IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,320,911
Granted Patent B2
US 12,320,911 · App. 17/695,784 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Ranging-aided robot navigation using ranging nodes at unknown locations

Inventors: Han-Pang Chiu (West Windsor, NJ); Abhinav Rajvanshi (Plainsboro, NJ); Alex Krasner (Princeton, NJ); Mikhail Sizintsev (Princeton, NJ); Glenn A. Murray (Jamison, PA); Supun Samarasekera (Skillman, NJ)
Assignee: SRI International
G01S5/0268G01S5/0036G01S13/426G01S13/865
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,320,911
App. No.
17/695,784
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for determining change in pose of a mobile device include determining from first ranging information received at a first and a second receiver on the mobile device from a stationary node during a first time instance, a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and the second receiver, determining from second ranging information received at the first receiver and the second receiver from the stationary node during a second time instance, a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and second receiver, and determining from the determined distances during the first time instance and the second time instance, how far and in which direction the first receiver and the second receiver moved between the first time instance and the second time instance to determine a change in pose of the mobile device, where a position of the stationary node is unknown.

Claims (55)

1. A method for determining a change in pose of a mobile device, comprising:

receiving, from a stationary node, a first ranging signal at a first receiver located at a first position on the mobile device and at a second receiver located at a second position on the mobile device during a first time instance, wherein a position of the stationary node is unknown;

receiving, from the stationary node, a second ranging signal at the first receiver and at the second receiver during a second time instance; and

determining, from the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal, a change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second ranging signals comprise at least one of laser ranging signals and radio ranging signals including at least one of ultra-wideband ranging signals, short-range, wireless ranging signals and near-field ranging signals.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising implementing the determined change in pose of the mobile device to assist in a navigation of the mobile device through an environment to be navigated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a change in pose of the mobile device comprises:

determining a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver during the first time instance using the first ranging signal;

determining a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver during the second time instance using the second ranging signal; and

determining how far and in which direction the first receiver and the second receiver moved between the first time instance and the second time instance to determine a change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first ranging signal is received at the first time instance on at least a third receiver located on at least a third position on the mobile device from the stationary node; and

the second ranging signal is received at the second time instance on the at least third receiver from the stationary node.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal received on at least one of the first receiver, the second receiver and the at least third receiver are implemented to determine a three-dimensional change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;

receiving, from the stationary node, at least a third ranging signal received at the first receiver and the second receiver during at least a third time instance; and

wherein the determining a change in pose comprises, determining, from the first ranging signal, the second ranging signal, and the at least third ranging signal a change in pose of the mobile device between at least two of the first time instance, the second time instance and the third time instance.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon at least one program, the at least one program including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method in a processor based system for determining a change in pose of a mobile device, comprising:

determining from a first ranging signal received at a first receiver located at a first position on the mobile device and received at a second receiver located at a second position on the mobile device from a stationary node during a first time instance, a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver during the first time instance, wherein a position of the stationary node is unknown;

determining from a received second ranging signal received at the first receiver and at the second receiver from the stationary node during a second time instance a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver during the second time instance; and

determining from information regarding the determined distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver during the first time instance and information regarding the determined distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver during the second time instance how far and in which direction the first receiver and the second receiver moved between the first time instance and the second time instance to determine a change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises implementing the determined change in pose of the mobile device to assist in a navigation of the mobile device through an environment to be navigated.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein:

the first ranging signal is received at the first time instance on at least a third receiver located on at least a third position on the mobile device from the stationary node; and

the second ranging signal is received at the second time instance on the at least third receiver from the stationary node.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal received on at least one of the first receiver, the second receiver and the at least third receiver are implemented to determine a three-dimensional change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises;

receiving at least a third ranging signal received during at least a third time instance on the first receiver and on the second receiver from the stationary node; and

wherein the determining comprises, determining, from the first ranging signal, the second ranging signal, and the at least third ranging signal, a change in pose of the mobile device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first receiver and the second receiver comprises a radio antenna, the stationary node comprises a radio ranging node, and the mobile device comprises a robot.

14. A system for determining a change in pose of a mobile device, comprising:

a stationary node transmitting ranging signals during at least two time instances, wherein a position of the stationary node in the environment to be navigated is unknown;

the mobile device, comprising;

at least two receivers located at different locations on the mobile device receiving the ranging signals from the stationary node during the at least two time instances;

and

a computing device comprising a processor and a memory having stored therein at least one program, the at least one program including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method for determining a change in pose of a mobile device in an environment to be navigated, comprising:

receiving, from the stationary node, a first ranging signal at a first receiver of the at least two receivers located at a first position on the mobile device and at a second receiver of the at least two receivers located at a second position on the mobile device during a first time instance of the at least two time instances, wherein a position of the stationary node is unknown;

receiving, from the stationary node, a second ranging signal at the first receiver and at the second receiver during a second time instance of the at least two time instances; and

determining, from the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal, a change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the mobile device further comprises at least position sensors for determining information for navigation of the mobile device through an environment to be navigated and the method further comprises implementing the determined change in pose of the mobile device to assist in the navigation of the mobile device through the environment to be navigated.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein determining a change in pose of the mobile device comprises:

determining a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver at the first time instance using the first ranging signal;

determining a distance from the stationary node to the first receiver and to the second receiver at the second time instance using the second ranging signal; and

determining how far and in which direction the first receiver and the second receiver moved between the first time instance and the second time instance to determine a change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first radio signal, from the stationary node, received at the first time instance is further received on at least one third receiver located on at least a third position on the mobile device; and

the second ranging signal, from the stationary node, received at the second time instance is further received on the at least third receiver from the stationary node.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal received on at least one of the first receiver, the second receiver and the at least third receiver are implemented to determine a three-dimensional change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least third receiver is located on a different plane than the first receiver and the second receiver.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least third receiver is implemented to determine a three-dimensional change in pose of the mobile device from the first time instance to the second time instance.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises;

receiving a third radio signal received on at least a third time instance on the first receiver and on the second receiver from the stationary node; and

wherein the determining a change in pose of the mobile device comprises determining, from the first ranging signal, the second ranging signal, and the at least third ranging signal, a change in pose of the mobile device.

22. The system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first receiver and the second receiver comprises a radio antenna, the stationary node comprises a ranging radio node, and the mobile device comprises a robot.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first receiver and the second receiver are separated by a greatest distance possible on the mobile device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2022
From: CHIU, HAN-PANG; RAJVANSHI, ABHINAV; KRASNER, ALEX; SIZINTSEV, MIKHAIL; MURRAY, GLENN A.; SAMARASEKERA, SUPUN
To: SRI INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 060330/0274 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63161870 · Mar 16, 2021
Related Publication 20220299592A1 · Sep 22, 2022
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