Granted Patent B2

US 12,235,107 · App. 17/804,485 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Inventors: Stuart Salter (White Lake, MI); Ryan Edwin Hanson (Livonia, MI); Hussein Berry (Dearborn, MI); John Van Wiemeersch (Novi, MI); Vivekanandh Elangovan (Canton, MI)

Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC

G01C15/04B60W60/0025G01S13/885G06K7/1413B25J5/00

Abstract

Claims (68)

1. A method comprising:

receiving navigation guidance to move a vehicle along a pre-defined path on a property;

activating a camera and a ground penetrating radar of the vehicle;

moving the vehicle along the pre-defined path;

detecting an object at a first location along the pre-defined path;

determining information about the object from one of the camera or the ground penetrating radar;

determining an item to be placed on the ground for marking the object;

operating, by the vehicle, a robotic arm attached to the vehicle to grab the item from a cargo location of the vehicle;

stopping the vehicle at a second location located at a first distance from the first location;

generating a barcode encoded with the information about the object;

attaching the barcode to the item; and

operating the robotic arm attached to the vehicle to place the item at the second location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigation guidance is provided by a navigation system to one of a driver of the vehicle, an individual located outside the vehicle, or a computer that controls a movement of the vehicle, the method further comprising:

automatically generating a site survey document.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined path corresponds to a perimeter of the property.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a paint mark application procedure using a paint marking apparatus provided in the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising planting a flag using the robotic arm at the first location.

6. A method comprising:

moving a vehicle along a pre-defined path on a first property;

executing at least one of a staking procedure performed by a robotic arm attached to the vehicle, an image capture procedure performed by use of a camera in the vehicle, or a subterranean scanning procedure for detecting a buried object; and

generating a site survey report based on the executing at least one of the staking procedure, the image capture procedure, or the subterranean scanning procedure;

detecting, by the vehicle as the vehicle moves along the pre-defined path and on the first property, an above-ground object located on the first property;

obtaining information about the above-ground object;

determining, based on the information, that the above-ground object is an undesired object; wherein the undesired object is one of an unauthorized construction or a portion of a building located in an adjacent property and extending into the first property;

capturing a first image of the undesired object;

including the first image in the site survey report; and

removing or moving, by a robot arm of the vehicle, the undesired object from the pre-defined path.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the staking procedure comprises inserting at a first location on the first property, a stake having affixed thereon, a barcode label, and wherein the method further comprises:

using a barcode scanner to read the barcode label for obtaining information associated with the buried object.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the information associated with the buried object is stored in one of a cloud computer or a cloud storage element and wherein obtaining the information comprises:

entering a password into the barcode scanner for obtaining access to the information.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

detecting at a first location, via the subterranean scanning procedure, the buried object; and

utilizing the robotic arm to plant a flag at the first location to provide a visual indication of a presence of the buried object.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

detecting at a first location, via the subterranean scanning procedure, the buried object;

determining a distance between the buried object and a ground surface at the first location; and

utilizing the robotic arm to insert a stake at the first location, the stake providing an indication of a presence of the buried object and a depth at which the buried object is located below the ground surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the depth at which the buried object is located below the ground surface is indicated by a color of the stake and/or a depth of insertion of the stake at the first location.

12. A site surveying system comprising:

a vehicle comprising:

a robotic arm;

a camera;

a ground penetrating radar; and

a computer communicatively coupled to the robotic arm and the ground penetrating radar, the computer comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:

activate the camera and the ground penetrating radar of the vehicle;

move the vehicle along a pre-defined path of a property;

detect an object at a first location along the pre-defined path;

determine information about the object from one of the camera or the ground penetrating radar;

determine an item to be placed on the ground for marking the object;

operate, by the vehicle, the robotic arm attached to the vehicle to grab the item from a cargo location of the vehicle;

stop the vehicle at a second location located at a first distance from the first location;

generate a barcode encoded with the information about the object;

attach the barcode to the item; and

operate the robotic arm to place the item at the second location.

13. The site surveying system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a navigation system that is one of provided in the vehicle or located outside the vehicle; and

a paint dispensing system configured to dispense paint to a ground surface of the property under control of the processor.

14. The site surveying system of claim 13 , wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and wherein the processor is further configured to access the memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

move the vehicle autonomously on the property based on navigation guidance received from the navigation system.

15. The site surveying system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to access the memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

configure the navigation system to provide navigation guidance to a driver of the vehicle to move the vehicle along the pre-defined path.

16. The site surveying system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to access the memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

apply a paint mark on the property by operating the paint dispensing system.

17. The site surveying system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to access the memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions:

provide information pertaining to the second location.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (10)