IP Library Granted Patent US 11,815,598
Granted Patent B2
US 11,815,598 · App. 16/896,964 · Granted Nov 14, 2023

Anti-collision and motion monitoring, control, and alerting systems and methods

Inventors: Andrew James Pratt (Houston, TX); Monil Dinesh Morar (Houston, TX); Mark Alan Foresman (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G01S17/06G01S17/93G02B27/0172G06V20/10G08B21/182G02B2027/0178
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,815,598
App. No.
16/896,964
Granted
Nov 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods presented herein include an anti-collision and motion monitoring system includes light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems configured to detect locations of objects in an environment. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system also includes camera systems configured to capture images of the objects in the environment that are detected by the LiDAR systems. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system further includes processing circuitry configured to coordinate operation of the LiDAR systems and the camera systems, to receive inputs from the LiDAR systems and the camera systems relating to the objects in the environment, to process the inputs received from the LiDAR systems and the camera systems to determine outputs relating to monitoring, control, and alerting relating to the objects in the environment, and to communicate the outputs to a central coordinator.

Claims (37)

1. An anti-collision and motion control system, comprising:

a plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, each anti-collision and motion monitoring system being positioned at a different stationary position in an environment and comprising:

one or more light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems configured to detect locations of one or more objects in the environment;

one or more camera systems configured to capture images of the one or more objects in the environment that are detected by the one or more LiDAR systems; and

processing circuitry configured to receive inputs from the one or more LiDAR systems and the one or more camera systems relating to the one or more objects in the environment, and to process the inputs received from the one or more LiDAR systems and the one or more camera systems to determine outputs relating to the one or more objects in the environment; and

a central coordinator configured to receive the outputs from the processing circuitry of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, to compile the outputs into visualization data relative to a plurality of grid sections of a rectilinear grid of the environment, and to communicate a visualization of the rectilinear grid of the environment to a user interface, wherein the visualization comprises the visualization data relative to the plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid of the environment,

wherein the visualization data defines positioning and movement of the one or more objects relative to the plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid of the environment, and

wherein the visualization of the rectilinear grid of the environment includes a heat map providing visual indication of a relative level of movement within each of the grid sections.

2. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 1 , wherein the central coordinator is configured to receive the outputs from the processing circuitry of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems as data formatted in a data format corresponding to the plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid of the environment.

3. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 1 , wherein the central coordinator is configured to determine one or more alarms relating to activity of the one or more objects in the environment based at least in part on the outputs received from the processing circuitry of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, and to communicate the one or more alarms to the user interface via the visualization of the rectilinear grid of the environment.

4. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 1 , wherein the central coordinator is configured to determine one or more alarms relating to activity of the one or more objects in the environment based at least in part on the outputs received from the processing circuitry of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, and to communicate the one or more alarms to one or more wearable devices located in the environment.

5. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 1 , wherein the central coordinator is configured to control one or more operating parameters of at least one of the one or more objects in the environment based at least in part on the outputs received from the processing circuitry of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems.

6. An anti-collision and motion monitoring system, comprising:

a housing configured for stationary positioning in an environment:

one or more light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems configured to detect locations of one or more objects in an environment in the housing;

one or more camera systems configured to capture images of the one or more objects in the environment that are detected by the one or more LiDAR systems in the housing;

processing circuitry in the housing configured to receive inputs from the one or more LiDAR systems and the one or more camera systems relating to the one or more objects in the environment, to process the inputs received from the one or more LiDAR systems and the one or more camera systems to determine primary data relating to the one or more objects in the environment relative to a first plurality of grid sections of a rectilinear grid of the environment, and to request complementary data relating to the one or more objects in the environment relative to a second plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid from a second anti-collision and motion monitoring system only when the processing circuitry cannot determine primary data relating to the one or more objects in the environment relative to the second plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid; and

a central coordinator configured to compile the primary data and the requested complementary data from the processing circuitry into a visualization of the rectilinear grid, the visualization comprising a heat map that provides visual indication of a relative level of movement within each of the grid sections.

7. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to format outputs relating to the primary data and the complementary data into a data format corresponding to the first and second pluralities of grid sections of the rectilinear grid of the environment, and to communicate the outputs to the central coordinator.

8. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to request the complementary data relating to the one or more objects in the environment relative to the second plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid from the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system only when the one or more LiDAR systems or the one or more camera systems do not have line of sight of at least one of the one or more objects in the environment.

9. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to request the complementary data relating to the one or more objects in the environment relative to the second plurality of grid sections of the rectilinear grid from the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system only when the at least one of the one or more objects in the environment is determined to be in a zone of interest within the environment.

10. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system from a plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems in the environment based at least in part on a relative proximity to the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system as compared to other anti-collision and motion monitoring systems of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems.

11. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system from a plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems in the environment based at least in part on a confidence level that the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system can provide the complementary data relating to the one or more objects in the environment.

12. The anti-collision and motion monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system from a plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems in the environment based at least in part on a relative signal strength from the second anti-collision and motion monitoring system as compared to other anti-collision and motion monitoring systems of the plurality of anti-collision and motion monitoring systems.

13. An anti-collision and motion control system, comprising:

one or more anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, each anti-collision and motion monitoring system being configured for stationary positioning in an environment and comprising:

one or more light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems configured to detect locations of one or more objects in the environment;

one or more camera systems configured to capture images of the one or more objects in the environment that are detected by the one or more LiDAR systems; and

processing circuitry configured to receive inputs from the one or more LiDAR systems and the one or more camera systems relating to the one or more objects in the environment, and to process the inputs received from the one or more LiDAR systems and the one or more camera systems to determine outputs relating to the one or more objects in the environment; and

a central coordinator configured to receive the outputs from the processing circuitry of the one or more anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, to determine one or more alarms relating to activity of the one or more objects in the environment based at least in part on the outputs received from the processing circuitry of the one or more anti-collision and motion monitoring systems, and to communicate the one or more alarms to one or more wearable devices located in the environment,

wherein the central coordinator is configured to compile the outputs into visualization data, the visualization data defining a visualization of a rectilinear grid of the environment, the visualization comprising a heat map that provides visual indication of a relative level of movement within each grid section in the rectilinear grid.

14. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise a helmet.

15. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise a badge.

16. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise a glove.

17. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise a belt.

18. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise a boot.

19. The anti-collision and motion control system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise augmented reality glasses or augmented reality goggles configured to display the one or more alarms via an augmented reality display of the augmented reality glasses or augmented reality goggles.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: THE MARSDEN GROUP
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 058165/0126 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: PRATT, ANDREW JAMES; MORAR, MONIL DINESH; FORESMAN, MARK ALAN
To: THE MARSDEN GROUP
Reel/Frame 052884/0970 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62994522 · Mar 25, 2020
Provisional Application 62859533 · Jun 10, 2019
Related Publication 20200386887A1 · Dec 10, 2020