a second portion that matches the first portion, each of the set of reference images depicting the same ground engaging member as the first portion and associated with a state of the ground engaging member; and determining the current state of the ground engaging member depicted in the first portion based on at least the respective state associated with the reference image.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the current state of each of the one or more ground engaging members comprises:
identifying one or more features of a specific ground engaging member in the one or more images; analyzing a configuration of the one or more features; and determining the current state of the specific ground engaging member based on at least the analyzing the configuration of the one or more features.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more features comprises one or more of a tread and an applied marking.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a plurality of states of a specific ground engaging member, the plurality of states representing a range of movement of the specific ground engaging member; capturing using the one or more image capture devices a plurality of reference images for the specific ground engaging member; determining, for each of the plurality of states, a reference image of the plurality of reference images that depicts the specific ground engaging member in the respective state; and associating, for each of the plurality of states, the determined reference image with the respective state.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a steering wheel angle of the machine; and retrieving information regarding the machine and the one or more ground engaging members, determining a second projected path of the machine based on the steering wheel angle and the retrieved information; analyzing differences between the first projected path and the second projected path of the machine; and determining a third projected path of the machine based on the analyzed differences.

16 . A system for displaying a path of travel of a machine comprising:
a processor; and a memory bearing instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the system at least to:
receive one or more images from one or more image capture devices, the one or more image capture devices disposed on the machine;
display on a display device a first image of the one or more images;
d

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Maley Jacob

Classifications

• G06T11/20 Primary

  Drawing from basic elements · CPC title

• B60R2300/207

  using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display · CPC title

• B60R2300/802

  for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views · CPC title

• H04N5/23238

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/247

  Electricity · mapped topic