Evaluation of scanning information using positional information

1 . Apparatus, comprising: a processing unit configured to acquire scanning information of a two-dimensional scan of a surface; and

acquire positional information indicating an inclination of a capturing unit with respect to the surface, said capturing unit providing the two-dimensional scan;

perform a rectification of the scanning information for the scanning information using the positional information, and evaluate it with respect to a localization of the capturing unit relative to the surface; and

determine distances and positions of features, information about which is comprised by the scanning information and which comprise information about the location of the capturing unit on the surface, so as to compare it to a database in order to determine the position of the capturing unit;

wherein the apparatus is configured as a vehicle, and further comprising one of the following:

1) wherein the vehicle comprises the capturing unit that comprises at least one of a camera, a laser-distance sensor array, an area scan camera, a line scan camera, and a unit configured for scanning the surface by means of RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) or LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging), and wherein the capturing unit is fixedly connected to a housing of the vehicle and is arranged in a predetermined relative position with respect to the housing, so that an orientation or inclination of the capturing unit to the surface depends on a deflection of wheel segments of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle comprises a position capturing unit configured to capture the positional information, wherein the position capturing unit comprises a central sensor element formed as a gyroscope, or wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least two spaced-apart sensor elements and is configured, using geometrically-caused known information and taking into account a geometric arrangement or position, to determine an inclination of the capturing unit, or wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least three spaced-apart sensor elements and is configured, taking into account a geometric arrangement or position, to determine an inclination of the capturing unit, wherein the sensor elements comprise a distance sensor for determining a distance to the surface and/or a rotary encoder for indicating a local inclination or rotation; or

2). wherein the vehicle comprises a position capturing unit configured to capture the positional information and wherein the vehicle comprises the capturing unit, and wherein the vehicle comprises at least two wheel segments with suspension and wherein the capturing unit comprises a predetermined relative position with respect to the at least two wheel segments with suspension, and wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least two sensor elements, wherein the at least two sensor elements are each arranged at one of the at least two wheel segments with suspension, and wherein the processing unit is configured to receive, from each of the at least two sensor elements, measurement values that are correlated with a suspension travel of the wheel segments, and to calculate the positional information on the basis of a combination of the measurement values, and wherein the at least two sensor elements are arranged at locations of the wheel segments in dependence on an amplitude of an oscillation of a downward deflection and of an upward deflection of the respective wheel segment, so that the at least two sensor elements are sensitive with respect to the suspension travel of the wheel segments.

2 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning information is based on an optical scan of the surface by means of the capturing unit.

3 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to acquire equalized scanning information through the rectification, and to perform an evaluation of the equalized scanning information for a pattern detection to extract information about inherent features of the surface, and to infer the position of the capturing unit through its comparison to a database.

4 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to, using a manipulation of the scanning information acquired through the rectification, perform an extraction of features of the surface from the scanning information, and/or to perform the evaluation of the features with respect to a shape of the features and/or the relative position of the features with respect to each other.

5 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to

manipulate the scanning information using the positional information so as to acquire manipulated scanning information; and

perform an evaluation of the manipulated scanning information with respect to the localization of the capturing unit relative to the surface.

6 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to at least partially compensate a perspective distortion of the scanning information using the positional information.

7 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to:

receive measurement values from each of the at least two sensor elements; and

determine information about the suspension travel of the at least two wheel segments on the basis of the measurement values, wherein the information about the suspension travel comprises information about a distance of the respective wheel segment to the surface, said distance being variable through the suspension of the wheel segments, and therefore information about the inclination of the capturing unit with respect to the surface.

8 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two sensor elements comprise rotary encoders.

9 . Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a vehicle of a sorting system.

10 . Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle of the sorting system is configured to travel autonomously.

11 . Method of determining a position of a capturing unit of a vehicle, comprising: acquiring scanning information of a two-dimensional scan of a surface;

acquiring positional information, using a position capturing unit, the positional information indicating an inclination of a capturing unit with respect to the surface, said capturing unit providing the two-dimensional scan;

evaluating the scanning information by using the positional information with respect to a localization of the capturing unit relative to the surface and performing a rectification of the scanning information on the basis of the positional information, and determining distances and positions of features, information about which is comprised by the scanning information and which comprise information about the location of the capturing unit on the surface, so as to compare it to a database in order to determine the position of the capturing unit;

wherein the vehicle further comprises one of the following:

1). wherein the capturing unit is part of the vehicle, and wherein the capturing unit comprises at least one of a camera, a laser-distance sensor array, an area scan camera, a line scan camera, and a unit configured for scanning the surface by means of RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) or LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging), and wherein the capturing unit is fixedly connected to a housing of the vehicle and is arranged in a predetermined relative position with respect to the housing, so that an orientation or inclination of the capturing unit to the surface depends on a deflection of wheel segments of the vehicle, and wherein the position capturing unit is part of the vehicle, and wherein the position capturing unit comprises a central sensor element formed as a gyroscope, or wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least two spaced-apart sensor elements and is configured, using geometrically-caused known information and taking into account a geometric arrangement or position, to determine an inclination of the capturing unit, or wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least three spaced-apart sensor elements and is configured, taking into account a geometric arrangement or position, to determine an inclination of the capturing unit, wherein the sensor elements comprise a distance sensor for determining a distance to the surface and/or a rotary encoder for indicating a local inclination or rotation; or

2). wherein the position capturing unit is part of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle comprises at least two wheel segments with suspension and wherein the capturing unit comprises a predetermined relative position with respect to the at least two wheel segments with suspension, and wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least two sensor elements, wherein the at least two sensor elements are each arranged at one of the at least two wheel segments with suspension, and wherein the method further comprises receiving, from each of the at least two sensor elements, measurement values that are correlated with a suspension travel of the wheel segments, and calculating the positional information on the basis of a combination of the measurement values, and wherein the at least two sensor elements are arranged at locations of the wheel segments in dependence on an amplitude of an oscillation of a downward deflection and of an upward deflection of the respective wheel segment, so that the at least two sensor elements are sensitive with respect to the suspension travel of the wheel segments.

12 . Method according to claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

manipulating the scanning information by using the positional information so as to acquire manipulated scanning information; and

evaluating the manipulated scanning information with respect to the localization of the capturing unit relative to the surface.

13 . Non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform a method of determining a position of a capturing unit of a vehicle, the method comprising: acquiring scanning information of a two-dimensional scan of a surface;

acquiring positional information, using a position capturing unit, the positional information indicating an inclination of a capturing unit with respect to the surface, said capturing unit providing the two-dimensional scan;

evaluating the scanning information by using the positional information with respect to a localization of the capturing unit relative to the surface and performing a rectification of the scanning information on the basis of the positional information, and determining distances and positions of features, information about which is comprised by the scanning information and which comprise information about the location of the capturing unit on the surface, so as to compare it to a database in order to determine the position of the capturing unit;

wherein the vehicle further comprises one of the following:

1). wherein the capturing unit is part of a vehicle, and wherein the capturing unit comprises at least one of a camera, a laser-distance sensor array, an area scan camera, a line scan camera, and a unit configured for scanning the surface by means of RADAR (Radio Detecting and Ranging) or LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging), and wherein the capturing unit is fixedly connected to a housing of the vehicle and is arranged in a predetermined relative position with respect to the housing, so that an orientation or inclination of the capturing unit to the surface depends on a deflection of wheel segments of the vehicle, and wherein the position capturing unit is part of the vehicle, and wherein the position capturing unit comprises a central sensor element formed as a gyroscope, or wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least two spaced-apart sensor elements and is configured, using geometrically-caused known information and taking into account a geometric arrangement or position, to determine an inclination of the capturing unit, or wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least three spaced-apart sensor elements and is configured, taking into account a geometric arrangement or position, to determine an inclination of the capturing unit, wherein the sensor elements comprise a distance sensor for determining a distance to the surface and/or a rotary encoder for indicating a local inclination or rotation; or

2). wherein the position capturing unit is part of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle comprises at least two wheel segments with suspension and wherein the capturing unit comprises a predetermined relative position with respect to the at least two wheel segments with suspension, and wherein the position capturing unit comprises at least two sensor elements, wherein the at least two sensor elements are each arranged at one of the at least two wheel segments with suspension, and wherein the method further comprises receiving, from each of the at least two sensor elements, measurement values that are correlated with a suspension travel of the wheel segments, and calculating the positional information on the basis of a combination of the measurement values, and wherein the at least two sensor elements are arranged at locations of the wheel segments in dependence on an amplitude of an oscillation of a downward deflection and of an upward deflection of the respective wheel segment, so that the at least two sensor elements are sensitive with respect to the suspension travel of the wheel segments;

when said computer program is run by a computer.