System and method for determining the instantaneous absolute position and direction of an object within a driving space

Abstract

A method and system for determining a precise absolute position and a precise absolute direction within an object's operating space are provided. The system comprises a plurality of sensors, an approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit for determining the approximate absolute position and / or approximate absolute direction of an object based on position data captured by the sensors at a predetermined frequency / interval, a relative position and direction estimation unit for determining the relative position and / or relative direction of an object based on a dataset captured from the sensors, an operating guidance unit for providing and updating intrinsic attributes of the operating space, and an analysis unit for determining the precise absolute position or precise absolute direction of an object by fine-tuning the approximate absolute direction based on the relative direction and the approximate absolute position based on the relative position using an operating map.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This application claims priority from the provisional Indian patent application filed on December 1, 2020, titled "System and method for determining instantaneous absolute position and orientation of an object in a space of operation" and application number 202041052367. The contents of said provisional application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Technology

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to position sensing and driving systems. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to position sensing and driving systems for moving objects. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and system for determining the instantaneous absolute position and orientation (hereinafter referred to as precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation, respectively) of an entity such as a robot (BOT) within a driving space.

[0003] According to one example, determining the position and rotational direction of an object within a defined space is a practical problem that requires many solutions, which can be used exclusively to address the specific requirements of a single application. Several existing technologies for determining the position or orientation of an object (stationary or moving) within a given space include, for instance, optical, ultrasonic, or wireless-based technologies. However, most existing technologies do not provide angular orientation information, and positioning cannot be achieved using existing technologies that enable angular orientation measurements. For instance, while many existing technologies utilize the Global Positioning System (GPS) for positioning, they are not suitable for indoor applications because they lack orientation capabilities for stationary objects and GPS operability suffers from signal attenuation and reflection indoors. Magnetometers provide absolute orientation but are highly sensitive to dynamically changing magnetic fields near the sensor. While they may work well in controlled scenarios, in load-carrying applications, the magnetic properties of the load can render the readings unreliable. Ultrasonic methods work well indoors but lack directional capabilities. In addition, existing technologies such as laser-based technology (Lidar) provide both position and orientation but are expensive. Furthermore, existing technologies that use position data associated with objects loosely fixed to the floor, such as furniture and machinery, as reference points are very vulnerable in dynamically changing environments on the floor.

[0004] Furthermore, when moving through a narrow passage, it is important to keep the object close to a predefined path (e.g., the centerline of the passage) to prevent misinterpreting fixed obstacle structures, such as walls, and colliding with them. To keep the object along the predefined path, accurate knowledge of the object's position (e.g., an error of within a few centimeters) is absolutely necessary. To keep the object on the ideal path, it is necessary to accurately know the object's current position and the deviation from the ideal path with a desirable error of, for example, less than 10 centimeters.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for cost-effective alternative methods and systems for determining the absolute position and orientation of an object while providing excellent accuracy and eliminating dependencies on dynamically changing scenarios in the operating space, excluding planned changes such as changes within the operating path or layout modifications such as breaking walls. Additionally, there is a need for a system and method for finding the absolute position of an object (hereinafter referred to as "BOT") that is stopped or moving in a 2D coordinate system (e.g., Cartesian coordinate system) using diversified datasets captured from different source devices, with the help of a guide object (e.g., a unique map) that provides necessary guidance for using dynamically diversified datasets to accurately reach the required absolute position for a given operating segment.

[0006] The aforementioned disadvantages, difficulties, and problems have been mentioned in this specification and will be understood from the following specification. The problem to be solved

[0007] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an object within a driving space with good accuracy in a cost-effective manner, while eliminating any dependency on dynamically changing scenarios or unplanned changes within the driving space. Even without referencing historical data, the quality of the absolute position is maintained identically without degradation over time intervals caused by dependency on the recency of past data.

[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object in a driving space based on the extraction of various features from the driving space using various sensors that facilitate the improvement of the accuracy of absolute position and direction, including on-the-fly switchovers.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object in a driving space, which achieves an accurate absolute position by using a unique combination of relative positions extracted from various sensors and approximate absolute positions using specific functions of the driving space.

[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object within a driving space by utilizing a seamless switching function between sensors during driving, based on the same context as being supported by a unique driving map.

[0011] These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood by reviewing the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings. means of solving the problem

[0012] The following detailed description is simplified and summarized to provide a basic understanding of various aspects of the embodiments of the present invention. This summary is not intended to broadly encompass the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it is not intended to specify key and important elements of the invention or to limit the scope of the embodiments. The purpose of the summary is merely to present the concepts of the embodiments in a simplified form prior to the more detailed description to be mentioned later.

[0013] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following description provided together with the accompanying drawings. However, the following description is given for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting, while illustrating preferred embodiments and various specific details of the present invention. Many changes and modifications to the embodiments are possible without departing from the essence of the invention, and the present invention encompasses all such modifications.

[0014] A summary is provided to briefly introduce various concepts that will be discussed in detail in the following detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the core or essential features of the claimed composition, nor is it intended to be used as a tool to determine the scope of the claimed composition.

[0015] Various embodiments of the present invention provide a system for determining the absolute position and absolute orientation of an object in a driving space in a cost-effective manner with good accuracy, while excluding dependence on scenarios or unplanned changes that change dynamically within the driving space. Without referencing past data, the quality of the absolute position is maintained identically over time intervals without degrading due to dependence on the recency of previous data.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object within a driving space is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises a plurality of sensors including a first set of sensors disposed at a first plurality of positions on the object, wherein the first set of sensors is part of a Cartesian coordinate system provided by a local positioning system formed using technologies such as UWB, Bluetooth, Zig-bee, ultrasound, etc. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises a second set of various sensors disposed at a second plurality of positions on the object. The system also comprises an approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction estimation unit configured to determine at least one of the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of the object based on position data captured by the first set of sensors in a two-dimensional Cartesian plane of the Cartesian coordinate system at a predetermined frequency / interval. The system further includes a relative position and direction estimation unit configured to determine at least one of a plurality of relative positions and relative directions of an object with respect to a predetermined path based on a dataset captured from a diversified second sensor set, wherein the captured data represents one of the relative inclination and relative deviation of the object with respect to a prior known fixed physical feature within the operating space. The system further includes a driving guidance unit configured to provide unique attributes based on a desired operable layout identified in the indoor operating space and to dynamically update one or more attributes of the driving map as learning / feedback based on past driving data.The system further includes an analysis unit configured to determine at least one of the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object by fine-tuning the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction based on one or more of a plurality of inputs provided by a relative position and direction estimation unit, the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of an object, and a driving map.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an analysis unit is configured to transform a predetermined path and generate a transformed driving plane by rotating a driving plane associated with a predetermined path by a rotation angle to align the predetermined path so as to be parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis within a two-dimensional Cartesian plane, and also to obtain a transformed approximate absolute position of an object by rotating an approximate absolute position through the same rotation angle, and obtain a transformed precise absolute position of an object by modifying / correcting the transformed approximate absolute position of an object based on one or more of a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit, and the transformed approximate absolute position of an object is modified / corrected by replacing one or more combinations of the transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of an object of interest and one or more of the plurality of inputs from the relative position and direction estimation unit with the X-value or Y-value of the transformed approximate absolute position coordinates of the object based on the rotation applied during the transformation of the plane, and thus the transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of interest are identical to the transformed ideal starting point coordinate values ​​selected based on the applied transformation, and the ideal starting point coordinates are obtained from a driving map It is the coordinate of the starting node on the line segment, the precise absolute position of the object is obtained by rotating the plane of travel in the reverse direction relative to the original direction through the same rotation angle, and the transformed precise absolute position is rotated by the same angle to provide the precise absolute position of the object.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the precise absolute direction of an object is derived based on 1) the relative direction of the object obtained from a relative position and direction estimation unit and 2) the approximate absolute direction obtained from an approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit, and in a transformed travel plane, the relative position and direction estimation unit provides the relative direction of the object for a transformed path parallel to one of the X-axis or Y-axis based on the applied transformation, and as the absolute direction of the transformed path becomes identical to one of the X-axis or Y-axis, the transformed absolute direction of the object within the transformed travel plane is derived by adding the relative direction of the object with its sign to the absolute direction of the transformed path, and by rotating the transformed travel plane in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle, the transformed absolute direction angle undergoes a similar rotation and provides an intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object, and the precise absolute direction of the object is obtained as a weighted combination of the approximate absolute direction and the intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit is configured to select and use one or more of the relative position and relative direction from the relative position and relative direction estimation unit among a plurality of inputs. These plurality of inputs to the analysis unit are derived by the relative position and direction estimation unit using a diversified sensor set among the second sensor set. The selection of a specific input to be used is guided by a unique attribute provided by the driving guidance unit based on the approximate absolute position.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, while driving through different parts of a driving layout comprising a single line segment or a plurality of line segments having various physical properties, the analysis unit is configured to smoothly select and use one or more of the relative position and relative direction from the relative position and direction estimation unit among a plurality of inputs, and the selection is guided by a driving guidance unit based on the approximate absolute position of an object, and the driving guidance unit provides physical properties related to such line segments, such as a wall adjacent to the driving path, with the presence of, for example, but not limited to, a side, a lane marking, etc.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first plurality of positions on an object includes a front end and a rear end of the object, and a second plurality of positions includes one of the left side of the object, the right side of the object, the front end of the object, and the rear end of the object.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating an object along a predetermined path in an operating space is disclosed. This method comprises: 1) a step of initiating the operation of an object along a predetermined path in an operation space; 2) a step of determining at least one of the approximate absolute position and approximate direction of the object based on position data captured by a first sensor set at a frequency / interval predefined by a plurality of sensors placed at a first plurality of positions on the object; 3) a step of determining at least one of the relative position and relative direction of the object for a predetermined path based on a dataset captured from a diversified second sensor set among a plurality of sensors placed at a second plurality of positions on the object; 4) a step of selecting at least one of the relative position and relative direction of the object for a predetermined path from a plurality of relative positions and relative directions based on the approximate absolute position and operation map; 5) a step of determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of the object by using the operation map to fine-tune the approximate absolute direction based on the relative direction and the approximate absolute position based on the relative position, wherein the operation map is generated and updated based on a machine learning model based on map data and past operation data; 6) steps 2 to until reaching a destination It includes the step of continuing step 5.

[0023] These and other features of the embodiments of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description represents preferred embodiments and many specific details thereof, but is provided as an example rather than a limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments of this specification without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the embodiments of the present invention include such modifications. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following technical description and drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for determining the position and direction of an object in a driving space according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2a is a perspective view of an object (robot) equipped with a system that is provided to determine the position and orientation of an object in a driving space and is fixed with a first set of sensors at a first plurality of positions on the object, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2b is a plan view showing the positioning of a first set of sensors at a first plurality of positions on a fixed object in a system provided to determine the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of an object in a driving space according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3a is a perspective view of an object (robot) equipped with a system fixed with a second sensor set at a second plurality of positions on an exemplary object, provided to determine the position and orientation of the object in a driving space according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3b is a diagram illustrating a process for determining the deviation of an object from a predetermined path during operation in a driving space derived by a relative position and direction unit using various sensor sets among the second sensor sets according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3c is a perspective view of an object (robot) equipped with a system fixed to a second set of sensors at a second plurality of positions on an exemplary object, provided for determining the position and direction of an object in a driving space according to one embodiment of the present invention, and indicates determining the relative position and relative direction of the object with respect to a pair of lane markings. FIGS. 4a and 4b are drawings illustrating the transformation of a driving plane for aligning a predetermined path with the Y-axis, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by generating a transformed driving plane by rotating a plane associated with a predetermined path by a known rotation angle to align the predetermined path parallel to one of the X-axis or Y-axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian plane, and always using an analysis unit configured to transform a predetermined path to apply precision based on relative position and relative direction within the system to determine the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object within the driving space. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the process of driving an object along a predetermined path in a driving space using a system that determines the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object in a driving space according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a scenario in which an object travels through various parts of a driving space, using relative positions provided by walls or lanes, which are each part, based on the selection of each sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the reliability of the precise absolute position provided by the present invention during normal operation between two points according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an embodiment for finding the relative direction of an object using a proximity sensing device that forms part of a second set of diversified sensors according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific features of the embodiments of the present invention may be illustrated in only some drawings and not in others, but this is done for convenience as each feature may be combined with some or all of the other features according to the embodiments of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0025] The present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and illustrate specific embodiments that may be implemented. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, and it should be understood that other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the following detailed description should not be construed as limiting.

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention and their various features and useful details are more fully explained by reference to non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following description. In this specification, descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments. The examples used in this specification are merely intended to facilitate understanding of the manner in which embodiments of the present invention may be practiced and to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0027] Various embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an object in a driving space in a cost-effective manner with good accuracy, while excluding dependence on scenarios or unplanned changes that change dynamically within the driving space. Without referring to past data, the quality of the absolute position is maintained identically over time intervals without degrading due to dependence on the recency of previous data.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object within a driving space is provided. The system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of sensors, including a first set of sensors placed at a first plurality of locations on the object, wherein the first set of sensors is part of a Cartesian coordinate system provided by a local positioning system formed using technologies such as UWB, Bluetooth, Zigbee, ultrasound, etc., but is not limited to. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a second set of various sensors placed at a second plurality of locations on the object is included. The system also includes an approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit configured to determine at least one of the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of the object based on position data captured in a two-dimensional Cartesian plane of the Cartesian coordinate system at a frequency / interval predetermined by the first set of sensors. The system further includes a relative position and direction estimation unit configured to determine at least one of the relative position and relative direction of the object relative to a predetermined path based on a dataset captured from a diversified second set of sensors. The system further includes a driving guidance unit configured to provide unique attributes based on a desired operable layout identified in an indoor driving space and to dynamically update one or more attributes of a driving map as learning / feedback based on past driving data. The system further includes an analysis unit configured to determine at least one of the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object at a predetermined frequency / interval by fine-tuning 1) one or more of a plurality of inputs provided by a relative position and direction estimation unit, 2) the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of an object, and 3) the unique attributes provided by the driving guidance unit.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an analysis unit is configured to transform a predetermined path and generate a transformed driving plane by rotating a driving plane associated with a predetermined path by a rotation angle to align the predetermined path so as to be parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis within a two-dimensional Cartesian plane, and also to obtain a transformed approximate absolute position of an object by rotating an approximate absolute position through the same rotation angle, and to obtain a transformed precise absolute position of an object by modifying / correcting the transformed approximate absolute position of an object based on one or more of a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit, and the transformed approximate absolute position of an object is modified / corrected by replacing one or more combinations of the transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of the object of interest and one or more of the plurality of inputs from the relative position and direction estimation unit with the X-value or Y-value of the transformed approximate absolute position coordinates of the object based on the rotation applied during the transformation of the plane, and thus the transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of interest are identical to the transformed ideal starting point coordinate values ​​selected based on the applied transformation, and the ideal starting point coordinates are on a line segment obtained from a driving map These are the coordinates of the starting node, and the precise absolute position of the object is obtained by rotating the plane of travel in the reverse direction relative to the original direction through the same rotation angle, and the transformed precise absolute position is rotated by the same angle to provide the precise absolute position of the object.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the precise absolute direction of an object is derived based on 1) the relative direction of the object obtained from a relative position and direction estimation unit and 2) the approximate absolute direction obtained from an approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit, and in a transformed travel plane, the relative position and direction estimation unit provides the relative direction of the object for a transformed path parallel to either the X-axis or the Y-axis based on the applied transformation, and as the absolute direction of the transformed path becomes identical to either the X-axis or the Y-axis, the transformed absolute direction of the object within the transformed travel plane is derived by adding the relative direction of the object with its sign to the absolute direction of the transformed path, and by rotating the transformed travel plane in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle, the transformed absolute direction angle undergoes a similar rotation and provides an intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object, and the precise absolute direction of the object is obtained as a weighted combination of the approximate absolute direction and the intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit is configured to select and use one or more of the relative position and relative direction from the relative position and relative direction estimation unit among a plurality of inputs. These plurality of inputs to the analysis unit are derived by the relative position and direction estimation unit using a diversified sensor set among the second sensor set. The selection of a specific input to be used is guided by a unique attribute provided by the driving guidance unit based on the approximate absolute position.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present invention, while driving through different parts of a driving layout comprising a single line segment or a plurality of line segments having various physical properties, the analysis unit is configured to smoothly select and use one or more of the relative position and relative direction from the relative position and direction estimation unit among a plurality of inputs, and the selection is guided by a driving guidance unit based on the approximate absolute position of an object, and the driving guidance unit provides physical properties related to such line segments, such as a wall adjacent to the driving path, with the presence of, for example, but not limited to, a side, a lane marking, etc.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first plurality of positions on an object includes a front end and a rear end of the object, and a second plurality of positions includes one of the left side of the object, the right side of the object, the front end of the object, and the rear end of the object.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating an object along a predetermined path in an operating space is provided. This method comprises: 1) a step of initiating the operation of an object along a predetermined path in an operation space; 2) a step of determining at least one of an approximate absolute position and an approximate direction of an object based on position data captured by a first sensor set at a frequency / interval predefined by a plurality of sensors placed at a first plurality of positions on the object; 3) a step of determining at least one of a relative position and a relative direction of an object for a predetermined path based on a dataset captured from a variety of second sensor sets among a plurality of sensors placed at a second plurality of positions on the object; 4) a step of selecting at least one of a relative position and a relative direction of an object for a predetermined path from a plurality of relative positions and relative directions based on an approximate absolute position and an operation map; 5) a step of determining a precise absolute position and a precise absolute direction of an object by using an operation map to fine-tune the approximate absolute direction based on the relative direction and the approximate absolute position based on the relative position, wherein the instantaneous operation map is generated and updated based on a machine learning model based on map data and past operation data; 6) steps 2 to until reaching a destination It includes the step of continuing step 5.

[0035] Various embodiments disclosed herein provide a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and orientation of an object within a driving space. The system and method of the present invention determine the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an object within a driving space based on the derivation of diversified characteristics within the driving space, using diversified sensors used to smoothly improve the accuracy of the absolute position, including instantaneous transitions. Furthermore, the system and method of the present invention achieve an accurate absolute position using a unique combination of relative positions derived from diversified sensors and approximate absolute positions using unique attributes within the driving space. The object may include a stationary object or a movable object.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for determining the position and orientation of an object in a driving space according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the system (102) includes a plurality of sensors (104), an approximate absolute position and orientation estimation unit (106), a relative position and orientation estimation unit (108), a driving guidance unit (110), and an analysis unit (112). The object may include, for example, a stationary object or a mobile object (for example, mobile factory equipment or a vehicle). The driving space may include a closed space with predefined boundaries, such as a space inside a factory unit, for example, or an open space. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sensors includes a first sensor set disposed at a first plurality of positions of the object and a second sensor set disposed at a second plurality of positions of the object. The second plurality of sensors may include, for example, a proximity detection device, an image capture device, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) is configured to determine at least one of the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of an object based on position data captured by a first set of sensors at a frequency / interval (described below together with FIGS. 2a and 2b). The predetermined path includes an ideal driving path for the object within the driving space. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a relative position and direction estimation unit (108) is configured to determine at least one of the relative position and relative direction of an object for a predetermined path based on a dataset captured at a frequency / interval (described below together with FIGS. 3a and 3c) from a second set of various sensors.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a driving guidance unit (110) is configured to provide unique attributes based on a desired drivable layout identified in an indoor driving space and to dynamically update one or more attributes as learning / feedback based on past driving data. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving guidance unit (110) includes a centralized / local system or device that includes unique predefined attributes for all line segments of a virtual map generated for a driving space (e.g., a factory floor). Unique predefined attributes include, but are not limited to, nodes, target points, absolute coordinates of nodes and other attributes, valid paths connecting each node to all other nodes, optimal paths between nodes, associated costs and intermediate transition angles, ideal paths for segments, the presence / availability of walls on both sides of a passage with sub-section subdivisions capturing possible gaps when no walls are present, the presence of lanes on both sides of the line segment, lane width, maximum speed of travel according to lane width and other considerations, and reinforcements for each line segment such as direction angle offsets at each node.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a driving guidance unit (110) generates an initial map using an initial set of input data, such as node coordinates, valid path, path width, etc. The initial set of input data is processed in a unique way to become a robust map that includes almost all attributes necessary to perform a successful drive from the very first run without requiring specific training for the object (200). For subsequent precise / dynamic updates, such as node direction angle offsets, attributes such as the presence of walls or fixed structures along the path, and the reliability of lane markings on the floor for a given segment are required. The driving guidance unit (110) collects and gathers various data from the object during the drive and applies Machine Learning (ML) technology for further inference. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dynamic map generation unit (110) uses data inferred based on ML collected from the experiences of various objects, and further applies artificial intelligence technology to refine attributes and update the initial map. The updated map can then be used for the next drive for all objects in the driving space.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) is configured to determine at least one of the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object at a predetermined frequency / interval by fine-tuning of the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction based on one or more of the plurality of inputs provided by the relative position and direction estimation unit (108), 2) the approximate absolute position of an object, and 3) the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction based on the intrinsic attribute provided by the driving guidance unit (110). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) is configured to generate a transformed driving plane (404) by rotating the driving plane (402) associated with the predetermined path by a rotation angle so that the predetermined path is aligned parallel to one of the X-axis or Y-axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian plane, and the approximate absolute position becomes the transformed approximate absolute position of the object while undergoing the same rotation. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) is configured to apply refinement to the transformed absolute position based on one or more of a plurality of inputs from the relative position and direction estimation unit to obtain the refined absolute position of the object in the transformed operation, and the refinement is to simply replace one or more combinations of the transformed ideal interest coordinate value and one or more of a plurality of deviations from a predetermined path among the plurality of inputs from the relative position and direction estimation unit with the X value or Y value of the transformed approximate absolute position coordinate of the object according to the rotation applied during the transformation of the plane, and the transformed interest coordinate value is identical to one of the transformed ideal starting point coordinate values ​​selected based on the applied transformation, and the ideal starting point is the theoretical coordinate for the starting node of the line segment obtained from the operation map.According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) is configured to obtain the precise absolute position of an object by rotating the travel plane in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle returning the travel plane (402) to its original direction, wherein the converted precise absolute position is rotated by the same angle to provide the precise absolute position of the object (as described below together with FIGS. 4a and 4b).

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) derives the precise absolute direction of an object based on 1) the relative direction of an object obtained from the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) and 2) the approximate absolute direction obtained from the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106); in the transformed driving plane, the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) provides the relative direction of the object for a transformed path parallel to one of the X-axis or Y-axis based on the applied transformation, and as the absolute direction of the transformed path becomes identical to one of the X-axis or Y-axis, the relative position of the object is derived by adding its sign to the absolute direction of the transformed driving plane, and by rotating the transformed driving plane (404) in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle, the transformed absolute direction angle undergoes a similar rotation and provides an intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object, and the precise absolute direction of the object is obtained as a weighted combination of the approximate absolute direction and the intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object (Fig. 3c, Fig. (Described below with reference to FIG. 4a, FIG. 4b and FIG. 8). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) is configured to select and use one or more of the relative position and relative direction from the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) among a plurality of inputs, and the input to the plurality of analysis units (112) is derived by the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) using a diversified sensor set among the second sensor set. The selection of a specific input to be used is guided by a driving map based on an approximate absolute position.According to one embodiment of the present invention, an analysis unit (112) is configured to smoothly select and use one or more of relative position and relative direction among a plurality of inputs while driving through different parts of a driving layout comprising a plurality of line segments or a single line segment having various physical attributes, and the selection is guided by a driving map based on the approximate absolute position of an object, and the driving map provides physical attributes associated with each line segment, such as, for example, but not limited to, the presence of a wall, lane marking, etc. adjacent to the driving path along with the side (described below together with FIG. 6).

[0042] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first sensor set is placed at a first plurality of locations on an exemplary object. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the exemplary object (200) includes a front end (206) and a rear end (204). The first sensor set (202A to 202H) includes a rear sensor set (202E to 202H) placed at the rear end (204) and a front sensor set (202A to 202D) placed at the front end (206) of the exemplary object (102). FIG. 2B illustrates the locations of the first sensor set (202A to 202H) on the exemplary object (200) in the XY plane (208). As shown in FIG. 2b, positions (B1 to B4) and positions (F1 to F4) represent the positions of sensors (202E to 202H) and sensors (202A to 202D), respectively. The first set of sensors (202A to 202H) is arranged in a manner that achieves three-dimensional spatial diversity. The first set of sensors (202A to 202H) captures the absolute positions of the exemplified objects, and the absolute positions provided by each sensor are used to calculate a duplicate set of absolute orientation representations, and the average of the absolute orientation representations is used to determine the absolute orientation of the objects in the XY plane (208).

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the position of an object [such as an object (200)] captured by a first plurality of sensors [such as the first plurality of sensors (202A to 202H)] is used to determine at least one of an approximate absolute position and / or an approximate absolute direction. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the B1F1 line (212) and the B4F4 line (214) as shown in FIG. 2b. The B1F1 line (212) and the B4F4 line (214) represent the angles toward which the object is facing at any given moment along a predetermined path from back to front. The approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the angles of the B1B4 line (216) and the F1F4 line (218). The B1B4 line (216) and the F1F4 line (218) provide an angle 90 degrees higher than the angle of the object. The absolute position unit (106) sums the angles to obtain Quad_Sensor_Angle. Quad_Sensor_Angle is provided by the following equation (1).

[0044]

[0045] (1)

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the first center point (BC) using points B1, B2, B3, and B4. BC is given by the following equation (2).

[0047] (2)

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the second center point (FC) using points B1, B2, B3, and B4. FC is given by the following equation (3).

[0049] (3)

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the approximate absolute position and orientation estimation unit (106) determines the angle representing line B1F4 and the angle representing line B4F1. Lines B1F4 and B4F1 have an offset with respect to the orientation of the object, but the offset is ignored as the first sensor set (202A to 202H) is positioned in a rectangular manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 2b, the actual orientation of the object is 270 degrees. Assuming B1F4 is at an angle of 300 degrees, B4F1 becomes 240 degrees. Thus, the sum of the angles B1F4 and B4F1 represents the instantaneous orientation (Big_Diagonal_Angle) of the object given by the following equation (5).

[0051] (5)

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines to use points BC and FC identified in the Centre_Of_Sensors_Angle. The approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the angles representing BCF1 and BCF4 and determines the average of the angles to obtain the angle SD_Angle_l. The approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the angles representing B1FC and B4FC and the average of the angles to obtain the angle SD_Angle_2. The approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the Small_Diagonal_Angle by calculating the average of SD_Angle_1 and SD_Angle_2 given by the following equation (6).

[0053]

[0054] (6)

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) determines the approximate absolute direction of a given object by the following equation (7).

[0056] Approximate absolute direction = (K1*Quad_Sensor_Angle + K2*Centre_Of_Sensors_Angle + K3*Big_Diagonal_Angle + K4*Small_Diagonal_Angle) / (K1+K2+K3+K4) (7)

[0057] Here, KI, K2, K3, and K4 are multiplication constants obtained based on the reliability of each angle expression.

[0058] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a second set of sensors is positioned at a second plurality of locations on an exemplary object. As illustrated in FIG. 3a, the second set of sensors (302A to 302C) is positioned along the left surface (304) of the exemplary object (200). The second set of sensors (302A to 302C) is likewise positioned along the right surface (not illustrated) of the exemplary object (200). The second set of sensors (302A to 302C) provides a measurement of the distance (d) of the object from a sidewall or fixed structure located on the side of the path.

[0059] The relative position and direction estimation unit (108) determines a deviation from a predetermined path (ideal driving path) based on a distance (d), as described in conjunction with FIG. 3b. FIG. 3b illustrates a process for determining the deviation of an object from a predetermined path while driving in a driving space according to one embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3b, the width of the object (200) in FIG. 3b is denoted as "b" (306), and the distance of the object (200) from the left wall (310) is denoted as "d" (308). The relative position and direction estimation unit (108) determines a deviation Δw (312) given by the following equation (8).

[0060] Δw = w / 2 - (d+b / 2) (8)

[0061] Here, w / 2 represents the distance between the left wall (310) and a predetermined path (304), and the distance between the predetermined path and assembly line 1 (314) or assembly line 2 (316) of the operation space.

[0062] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a relative position and direction estimation unit (108) is configured to determine the relative position and / or relative direction of an object (200) based on one sensor (e.g., an image capture device) of a second sensor set located in front of, behind, and / or in the middle of the object (200) by determining the relative position of the object (200) within a passage marked as a lane as shown in FIG. 3c. The sensors (306A) and (306B) located on the front side (206) and rear side (207), respectively shown in FIG. 3a, represent one of these embodiments.

[0063] FIG. 3c illustrates, by way of example, determining the relative position and relative direction of an object (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 3c is a front perspective view of an object (200) having a sensor (image capture device) (320) located on the front side of the object (200). The object moves along a predetermined path (304). The relative position and direction estimation unit (108) determines the deviation Δw of the object (200) from a predetermined path (or ideal path) based on the distance from the center of the object (200) (where the sensor or image capture device is placed). The deviation Δw of the object (200) is determined based on Equation (8). Additionally, the angle difference of the lane recognized by the sensor (320) enables the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) to determine the relative direction of the object with respect to the lane.

[0064] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a relative position and direction estimation unit (108) determines the relative position and relative direction of an object (200) using a system that provides depth information of a predetermined path (304). Using the depth information, the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) draws a virtual lane, and then a deviation from the predetermined path (304) is identified (as described in conjunction with FIGS. 3b and 3c).

[0065] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate a transformation of a travel plane (402) to always align a predetermined path with the Y-axis, as shown in the travel plane (404) transformed according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the approximate absolute position is transformed to become the transformed approximate absolute position of the object. FIG. 3b requires a simple step of increasing the deviation of the object (200) from a predetermined path by refining only the Y value among the XY coordinates determined based on the transformed approximate absolute position. In the case of a general solution that removes constraints on factory floor alignment with the XY axes, the analysis unit (112) transforms a predetermined path (line segment) by means of planar rotation to align parallel to one of the axes, such as the Y-axis, for example. As illustrated in FIG. 4a, if (x,y) is the absolute set of coordinates of an object (200) provided by the approximate absolute position and orientation estimation unit (106), the analysis unit (112) rotates the initial plane (402) by θ (angle between the direction of the object and the Y-axis) to obtain a transformed plane (404) parallel to the Y-axis, and the transformed coordinates of the object (200) within the transformed plane (404) are (x t , y t It will be ), and here x t is given by the following equation (9).

[0066] (9)

[0067] The deviation from the predetermined path (ideal path) within the transformed plane (404) is x tSince it is merely a simple refinement of, the analysis unit (112) applies refinement based on the instantaneous relative position of the object (200) received from the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) to the coordinate (x' t , y t ) is obtained. The starting coordinates of the predetermined path (x i , y i If ) is given, x i The converted value x i t is given by the following equation (10).

[0068] (10)

[0069] After transformation, the predetermined path (ideal path) is parallel to the Y-axis, and all values ​​of the predetermined path are the same value x i t The analysis unit (112) has x based on the instantaneous relative position of the object (200) received from the relative position and direction estimation unit (108). t Applying refinement to and x given by the following equation (11) ' t You will obtain.

[0070] (11)

[0071] If the wall is to the right of the direction of travel of the object (200), x ' t is given by the following equation (12).

[0072] (12)

[0073] When the wall is to the left of the direction of travel of the entity (200), Δw is the deviation of the entity from the predetermined path (304) derived from Equation (8) (explained together with FIG. 3b), and x i tis the converted 'x' value of the starting coordinates in the ideal path, w is the width of the path, d is the relative distance reported by multiple sensors from the side of the object (200) to the wall, and b is the width of the object (200).

[0074] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) is as shown in FIG. 4b (x' t , y t To obtain ), the plane is rotated back to the original direction of the travel plane (402) after rotation and movement. The analysis unit (112) obtains the precise absolute position of the object (200) (x', y') in the travel plane (402) given by the following equation (13).

[0075] (13)

[0076] The precise absolute coordinates (x', y') provide the exact absolute position of the object (200) for a predetermined path (304) with, for example, a maximum error of 10 cm.

[0077] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (112) derives the absolute direction of an object using the relative direction of the object provided by the relative position and direction estimation unit (108). Since the transformed path in the plane (404) is parallel to the Y-axis, the direction of the transformed path is 90°. By refining the absolute direction of the transformed path shown in the plane (404) using the relative direction of the object following the rotation of the plane returning to the original direction of the driving plane (402), the absolute direction of the object in the driving plane (402) is obtained. A weighted combination of these absolute directions and approximate absolute directions provided by the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) provides the final precise absolute direction of the object derived by the analysis unit (112). The weights are determined based on the accuracy provided by specific relative inputs from the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) and the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106).

[0078] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of finding the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object at a predetermined frequency / interval to facilitate the operation of the object (200) along a predetermined path in a driving space using the system (102) of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step (502), the operation of the object along a predetermined path in the driving space begins. In step (504), at least one of the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of the object is determined based on position data captured by a first sensor set among a plurality of sensors placed at a first plurality of positions on the object. In step (506), at least one of the plurality of relative positions and relative directions of the object is determined for a predetermined path based on a dataset captured from a second set of diversified sensors among a plurality of sensors placed at a second plurality of positions on the object. In step (508), at least one of the relative position and relative direction of the object for a predetermined path is selected from among a plurality of relative positions and relative directions based on the approximate absolute position and driving map. In step (510), the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of the object are determined by using the approximate absolute position based on relative position and the driving map to fine-tune the approximate absolute direction based on relative direction, and the driving map is generated based on a machine learning model based on map data and past driving data. In step (512), it is verified whether the destination has been reached. If the destination has been reached, the driving is stopped in step (514). If the destination has not been reached, steps (504) through (512) are repeated.

[0079] FIG. 6 illustrates a general driving scenario in which an object moves across various parts of a driving space when moving from point (A) to point (D) according to an embodiment of the present invention. During the driving process, for each part, the relative position of the object is obtained based on attributes provided by the context and each section of the layout and provided by the driving map. For example, when the object drives part AB, the relative position with respect to the adjacent wall on the left is obtained (602). Between point (B) and point (C), the lane marking (604) indicates the relative position of the object with respect to the lane. To drive part CD again, the relative position of the object is found using the adjacent wall on the right (606). The driving map supports seamless switching between sensors during driving based on the context of a given driving section.

[0080] FIG. 7 illustrates an improvement provided by the present invention, in the form of a precise representation of the absolute position and orientation of an object, according to one embodiment of the present invention, which enhances the ability of an object to operate stably and successfully reach a target. A comparison of the trajectory for a given operation between the precise absolute position (704) and the approximate absolute position (702) clearly demonstrates the consistency of the trajectory provided by the present invention.

[0081] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment for finding the relative orientation of an object using a proximity sensing device that forms part of a second set of diversified sensors according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to the embodiment described in conjunction with FIGS. 4a and 4b, the travel plane (402) is rotated to align a predetermined path parallel to the Y-axis. In this transformed plane (404), using distance measurements provided by proximity sensors (802a to 802c), the slope of a straight line connecting the proximity sensors (802a to 802c) in the transformed plane (404) can be obtained. By returning the object to the travel plane (402), the slope of the straight line also undergoes the same rotation. This modified slope of the straight line provides a measure of the provisional representation of the object's absolute orientation in the travel plane (402), and the precise absolute orientation of the object (200) is obtained as a weighted combination of the approximate absolute orientation and the provisional representation of the object's absolute orientation.

[0082] Various embodiments of the system and method for operating an object along a predetermined path in an operating space according to the present invention facilitate instantaneous and accurate representation of an absolute position by using a combination of absolute positioning systems, one of which is wireless technology (local positioning system) and an embodiment of relative sensor data. The technology of the present invention does not require reference to short-term or long-term historical data to determine the position, nor does it require a training step to generate a template for future comparison. Furthermore, in the technology of the present invention, data from multiple sensors is captured simultaneously to reach an instantaneous absolute position representation without referencing historical data, so the quality of the absolute position is maintained identically, and the recency of previous data and dependence on the absolute position do not rely on a fixed reference of the floor and do not degrade over time intervals. Therefore, vulnerabilities associated with dynamic changes to the fixed reference position are completely prevented. Planned changes, such as the introduction of a new operating path, the demolition of an existing wall, or the construction of a new wall, are updated in a unique floor map maintained for the corresponding location. Furthermore, the technology of the present invention provides an inefficient system and process that eliminates dependency on dynamically changing scenarios on the floor, such as changes in the driving route, and provides excellent accuracy, and modifies layouts such as breaking down walls.

[0083] Furthermore, the technology of the present invention enables the determination of the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an object in a driving space by using approximate absolute positions to achieve accurate absolute positions, and allows for unique combinations of relative positions extracted from various sensors by utilizing specific functions of the driving space. The technology of the present invention also enables seamless switching between sensors during context-based driving supported by a unique driving map that provides better accuracy than existing technologies. By utilizing the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an object, the technology of the present invention enables stable driving of the object, thereby minimizing deviations from the ideal path and faithfully reaching the goal.

[0084] The foregoing description relating to specific embodiments is intended to fully reveal the general characteristics of the embodiments of the invention so that others can easily modify and / or adapt them for various applications, such as specific embodiments, by applying current knowledge without departing from the general concept, and thus such adaptations and modifications should be intended and understood within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that the language or terms used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and not for limitation. Accordingly, although the embodiments of this specification have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of this specification may be modified and practiced within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0085] Although the embodiments of this specification are described in various specific embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of this specification can be modified and practiced.

Claims

Claim 1 A system for determining the instantaneous absolute position and absolute direction of an object within a driving space, comprising: a plurality of sensors (104) including a first sensor set disposed at a first plurality of positions on an object (200) and a second sensor set disposed at a second plurality of positions on an object (200), wherein the first sensor set is part of a Cartesian coordinate system provided by a local positioning system formed using a technology selected from the group consisting of UWB, Bluetooth, Zig-bee, and ultrasound; an approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (106) configured to determine at least one of the approximate absolute position and approximate absolute direction of the object (200) based on position data captured in a two-dimensional Cartesian plane of the Cartesian coordinate system at a frequency / interval predetermined by the first sensor set (304); and the relative position and relative direction of the object (200) relative to a predetermined path (304) based on a dataset captured at a predetermined frequency / interval from the diversified second sensor set. A relative position and direction estimation unit (108) configured to determine at least one of the following, wherein the captured data represents one of the relative deviation and relative slope of an object with respect to one of the predetermined physical features within the path space; a driving guidance unit (110) located inside or outside the object (200), configured to provide unique attributes based on a desired drivable layout identified in an indoor driving space and to dynamically update one or more of the attributes of a driving map as learning / feedback based on past driving data; and an analysis unit (112) configured to determine at least one of the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of the object (200) at a predetermined frequency / interval by fine-tuning one or more of the plurality of inputs provided by the relative position and direction estimation unit (108), 2) the approximate absolute position of the object, and 3) the unique attributes provided by the driving guidance unit (110).A system (102) for determining instantaneous absolute position and absolute direction within a driving space, comprising: an object (200) including a stationary object or a movable object, wherein the analysis unit (112) transforms a predetermined path and also generates a transformed driving plane by rotating a driving plane associated with a predetermined path (304) by a rotation angle to align the predetermined path (304) so ​​as to be parallel to one of the X-axis or Y-axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian plane, and also makes the approximate absolute position the transformed approximate absolute position of the object through the same rotation; and obtains the precise absolute position of the object (200) by rotating the driving plane in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle returning to the original direction of the driving plane (402), and the transformed precise absolute position is configured to rotate by the same angle to provide the precise absolute position of the object (200). Claim 2 In claim 1, the analysis unit (112) applies refinement to a modified approximate absolute position based on one or more of a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit to obtain a modified precise absolute position of an object (200) on a modified driving plane (404), the refinement simply replaces one or more combinations of a modified ideal coordinate value of interest and a plurality of deviations from a predetermined path obtained from a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit (108) with the X or Y value of the modified approximate absolute position coordinate of the object (200) according to the rotation applied during the modification of the plane, wherein the modified ideal coordinate value of interest is identical to the X coordinate value for the modified predetermined applied path aligned parallel to the Y-axis of the Cartesian plane, and vice versa, and the ideal starting point is the theoretical coordinate for the starting node within the line segment obtained from the driving map, system (102). Claim 3 In claim 1, the analysis unit (112) derives the precise absolute direction of an object based on 1) the relative direction of the object obtained from the relative position and direction estimation unit (108), and 2) the approximate absolute direction obtained from the approximate absolute position and direction estimation unit (104); the relative direction of the object with respect to a predetermined path (304) provided by the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) to obtain the transformed absolute direction of the object within the transformed travel plane (404) is added to the direction of a predetermined path within the transformed travel plane (404) along with its sign; the direction of the predetermined path within the transformed travel plane (404) is identical to the X-axis or Y-axis based on the applied transformation; by rotating the transformed travel plane (404) in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle, the transformed absolute direction angle undergoes a similar rotation and provides an intermediate representation of the absolute direction of the object (200); and the object (200) A system (102) in which the precise absolute direction is obtained as a weighted combination of an intermediate representation of the approximate absolute direction and the absolute direction of the object. Claim 4 In claim 1, the analysis unit (112) is configured to select and use one or more of the relative position and relative direction from the relative position and direction estimation unit among a plurality of inputs, the input to the plurality of analysis units is derived by the relative position and direction estimation unit using a diversified sensor set among the second sensor set, and the selection of a specific input to use is guided by a driving map based on the approximate absolute position of the object (200), system (102). Claim 5 In claim 1, the analysis unit (112) is configured to smoothly select a relative position and a relative direction from a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit while driving through mutually different parts of a driving layout including a single line segment or a plurality of line segments having mutually different physical attributes, the selection is guided by a driving map based on the approximate absolute position of an object (200), the driving map provides physical attributes associated with each line segment, and the physical attributes are the presence of a wall or lane marking adjacent to the driving path along with the side, system (102). Claim 6 In claim 1, the first plurality of positions on the object (200) include the front end and the rear end of the object (200), and the second plurality of positions are selected from one of the left side of the object (200), the right side of the object (200), the front end of the object (200), and the rear end of the object (200), system (102). Claim 7 In claim 1, the second plurality of sensors includes a proximity detection device and an image capture device, and by using the plurality of sensors, the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) provides to the analysis unit (112) a plurality of inputs representing the relative position and relative direction of an object (200) for a predetermined path (304) derived based on a dataset captured at a predetermined frequency / interval from a second set of diversified sensors, and the captured data represents one of a relative deviation and a relative slope regarding a known fixed physical feature within the operating space, and the relative position and direction estimation unit (108) derives such a plurality of relative positions and relative directions based on a diversified dataset of data captured from the second set of diversified sensors. Claim 8 A method for providing one of a precise absolute position and a precise absolute direction of an object at a predetermined frequency / interval to facilitate the operation of an object along a predetermined path in a driving space, comprising: a) a step of initiating the operation of an object along a predetermined path in a driving space (502); b) a step of transforming a predetermined path and generating a transformed driving plane by rotating a driving plane associated with the predetermined path by a rotation angle so as to align the predetermined path to be parallel to one of the X-axis or Y-axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian plane, and also a step of making the approximate absolute position the transformed approximate absolute position of the object through the same rotation; c) a step of determining at least one of the approximate absolute position and the approximate absolute direction of the object based on a position data set captured by a diversified first sensor set among a plurality of sensors placed at a first plurality of positions of the object (504); d) a step of determining at least one of a plurality of relative positions and relative directions of the object relative to a predetermined path based on a data set captured by a diversified second sensor set among a plurality of sensors placed at a second plurality of positions of the object (506); e) a step of selecting at least one of the relative position and relative direction of an object for a predetermined path from a plurality of relative positions and relative directions based on an approximate absolute position and a driving map (508); f) a step of obtaining a precise absolute position of an object by rotating the driving plane in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the rotation angle returning to the original direction of the driving plane, and configuring the transformed precise absolute position to rotate by the same angle to provide the precise absolute position of the object; g) a step of determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute direction of an object by using a driving map to fine-tune the approximate absolute position based on the selected relative position and the approximate absolute direction based on the selected relative direction, wherein the driving map is generated and updated based on a machine learning model based on map data and past driving data (510); h) a step of verifying whether a destination has been reached (512);and i) a step of performing any one of a) and b) below; a) a step of repeating steps b) through h) when the destination has not been reached, and b) a step of stopping the operation of the object when the destination has been reached (514). Claim 9 A method according to claim 8, comprising the step of selecting a relative position and a relative direction from a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit, wherein the plurality of inputs are derived by the relative position and direction estimation unit using a diversified sensor set among the second sensor set, and a specific input to be used is selected by a driving map based on the approximate absolute position of an object. Claim 10 A method according to claim 8, wherein relative position and relative direction are smoothly selected and used from a plurality of inputs from a relative position and direction estimation unit while driving through different parts of a driving layout comprising a single line segment or a plurality of line segments having mutually different physical attributes, the selection is guided by a driving map based on the approximate absolute position of an object, the driving map provides physical attributes associated with each line segment, and the physical attributes are selected from a group comprising the presence of a wall or lane marking adjacent to the driving path along with a side.

Images