IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,393,205
Granted Patent B2
US 12,393,205 · App. 18/200,449 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

System and method for navigation support for a motorized mobile system

Inventors: Jered H. Dean (Arvada, CO); Barry G. Dean (Franklin, TN); Dan A. Preston (Bainbridge Island, WA); Christian Prather (Golden, CO); Alexandra Ernst (Lakewood, CO); Rupak Dasgupta (Golden, CO)
Assignee: Luci Mobility, Inc.
G05D1/648A61G5/04A61G5/042G05D1/246G05D1/247G05D1/248G05D1/249G05D1/646G05D1/661A61G2203/40A61G2203/72G16H10/60G16H20/30G16H40/63G16H50/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,393,205
App. No.
18/200,449
Filed
May 22, 2023
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3664
USPC
701/28
Abstract

A system and method for providing precise navigation for a motorized mobile system (MMS) in data deprived environments, the system comprising at least one camera that is operably configured to generate one or more of an image of objects in a field-of-view of the sensors, wherein the object is identified and used to enhance navigation or operation of the MMS.

Claims (63)

1. A motorized mobile system comprising:

an optical sensor capturing an image of a fiducial located proximate to the motorized mobile system, the fiducial located within a field of view of the optical sensor;

a tangible storage medium storing instructions and one or more identifiers associated with one or more fiducials; and

a processor executing the instructions to:

generate, based on the captured image of the fiducial, a data report;

verify the fiducial with the stored one or more identifiers associated with one or more fiducials to indicate a ramp structure associated with the fiducial;

determine a relative location of an edge of the ramp structure from the data report; and

alter one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system in response to the determined location of the edge of the ramp structure.

2. The motorized mobile system of claim 1 , the processor further to:

extract one or more features from the generated data report of the captured image of the fiducial.

3. The motorized mobile system of claim 2 , wherein the extraction of the one or more features from the generated data report of the captured image of the fiducial comprises at least one of a convolution image processing technique, a Fourier transform image processing technique, or a wavelet image processing technique.

4. The motorized mobile system of claim 2 , wherein the extraction of the one or more features from the generated data report of the captured image of the fiducial comprises detecting at least one corner of the fiducial in the image of the fiducial.

5. The motorized mobile system of claim 1 , the processor further to:

determine a pose of the fiducial from the data report, wherein altering the one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system is further in response to the pose of the fiducial.

6. The motorized mobile system of claim 1 , the processor further to:

generate a second data report of an image of a second fiducial located proximate to the motorized mobile system.

7. The motorized mobile system of claim 6 , the processor further to:

verify the second fiducial with a second stored identifier associated with a top edge of the ramp structure.

8. The motorized mobile system of claim 1 , wherein altering the one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system in response to verifying the fiducial with the one or more identifiers comprises activating a portion of a human interface.

9. The motorized mobile system of claim 1 , wherein altering the one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system in response to verifying the fiducial with the one or more identifiers comprises an auto-driving operation the motorized mobile system based at least on a location of the fiducial.

10. The motorized mobile system of claim 9 , wherein the auto-driving operation comprises an approach operation to operate the motorized mobile system to a setpoint.

11. The motorized mobile system of claim 10 , the processor further to:

determine a distance to the setpoint;

determine a vector to the setpoint; and

operate the motorized mobile system to the setpoint based on the determined distance and vector.

12. The motorized mobile system of claim 10 , wherein the setpoint approximately coincides with a centerline along the ramp structure.

13. The motorized mobile system of claim 12 , the processor further to:

orient the motorized mobile system towards the ramp structure after arriving at the setpoint.

14. The motorized mobile system of claim 9 , wherein the auto-driving operation comprises an adjust operation to operate the motorized mobile system onto the ramp structure.

15. The motorized mobile system of claim 14 , the processor further to:

determine an offset of the motorized mobile system from an ideal drive path; and

operate the motorized mobile system based on the determined offset.

16. The motorized mobile system of claim 15 , wherein the adjust operation is further based on a determined speed of the motorized mobile system.

17. The motorized mobile system of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial comprises a plurality of ArUco markers.

18. A method for controlling a motorized mobile system comprising:

generating, by a processor of the motorized mobile system and based on an image of a fiducial located proximate to the motorized mobile system captured by an optical sensor, a data report, the fiducial located within a field of view of the optical sensor;

comparing a portion of the image of the fiducial to one or more identifiers associated with one or more fiducials;

verifying the fiducial corresponds to an identifier of the one or more identifiers to indicate a ramp structure associated with the fiducial;

determining a relative location of an edge of the ramp structure from the data report; and

altering one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system in response to the determined location of the edge of the ramp structure.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

extracting one or more features from the data report of the image of the fiducial.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein extracting the one or more features from the data report of the image of the fiducial comprises at least one of a convolution image processing technique, a Fourier transform image processing technique, or a wavelet image processing technique.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein extracting the one or more features from the data report of the image of the fiducial comprises detecting at least one corner of the fiducial in the image of the fiducial.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining a pose of the fiducial from the data report, wherein altering the one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system is further in response to the pose of the fiducial.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the optical sensor is operably configured to generate a second data report of an image of a second fiducial located proximate to the motorized mobile system.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

verifying the second fiducial with a second stored identifier associated with a top edge of the ramp structure.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein altering the one or more operating modes of the motorized mobile system in response to verifying the fiducial with the one or more identifiers comprises an auto-driving operation the motorized mobile system based at least on a location of the fiducial.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the auto-driving operation comprises an approach operation to operate the motorized mobile system to a setpoint.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

determining a distance to the setpoint;

determining a vector to the setpoint; and

operating the motorized mobile system to the setpoint based on the determined distance and vector.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the setpoint approximately coincides with a centerline along the ramp structure.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

rotating the motorized mobile system towards the ramp structure after arriving at the setpoint.

30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the auto-driving operation comprises an adjust operation to operate the motorized mobile system onto the ramp structure.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

determining an offset of the motorized mobile system from an ideal drive path; and

operating the motorized mobile system based on the determined offset.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the adjust operation is further based on a determined speed of the motorized mobile system.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2024
From: PATRONESS, LLC
To: LUCI, LLC
Reel/Frame 066515/0074 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 21, 2024
From: LUCI, LLC
To: LUCI MOBILITY, INC.
Reel/Frame 066642/0991 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2023
From: DEAN, JERED H.; DEAN, BARRY G.; PRESTON, DAN A.; PRATHER, CHRISTIAN; DASGUPTA, RUPAK
To: PATRONESS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063794/0160 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2023
From: ERNST, ALEXANDRA
To: PATRONESS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063794/0229 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation In Part 18106439 · Feb 6, 2023
Continuation 16877460 · May 18, 2020
Continuation 15880699 · Jan 26, 2018
Provisional Application 63344997 · May 23, 2022
Provisional Application 62612617 · Dec 31, 2017
Provisional Application 62543896 · Aug 10, 2017
Related Publication 20240118713A1 · Apr 11, 2024
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