IP Library Granted Patent US 9,892,491
Granted Patent B2
US 9,892,491 · App. 14/685,559 · Granted Feb 13, 2018

Systems and methods for processing mapping and modeling data

Inventor: Peter Canter (Toronto, CA)
Assignee: Trimble Inc.
G06T5/002G06K9/00691G06T7/521G06T7/75G06T19/20G06T2207/10028
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,892,491
App. No.
14/685,559
Granted
Feb 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for post-processing georeferenced mapping data includes providing positioning data indicating a position of a data acquisition system in a defined space at specific moments in time, providing ranging data indicating relative position of objects in the defined space with respect to the data acquisition system at the specific moments in time, performing a smoothing process on the positioning data to determine smoothed best estimate of trajectory (SBET) data for trajectory of the data acquisition system, performing a scan matching process on the SBET data and the ranging data to identify objects and/or object features in the defined space, performing a process to revise the SBET data so that the SBET data aligns with the identified objects and/or object features and storing the revised SBET data with the range data.

Claims (20)

1. A system for generating an image map, comprising:

a sensor platform;

a positioning device coupled to the sensor platform, the positioning device comprising at least one of a global positioning system (GPS), an inertial measurement system, or an odometry system configured to generate positioning data;

a ranging device coupled to the sensor platform, the ranging device comprising at least one of a geospatial data sensor or a ranging system configured to generate ranging data;

an imaging device coupled to the sensor platform, the imaging device comprising a camera configured to generate image data; and

one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to:

obtain the positioning data indicating a position of a data acquisition system in a defined space at specific moments in time;

obtain the ranging data indicating relative position of objects in the defined space with respect to the data acquisition system at the specific moments in time;

obtain the image data of the defined space at the specific moments in time;

perform a smoothing process on the positioning data to determine smoothed best estimate of trajectory (SBET) data of a trajectory of the data acquisition system over the specific moments in time;

perform a scan matching process on the SBET data and the ranging data to identify objects and/or object features in the defined space;

perform a process to revise the SBET data so that the SBET data aligns with the identified objects and/or object features to revise the trajectory of the data acquisition system over the specific moments in time;

generate a point cloud using the revised SBET data and the range data and

overlay the image data on the generated point cloud to create the image map of the defined space.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ranging device includes a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning device includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the scan matching process on the SBET data and the ranging data to identify linear objects and/or linear object features in the defined space, and to revise the SBET data so that the identified linear objects and/or linear object features remain linear.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a storage device communicatively coupled to the positioning device, the ranging device, the imaging device, and the one or more processors, wherein the storage device is configured to store the positioning data, the ranging data, and the image data and to provide the positioning data, the ranging data, and the image data to the one or more processors.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the range data comprises data collected from at least one image taken by a camera.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning data is generated relative to at least one fixed reference point.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 12931524 · Feb 3, 2011
Provisional Application 61337549 · Feb 5, 2010
Related Publication 20160189348A1 · Jun 30, 2016