Apparatus and method for providing vehicular positioning
A vehicular positioning system utilizing multiple optical cameras having contiguous fields of view for reading coded markers having pre-determined positions for determining the position of vehicle inside a structure with a high degree of accuracy. The vehicle positioning system provides for the direct installation and use of a positioning apparatus on a vehicle with a limited number of coded markers to determine the vehicle's position to within millimeter level accuracy.
1. A method for determining a position of an object located within a particular environment, the method comprising:
acquiring, from an image acquisition module, a set of images of at least three coded visual markers, each coded visual marker having a fixed location within the particular environment, and each image of the set of images associated with at least one respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers, the image acquisition module acquiring the set of images from a plurality of cameras;
acquiring inertial sensor data associated with the object;
extracting from the set of images a set of geometric features associated with each of the respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers;
predicting, from a prediction module, a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers in a particular frame of the image associated with the one respective different one coded visual marker; and
determining the position of the object using the inertial sensor data in combination with the set of geometric features associated with each respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a set of visual marker information associated with at least one of the respective different one coded visual markers, the set of visual marker information including a marker location, and at least one of a marker orientation, a marker identifier, a marker type, and a marker size.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one respective different one coded visual marker is configured with one of a checkerboard pattern, a quick response code, and a barcode.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein each camera of the plurality of cameras has an associated field view such that the associated fields of views of the plurality of cameras are contiguous.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a vehicle.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the inertial sensor data is acquired from at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the particular environment is an indoor environment.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the image acquisition module and the plurality of cameras are mounted on the object.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of the respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers includes encoded information specifying a location of the at least one respective different one coded visual marker within the indoor environment.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
defining, by the prediction module, an area where the object may appear in a particular time interval, the area having a plurality of regions, each region having a plurality of points, and wherein multiple points are projected to the plurality of cameras.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting an error in a set of coordinates associated with a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers; and
correcting the set of coordinates associated with the position, by estimating revised coordinates for the set of coordinates through observing, using the plurality of cameras, the one of the respective different one coded visual markers from at least two different positions together with at least three other ones of the respective different one coded visual markers having respective known coordinate positions.
12. A positioning apparatus for determining a position of an object located within a particular environment comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled with the processor, the memory having a program that stores computer program instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations for:
acquiring, from an image acquisition module, a set of images of at least three coded visual markers, each coded visual marker having a fixed location within the particular environment, and each image of the set of images associated with at least one respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers, the image acquisition module acquiring the set of images from a plurality of cameras, each camera of the plurality of cameras having an associated field of view such that the associated fields of views of the plurality of cameras are contiguous;
acquiring inertial sensor data associated with the object;
extracting from the set of images a set of geometric features associated with each of the respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers;
predicting, from a prediction module, a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers in a particular frame of the image associated with the one respective different one coded visual marker; and
determining the position of the object using the inertial sensor data in combination with the set of geometric features associated with each respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers.
13. The positioning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a set of visual marker information associated with at least one of the respective different one coded visual markers, the set of visual marker information including a marker location, and at least one of a marker orientation, a marker identifier, a marker type, and a marker size.
14. The positioning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the object is a vehicle.
15. The positioning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the image acquisition module and the plurality of cameras are mounted on the object.
16. The positioning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise:
defining, by the prediction module, an area where the object may appear in a particular time interval, the area having a plurality of regions, each region having a plurality of points, and wherein multiple points are projected to the plurality of cameras.
17. The positioning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise:
detecting an error in a set of coordinates associated with a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers; and
correcting the set of coordinates associated with the position, by estimating revised coordinates for the set of coordinates through observing, using the plurality of cameras, the one of the respective different one coded visual markers from at least two different positions together with at least three other ones of the respective different one coded visual markers having respective known coordinate positions.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions for determining a position of a vehicle traversing a particular environment, the computer program instructions, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
acquiring, from an image acquisition module, a set of images of at least three coded visual markers, each coded visual marker having a fixed location within the particular environment, and each image of the set of images associated with at one respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers, the image acquisition module acquiring the set of images from a plurality of cameras, each camera of the plurality of cameras having an associated field of view such that the associated fields of views of the plurality of cameras are contiguous;
acquiring inertial sensor data associated with the vehicle;
extracting from the set of images a set of geometric features associated with each of the respective different one coded visual markers of the at least three coded visual markers;
predicting, from a prediction module, a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers in a particular frame of the image associated with the one respective different one coded visual marker; and
determining the position of the vehicle using the inertial sensor data in combination with the set of geometric features associated with each respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers.
19. An apparatus for determining a position of an object located within a particular environment comprising:
an image acquisition module for acquiring a set of images of at least three coded visual markers, each coded visual marker having a fixed location within the particular environment, and each image of the set of images associated with at least one respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers, the image acquisition module acquiring the set of images from a plurality of cameras, each camera of the plurality of cameras having an associated field of view such that the associated fields of views of the plurality of cameras are contiguous;
an inertial sensors module for acquiring inertial sensor data associated with the object;
a markers detection module for extracting from the set of images a set of geometric features associated with each of the respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers;
a prediction module for predicting a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers in a particular frame of the image associated with the one respective different one coded visual marker; and
a coordinates and positioning module for determining the position of the object using the inertial sensor data in combination with the set of geometric features associated with each respective different one coded visual marker of the at least three coded visual markers.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:
a data module for storing a set of visual marker information associated with at least one of the respective different one coded visual markers, the set of visual marker information including a marker location, and at least one of a marker orientation, a marker identifier, a marker type, and a marker size.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the object is a vehicle and the particular environment is one of a domed stadium and a building.
22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the prediction module defines an area where the object may appear in a particular time interval, the area having a plurality of regions, each region having a plurality of points, and wherein multiple points are projected to the plurality of cameras.
23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the coordinates and positioning module further provides for detecting an error in a set of coordinates associated with a position of one of the respective different one coded visual markers; and correcting the set of coordinates associated with the position, by estimating revised coordinates for the set of coordinates through observing, using the plurality of cameras, the one of the respective different one coded visual markers from at least two different positions together with at least three other ones of the respective different one coded visual markers having respective known coordinate positions.