Method for determining instantaneous absolute position and orientation of an entity in navigation space - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a system and method for determining a refined absolute position and refined absolute orientation of an entity in a navigation space.SOLUTION: A system includes: a plurality of sensors; a coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit that determines a coarse absolute position and / or a coarse absolute orientation, of an entity on the basis of position data captured by sensors at predefined frequency / interval; a relative position and orientation estimation unit that determines a relative position and / or a relative orientation, of the entity on the basis of a set of data captured from sensors; a navigation guidance unit that provides and updates unique attributes of the navigation space; and an analysis unit that determines a refined absolute position or a refined absolute orientation of the entity by fine tuning the coarse absolute position based on the relative position and the coarse absolute orientation based on the relative orientation using a navigation map.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application is filed under the title "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINATION NING AN INSTANTANEOUS ABSOLUTE POSITION AND ORIENTATION OF AN ENTITY IN A NAVIGA TION SPACE" filed on December 1, 2020, serial number 20204 Priority is claimed from Indian Provisional Patent Application (PPA) No. 1052367. The contents of the said PPA are as follows: , the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, embodiments of the present invention relate to position sensing and navigation systems. In particular, embodiments of the present invention provide position sensing and navigation for moving objects. More specifically, the present invention relates to a navigation system. In this paper, we then calculate the precise absolute position of each entity, such as a robot (BOT). (refined absolute position) and refined absolute orientation This invention relates to a method and system for determining instantaneous absolute position and orientation, referred to as "instantaneous absolute position and orientation."

[0003] Description of Related Art According to an exemplary scenario, determining the position and rotational orientation of an object within a defined space is Determining the temperature is a practical problem that has given rise to many solutions, each of which has its own application. Specialized to solve a specific requirement: objects (static or moving) in a given space Several existing techniques for determining the position or orientation of a vehicle include, for example, optical, ultrasonic, or However, most of the existing technologies provide angular orientation information. Existing technologies that allow angular orientation measurement lack position determination. For example, some existing Existing technologies use the Global Positioning System (GPS) for position determination, but GPS operation is also affected by signal attenuation and reflections indoors. Magnetometers suffer from glare and are therefore not a good choice for indoor applications. They provide a high degree of accuracy, but are highly susceptible to dynamically changing magnetic fields near the sensor. , may work well in controlled scenarios, but for baggage handling applications, the magnetic properties of the baggage may be compromised. can make measurements unreliable. Ultrasonic methods work well indoors but are difficult to use for determining orientation. Furthermore, existing technologies such as laser-based technology (Lidar) lack the ability to measure position and orientation. They provide both, but at a huge cost. In addition, they also provide a lot of free space on the floor, such as furniture, machines, etc. Existing techniques use position data associated with fixed objects as reference points. The technique is highly vulnerable to dynamically changing scenarios on the floor.

[0004] Furthermore, while navigating through narrow passages, there is no risk of collision with any fixed structures such as walls. To avoid misinterpretation of entities as obstacles, we move entities along predefined paths (e.g. It is important to keep the entity close to the predefined path (center line of the aisle). Precise information about the entity's position (e.g., down to a few centimeters) to keep it along the path To keep the entity on the ideal path, it is essential to have The deviation of the current position of the entity from the ideal path is, for example, 10 centimeters. The desired error must be known accurately, within a factor of 10.

[0005] Therefore, you can change the navigation path, modify the layout to destroy walls, etc. Except for planned changes, such as The absolute position and location of entities are determined while providing good accuracy, together with the elimination of any dependency on the There is a need for alternative cost-effective methods and systems for determining orientation. To arrive accurately at a required absolute position for a given navigation segment A guide that dynamically provides the necessary guidance on using diverse datasets With the help of entities (e.g. unique maps), the captured images from different source devices can be Using a variety of collected data sets, the stationary or moving There is a need for a system and method for finding the absolute position of a moving entity (hereinafter referred to as BOT). There is a need for this.

[0006] The above mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and will become apparent upon reading and studying the following specification. This will be understood by

[0007] (Objective of the embodiment) The main objective of the present invention is to provide a method for resolving dynamically changing scenarios or plans in a navigation space. A cost-effective method with good accuracy while eliminating any dependency on unknown variables Determine the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of the entity in the navigation space. The present invention provides a system and method for determining the quality of an absolute position without reference to historical data. remains the same and may vary depending on the recency of the old data. The signal does not degrade during any given time interval.

[0008] Another object of the embodiments herein is to provide absolute position and It uses a variety of sensors that are used seamlessly to help improve orientation accuracy. Based on the extraction of various features in the navigation space, The present invention provides a system and method for determining the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an entity in a vehicle. The purpose is to provide.

[0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining a coarse absolute position and a coordinate system in a navigation space. Using the unique combination of relative positions extracted from the various sensors using specific features that Precise positioning of entities in the navigation space, using the A system and method for determining absolute position and precise absolute orientation is provided.

[0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a navigation system that is supported by a unique navigation map. Seamless switching between sensors during navigation based on the context The precise absolute position and precise coordinates of the entity in the navigation space are obtained by using the The present invention provides a system and method for determining absolute orientation.

[0011] These and other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein are best understood in connection with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: This will become readily apparent from the detailed description. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The following detailed description provides a simplified overview of the embodiments herein and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. This summary provides a basic understanding of some aspects of the embodiments. This is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify key / critical elements of the embodiments of the present invention or to provide a general overview of the present invention. It is not intended to define the scope of the embodiments of the specification. Its sole purpose is to This document presents some concepts of the embodiments herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be described later. The purpose is to present.

[0013] Other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the following description is provided to illustrate the preferred embodiment and its various alternatives. While numerous specific details are given, they are given by way of example and not by way of limitation. It will be understood that many variations and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit. and the embodiments herein include all such modifications. include.

[0014] This Summary is provided in a simplified form to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The Summary is provided to introduce the principles of the present invention in a simplified format. Not intended to identify essential characteristics but to aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter It is not intended to be used as a

[0015] Various embodiments herein provide a system for dynamically resolving a location in a navigation space. Good accuracy and accuracy while eliminating any dependency on changing scenarios or unplanned changes. Together, they provide a cost-effective method for determining the absolute position and absolute coordinates of an entity in a navigation space. Without reference to historical data, the quality of the absolute position remains the same. may deteriorate during any time interval due to dependency on the recency of old data. do not have.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, accurate absolute location of an entity in a navigation space is A system for determining relative position and precise absolute orientation is disclosed. According to an embodiment, the system includes a first sensor disposed at a first plurality of locations on the entity. The first sensor set includes, but is not limited to, UWB, B Technologies such as Bluetooth, Zig-Bee, Ultrasonic, and others A Cartesian coordinate system provided by a local positioning system formed using the technique According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system is The system also includes a second diverse set of sensors positioned at predetermined frequencies / intervals. The position data captured by the first sensor set in a two-dimensional orthogonal plane of a Cartesian coordinate system at intervals At least one of a coarse absolute position and a coarse absolute orientation of the entity based on the data. and a coarse absolute position estimation unit configured to determine one of the coarse absolute position estimation units. The system may then determine a predetermined Determining at least one of a plurality of relative positions and relative orientations of the entity with respect to the path. a relative position and orientation estimation unit configured to determine The data is related to preset, known, fixed physical features in the navigation space. The relative deviation and the relative inclination of the entity are represented by the following equation: Based on the desired navigable layout specified in the navigation space, Provide useful attributes and learn / feedback based on historical navigation data and dynamically updating one or more attributes of the navigation map as a The system further includes a navigation guidance unit configured to One or more of the inputs provided by the position and orientation estimation unit and Based on the coarse absolute position of the entity and the navigation map, the coarse absolute position and the coarse Fine-tuning the absolute orientation allows you to determine the precise absolute position and orientation of an entity. and an analysis unit configured to determine at least one of .

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present specification, the analysis unit calculates the predetermined path in a two-dimensional orthogonal plane. Generates a transformed navigation plane aligned parallel to the X or Y axis. To achieve this, the navigation plane associated with the given route is rotated by a rotation angle. Thus, the coarse absolute position is also determined by converting the predetermined path. The entity is rotated through the same rotation angle to get the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity, Relative position and orientation estimation by correcting / correcting the transformed coarse absolute position of the A transformed representation of the entity based on one or more of a plurality of inputs from the unit. The fine absolute position is obtained and the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity is calculated during the transformation of the plane. Depending on the rotation applied to the object, the transformed ideal coordinates and the relative position and orientation estimation unit The combination of one or more of the inputs from the unit is used to transform the entity. The absolute coarse position coordinates are corrected / compensated by substituting either the X or Y values. The transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of the object are selected based on the applied transformation. The ideal starting point coordinates are equal to the ideal starting point coordinates obtained from the navigation map. The coordinates of the starting node of the min, and the precise absolute position of the entity is given by , by rotating the navigation plane in the opposite direction back to the original orientation of the navigation plane. The precise absolute position obtained and transformed by the rotation of the same angle is the precise Provides absolute positioning.

[0018] According to one embodiment herein, the precise absolute orientation of an entity is determined by: 1) the relative position; and the relative orientation of the entity obtained from an orientation estimation unit; and 2) a coarse absolute position and orientation. The navigation direction is derived and transformed based on the coarse absolute orientation obtained from the estimation unit. In the motion plane, the relative position and orientation estimation unit calculates the x-axis The relative orientation of the entity with respect to the transformed path that is parallel to either the Y or Y axis. a transformed absolute orientation of the entity in the transformed navigation plane; Since the absolute orientation of the transformed path is the same as one of the X-axis or Y-axis, the entity is derived by adding the relative heading of the and then rotate the translation navigation plane in the opposite direction by the same amount as the rotation angle. The transformed absolute orientation angle is then subjected to a similar rotation to provide an intermediate representation of the entity's absolute orientation. The fine absolute orientation of the entity is the sum of the coarse absolute orientation and the absolute orientation of the entity. It is obtained as a weighted combination of the inter-representations.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit is configured to select from among a plurality of inputs a relative position and Selecting and using one or more of the relative position and the relative orientation from the orientation estimation unit Such a plurality of inputs to the analysis unit is configured to A Relative Position and Orientation Estimation Unit uses a diverse set of sensors in the The selection of the particular input to be used is based on the coarse absolute position and is derived from the navigation. The system is guided by the inherent attributes provided by the guidance unit.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit is a plurality of samples having varying physical attributes. Through different sections of the navigation layout that contain either a line or a single line While navigating using the Relative Position and Orientation Estimation Unit, among other inputs, and a second position and / or a second relative orientation. The selection is based on the coarse absolute position of the entity, and navigation guidance is provided. The navigation guidance unit may be, for example, but not limited to, However, there may be some obstacles such as walls and their sides adjacent to the navigation route, lane markings, etc. Thus, it provides physical attributes associated with each such line segment.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first plurality of locations on the entity are the first plurality of locations include a front end and a rear end of the entity, and the second plurality of locations include a left side of the entity, At least one of the right side of the entity, the front end of the entity, and the rear end of the entity include.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an entity is navigated along a predetermined path in a navigation space. A method for navigating a property is disclosed. The method includes: 1) determining a location in a navigation space; 2) initiating navigation of the entity along a given path; and by a first set of sensors from among a plurality of sensors disposed at a first plurality of positions. Coarse estimation of the entity's isolation level based on position data captured at predefined frequencies / intervals 3) determining at least one of a first relative position and a coarse orientation of the first object on the entity; The second set of sensors is arranged at multiple locations on the second sensor. Based on the captured data set, the relative positions and relative 4) determining at least one of a coarse absolute position and a navigation map; Based on the map, a plurality of relative positions and relative orientations are selected for the entity for the predetermined route. and 5) selecting at least one of the relative position and the relative orientation of the navigation system. Use the map to calculate coarse absolute position based on the relative position, and coarse absolute heading based on the relative heading. By fine-tuning the position and orientation of the entity, the precise absolute position and orientation of the entity can be determined. The navigation map is based on the map data and the historical navigation data. 6) determining a destination based on a machine learning model; and continuing steps 2-5 until

[0023] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein should be considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. This will be better appreciated and understood when taken into consideration. However, the following explanation is preferred. While specific embodiments and numerous specific details thereof are set forth, they are given by way of illustration and not limitation. It should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments of the present specification may be implemented without the need for any particular modification, and the embodiments of the present specification may be implemented without the need for any particular modification. This document includes all such modifications. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for determining a position and orientation of an entity in a navigation space, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2A shows a perspective view of an entity (robot) attached to a system provided for determining the entity's position and orientation in a navigation space and fixed with a first set of sensors at a first plurality of locations on the entity, according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 2B shows a plan view of the positioning of a first set of sensors at a first plurality of locations on the entity and fixed with a system provided for determining the entity's coarse absolute position and coarse absolute orientation in a navigation space, according to one embodiment of the present specification. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of an entity (robot) attached to a system fixed with a second set of sensors at a second plurality of locations on the exemplary entity, provided to determine the entity's position and orientation in a navigation space, according to one embodiment of the present specification. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B illustrates a process of determining deviation of an entity from a predetermined path during navigation in a navigation space derived by a relative position and orientation unit using a diverse set of sensors in the second sensor set according to one embodiment of the present specification. [Figure 3C]FIG. 3C shows a perspective view of an entity (robot) mounted on a fixed system with a second set of sensors at a second plurality of locations on the exemplary entity, provided for determining the entity's position and orientation in a navigation space according to one embodiment of the present specification, and illustrates the determination of the entity's relative position and relative orientation with respect to a pair of lane markings. [Figure 4] 4A-4B show a transformation of a navigation plane to align a predetermined path with the Y-axis using an analysis unit configured to transform a predetermined path by rotating a navigation plane associated with the 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 orthogonal plane and generate a transformed navigation plane, and to apply refinement based on a relative position and relative orientation in the system to determine a precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an entity in the navigation space, in accordance with one embodiment of the present specification. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of navigating an entity along a predetermined path in a navigation space using a system for determining a precise absolute position and a precise absolute orientation of an entity in a navigation space, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates a scenario when an entity navigates through various sections of a navigation space while using the relative positions provided by each section, either a wall or a lane, based on the selection of the respective sensors, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates the reliability of precise absolute position provided by the present invention during an exemplary navigation between two points, according to an embodiment herein. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of finding the relative orientation of an entity using a proximity sensing device forming part of a second diverse sensor set according to an embodiment herein.

[0025] However, certain features of embodiments herein are shown in some drawings and not in others. This is because each feature may be combined with any or all other features in accordance with the embodiments herein. This is done for convenience only, as it may be combined with other features. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] In the following detailed description, references are made to specific implementations that form a part hereof and that may be practiced. Embodiments are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable the practice of the present invention, and other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that this may be done without departing from the following detailed The description should not be taken in a limiting sense.

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention and various features and advantageous details thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: This will be explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments detailed in the description below. Descriptions of components and processing techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are merely intended to illustrate how embodiments of the present invention may be practiced. It will be readily understood that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways, and will further enable those skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the present invention. The examples are therefore intended to be indicative of the scope of the embodiments herein. should not be construed as constituting a

[0028] Various embodiments herein are directed to any dynamically changing scenario in the navigation space. Cost-effective, with good accuracy, while eliminating dependency on operational or unplanned changes. The precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an entity in a navigation space are obtained in such a manner that The present invention provides a system and method for determining absolute position and The quality of the orientation remains the same and any Does not deteriorate during the time interval.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, accurate absolute location of an entity in a navigation space is A system for determining relative position and precise absolute orientation is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the system includes a first set of sensors disposed at a first plurality of locations on the entity. The first set of sensors may include, but are not limited to, UWB, Bluetooth Local positions formed using technologies such as th, Zig-bee, ultrasonic, and others 1 is a part of a Cartesian coordinate system provided by a steering system. According to the system, the second set of sensors is disposed at a second plurality of locations on the entity. The system also measures two-dimensional Cartesian coordinates at a predetermined frequency / interval by a first set of sensors. Based on the position data captured in the plane, the coarse absolute position and the coarse a coarse absolute orientation determining unit configured to determine at least one of the absolute orientations; The system further includes a position and orientation estimation unit. Entity identification for a given route based on a data set captured at a fixed frequency / interval. and determining at least one of a plurality of relative positions and relative orientations of the plurality of sensors. The system further includes a relative position and orientation estimation unit configured to estimate an indoor navigation system. Based on the desired navigable layout specified in the session space, and learning / feedback based on historical navigation data. and dynamically updating one or more attributes of the navigation map using the The system further comprises a navigation guidance unit that is configured to: One or more of the inputs provided by the position and orientation estimation unit (108) 2) the coarse absolute position of the entity; and 3) the navigation guidance unit. and fine-tuning the coarse absolute position and orientation based on the unique attributes provided by the This allows precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an entity at a given frequency / interval. The method includes the step of: determining at least one of the following:

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present specification, the analysis unit is a two-dimensional orthogonal plane with an X-axis or a Y-axis. Align a given path to be parallel to the axis and generate a transformed navigation plane. To achieve this, the navigation plane associated with the given route is rotated by a rotation angle. Thus, the coarse absolute position is also determined by converting the predetermined path. The entity is rotated through the same rotation angle to get the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity, Relative position and orientation estimation by correcting / correcting the transformed coarse absolute position of the A transformed representation of the entity based on one or more of a plurality of inputs from the unit. The fine absolute position is obtained and the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity is calculated during the transformation of the plane. Depending on the rotation applied to the object, the transformed ideal coordinates and the relative position and orientation estimation unit The combination of one or more of the inputs from the unit is used to transform the entity. The absolute coarse position coordinates are corrected / compensated by substituting either the X or Y values. The transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of the object are selected based on the applied transformation. The ideal starting point coordinates are equal to the ideal starting point coordinates obtained from the navigation map. The coordinates of the starting node of the min, and the precise absolute position of the entity is given by , by rotating the navigation plane in the opposite direction back to the original orientation of the navigation plane. The precise absolute position obtained and transformed by the rotation of the same angle is the precise Provides absolute positioning.

[0031] According to one embodiment herein, the precise absolute orientation of an entity is determined by: 1) the relative position; and the relative orientation of the entity obtained from an orientation estimation unit; and 2) a coarse absolute position and orientation. The navigation direction is derived and transformed based on the coarse absolute orientation obtained from the estimation unit. In the motion plane, the relative position and orientation estimation unit calculates the x-axis The relative orientation of the entity with respect to the transformed path that is parallel to either the Y or Y axis. Since the absolute orientation of the transformed path is the same as one of the X-axis or Y-axis, the transformation The transformed absolute orientation of the entity in the transformed navigation plane is It is derived by adding the relative orientation of the path, together with its sign, to the absolute orientation of the transformed path. The rotation angle is then adjusted by rotating the transformed navigation plane in the opposite direction by the same amount. Thus, the transformed absolute orientation angle undergoes a similar rotation and is intermediate to the entity's absolute orientation. It provides a representation of the entity's fine absolute orientation, the coarse absolute orientation, and the entity's absolute It is obtained as a weighted combination with an intermediate representation of the orientation.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit is configured to select from among a plurality of inputs a relative position and Selecting and using one or more of the relative position and the relative orientation from the orientation estimation unit Such a plurality of inputs to the analysis unit is configured to A Relative Position and Orientation Estimation Unit uses a diverse set of sensors in the The selection of the particular input to be used is based on the coarse absolute position and is derived from the navigation. The map is used to guide the

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit is a plurality of samples having varying physical attributes. Through different sections of the navigation layout that contain either a line or a single line While navigating using the Relative Position and Orientation Estimation Unit, among other inputs, and a second position and / or a second relative orientation. The selection is based on the coarse absolute position of the entity in the navigation map. The navigation map may be, for example, but not limited to, a navigation route. Each such line and adjacent wall and its sides, the presence of lane markings, etc. Provides associated physical attributes.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first plurality of locations on the entity are the first plurality of locations include a front end and a rear end of the entity, and the second plurality of locations include a left side of the entity, At least one of the right side of the entity, the front end of the entity, and the rear end of the entity include.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an entity is navigated along a predetermined path in a navigation space. A method for navigating a property is disclosed. The method includes: 1) determining a location in a navigation space; 2) initiating navigation of the entity along a given path; and by a first set of sensors from among a plurality of sensors disposed at a first plurality of positions. Coarse estimation of the entity's isolation level based on position data captured at predefined frequencies / intervals 3) determining at least one of a first relative position and a coarse orientation of the first object on the entity; The second set of sensors is arranged at multiple locations on the second sensor. Based on the captured data set, the relative positions and relative 4) determining at least one of a coarse absolute position and a navigation map; Based on the map, a plurality of relative positions and relative orientations are selected for the entity for the predetermined route. and 5) selecting at least one of the relative position and the relative orientation of the navigation system. Use the map to calculate coarse absolute position based on the relative position, and coarse absolute heading based on the relative heading. By fine-tuning the position and orientation of the entity, the precise absolute position and orientation of the entity can be determined. The navigation map is based on the map data and the historical navigation data. 6) determining whether a target object is reached based on a machine learning model; and and continuing steps 2-5 until

[0036] Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to the identification of entities in a navigation space. A method and system for determining precise absolute position and orientation is provided. The disclosed system and method improves absolute position accuracy including on-the-fly switchover Navigation is a technology that uses a variety of sensors to seamlessly help Based on the extraction of various features in the navigation space, The system disclosed herein also determines a precise absolute position and a precise absolute orientation of the The method uses the coarse absolute position and specific features in the navigation space to obtain various Achieve accurate absolute position using a unique combination of relative positions extracted from the sensors An entity may include a stationary object or a moving object.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for locating an entity in a navigation space according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system for determining the location and orientation of a vehicle. Thus, the system 102 includes a number of sensors 104 and a coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit. 106, a relative position and orientation estimation unit 108, and a navigation guidance unit 110 and an analysis unit 112. For example, the entity may be a stationary object or The navigation system may include moving objects (e.g., mobile plant equipment or vehicles). The space may be an enclosed or predefined space, such as the space inside a factory unit. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sensors The sensor includes a first set of sensors disposed at a first plurality of locations on the entity, and a first set of sensors disposed at a first plurality of locations on the entity. and a second set of sensors disposed at a second plurality of locations on the tee. For example, The sensors may include proximity sensing devices, image capture devices, etc. , but not limited to.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 comprises: at a predetermined frequency / interval by a sensor set (further described in conjunction with Figures 2A-2B). Based on the captured position data, a coarse absolute position and a coarse absolute orientation of the entity are calculated. The predetermined route is determined by the navigation system. The ideal navigation path of the entity in the navigation space is included. According to this, the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 uses a second diverse set of sensors (FIG. 3A- 3C) to a set of data captured at a given frequency / interval. Based on the above, at least one of a relative position and a relative orientation of the entity with respect to the predetermined route is determined. The apparatus is configured to determine whether one of the following is true:

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation guidance unit 110 is an indoor navigation system. Based on the desired navigable layout specified in the navigation space, Provide useful attributes and learn / feedback based on historical navigation data and dynamically updating one or more attributes as a function of the query. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation guidance unit 110 is A unique predefined number of lines for each line in a virtual map created for a business space (e.g., a factory floor) Includes centralized / local systems or devices that contain unique predefined attributes. Attributes include, but are not limited to, the absolute coordinates of nodes, destinations, nodes and other attributes, to every other node, the optimal path between the nodes, and the associated cost and intermediate transition angles, reinforcement for each line segment such as the ideal path of the segment, and if there is no wall The presence of walls on either side of the passageway with subsection accuracy to capture possible gaps when presence / availability, presence of lane lines on either side of the line, lane width, lane width and any This includes maximum speed of movement based on other considerations, azimuth angle offset at each node, etc.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the navigation guidance unit 110 may include, for example, Using the initial input data set, such as node coordinates, effective paths, and path width, an initial map is generated. The initial input data set is then processed in a unique way to arrive at a robust map. Most of the time, the process is handled without the need for special training for the entity 200. From that first run, it performs all the steps required to perform a successful navigation. It has attributes such as the azimuth angle offset of the node, the presence of walls or fixed structures along the route, The subsequent analysis of attributes such as the reliability of lane markings on the floor for a given segment The navigation guidance unit 110 is a navigation guidance unit for refining / dynamically updating the navigation guidance information. During the gambling process, various data is collected from the entity and used for further inference. Machine learning (ML) techniques are applied. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dynamic map generation unit 110 is based on ML collected based on the experiences of various entities The inferred data is then used to further apply artificial intelligence techniques to refine the attributes and generate the initial map. The updated map is then applied to all entities in the navigation space. It will be available from the very next navigation of the tee.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit 112 includes: 1) a relative position and orientation estimation unit; 1) one or more of a plurality of inputs provided by the unit (108); and and 3) a coarse absolute position of the tee provided by a navigation guidance unit (110). By fine-tuning the coarse absolute position and orientation based on the inherent attributes of the At least one of the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of an entity at a given frequency / interval. According to one embodiment of the present invention, For example, the analysis unit 112 may align the predetermined path with one of the X-axis or Y-axis of a two-dimensional orthogonal plane. 4. align the navigation plane 404 with the given path to generate the transformed navigation plane 404. The predetermined path 30 is obtained by rotating the navigation plane 402 by a rotation angle. 4, and the coarse absolute position is similarly subjected to the same rotation. , which is the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity. Unit 112 receives one or more of a number of inputs from the relative position and orientation estimation unit. Applying refinement to the transformed absolute position based on the number and and obtaining a precise absolute position of the entity on the screen. The refinement depends on the rotation applied during the transformation of the plane to the transformed ideal coordinates of the object. and a plurality of inputs from the relative position and orientation estimation unit to determine a plurality of positions from a predetermined route. the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity in combination with one or more of the deviations of A single substitution of the coordinates into either the X or Y values, and the transformed ideal coordinate values ​​of the object are The same as one of the transformed ideal start point coordinate values, selected based on the applied transformation. and the ideal starting point is the theoretical coordinate of the starting node of the line segment obtained from the navigation map. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit 112 is 402 in the opposite direction by the same amount of rotation back to the original orientation of the navigation plane 402. The present invention is configured to obtain a precise absolute position of an entity by detecting the position of the entity. The transformed precise absolute position is then rotated by the same angle to obtain the precise absolute position of the entity. (further explained in conjunction with Figures 4A-B).

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit 112 includes: 1) a relative position and orientation estimation unit; 1) the relative orientation of the entity obtained from the unit 108; and 2) a coarse absolute position and orientation estimate. and a coarse absolute orientation obtained from unit 106. The relative position and orientation estimation unit 1 derives the position and orientation of the vehicle in the transformed navigation plane. 08 is transformed to be parallel to either the X or Y axis, depending on the transformation applied. gives the relative orientation of the entity with respect to the transformed path, and the absolute orientation of the transformed path is the X-axis or is the same as one of the Y axes, so the entity in the transformed navigation plane The transformed absolute orientation of the entity is expressed as the transformed azimuth along with the sign of the entity's relative orientation. The transformed navigation plane 404 is derived by adding to the absolute heading of the road By rotating in the opposite direction by the same amount as the rotation angle, the converted absolute azimuth angle is the same. It provides an intermediate representation of the entity's absolute orientation and a precise absolute The pairwise orientation is a weighted combination of a coarse absolute orientation and an intermediate representation of the entity's absolute orientation. (Further explained in conjunction with FIG. 3C, FIG. 4A-FIG. 4B and FIG. 8). According to this embodiment, the analysis unit 112 determines from among a plurality of inputs a relative position and orientation estimate. Select and use one or more of the relative position and the relative orientation from the determination unit 108. Such a plurality of inputs to the analysis unit 112 is configured to A relative position and orientation estimation unit using a diverse set of sensors among the two sensor sets. The selection of the particular input to be used is based on the coarse absolute position, According to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit 112 is a navigation system that includes either multiple line segments or a single line segment with varying physical attributes. While navigating different sections of the game layout, you can select from multiple inputs. The present invention is directed to a method for seamlessly selecting and using one or more of the relative position and the relative orientation. Selection is based on the coarse absolute position of the entity, and is handled by the navigation The navigation map may be, for example, but not limited to, Each such factor, such as walls adjacent to the lane path and their sides, the presence of lane markings, etc. Provides physical attributes associated with the line segment (further described in conjunction with FIG. 6).

[0043] 2A-2B are diagrams illustrating a first duplication on an exemplary entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 2A shows an exemplary positioning of the first sensor set at a number of positions. , the example entity 200 includes a front end 206 and a rear end 204. The set 202A-H is a rear section disposed at the rear end 204 of the example entity 200. sensor set 202E-H and front sensor set 202A-D located at front end 206 FIG. 2B illustrates a first view of an example entity 200 in an XY plane 208. 2B illustrates a representation of the positioning of the sensor sets 202A-H. As illustrated in FIG. Points B1-B4 and F1-F4 are the positioning of sensors 202E-H and 202A-D, respectively. The first set of sensors 202A-H is configured to achieve three-dimensional spatial diversity. The first set of sensors 202A-H are positioned as follows: The absolute positions provided by each sensor are captured and a redundant set of absolute orientation representations is computed. The average of the absolute orientation representation is used to represent the absolute orientation of the entity in the XY plane 208. Used to determine the position.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first plurality of sensors (first plurality of sensors 202A- H) is the location of an entity (e.g., exemplary entity 200) captured by , used to determine at least one of a coarse absolute position and / or a coarse absolute orientation. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation are calculated as depicted in FIG. The position estimation unit 106 determines lines B1F1 212 and B4F4 214. The lines B1F1 212 and B4F4 214 to the front indicate where the entity is located with respect to a given path. Coarse absolute position and orientation estimation. Unit 106 determines the angle of lines B1B4 216 and F1F4 218. F1F4 216 and F1F4 218 provide an angle 90 degrees greater than the entity's angle. The absolute position unit 106 combines the angles and outputs Quad_Sensor_Angle. e is obtained. Quad_Sensor_Angle is given by Equation 1. [Number 1] Quad_Sensor_Angle = ((∠B1F1 + ∠B4F4 + (∠B1B4 - 90) + (∠F1F4 - 90)) / 4 2 (1)

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 estimates the position of the point B1 Use B2B3B4 to determine the first center point (BC). BC is given by can be done. [Number 2] BC = (B1 + B2 + B3 + B4) / 4 (2)

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 estimates the position of the point B1 Use B2B3B4 to determine the second center point (FC). FC is given by Equation 3. can be done. [Number 3] FC = (F1+F2+F3+F4) / 4 (3)

[0047] The coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 represents the line BCFC given by Equation 4: The angle (Centre_Of_Sensors_Angle) at which the sensors are [Number 4] Center_Of_Sensors_Angle = ∠BCFC (4)

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 estimates the line B1 Determine the angle representing line F4 and the angle representing line B4F1. Lines B1F4 and B4F1 are The first set of sensors 202A-H has an offset with respect to the orientation of the sensor. For example, as depicted in FIG. 2B, The actual direction of the azimuth of the 1st meter is 270 degrees. If B1F4 is at an angle of 300 degrees, B4F1 can be 240 degrees. Therefore, the sum of the angles of B1F4 and B4F1 is is the instantaneous orientation of the entity given by equation 5 (Big_Diagonal_An Gives a representation of (gle). [Number 5] Big_Diagonal_Angle = (∠B1F4 + ∠B4F1) / 2 (5)

[0049] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 is Determine the points BC and FC identified in the tre_Of_Sensors_Angle. , the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 uses BCF1 and BCF4. The angle and the average of the angles are determined to obtain the angle SD_Angle_1. The orientation estimation unit 106 determines the angles representing B1FC and B4FC and the average of the angles. The coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 calculates the angle SD_Angle_2. 6 by averaging SD_Angle_1 and SD_Angle_2 Therefore, the Small_Diagonal_Angle is determined. [Number 6] Small_Diagonal_Angle = ((∠BCF1 + ∠BCF4) / 2 + (∠B1FC + ∠B4FC) / 2) / 2 (6)

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit 106 calculates the absolute position and orientation (Eq. 7) as follows: Determine the coarse absolute orientation of a given entity by: [Number 7] Coarse absolute orientation = (K1*Quad_Sensor_Angle + K2*Centre_Of_Sensors_Angle + K3*Big_Diago nal_Angle + K4*Small_Diagonal_Angle) / (K1+K2+K3+K4) (7) where K1, K2, K3, and K4 are multiplication constants ( multiplication constant).

[0051] 3A-3B are diagrams illustrating a second duplication on an exemplary entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 3A shows an exemplary positioning of the second sensor set at a number of positions. , a second set of sensors 302A-C is located on the left surface 304 of the example entity 200. The second set of sensors 302A-C are also located along the exemplary entity 200 The second set of sensors 302A-C may be located along the right side surface of the sidewall 302A-C. or provide a measurement of the entity's distance (d) from a fixed structure located to the side of the path. .

[0052] As will be further explained in conjunction with FIG. 3B, the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 calculates the distance Based on (d), the deviation from the predetermined path (ideal navigation path) is determined. is a distance from a predetermined path during navigation in a navigation space according to one embodiment. As depicted in FIG. 3B, the process of determining the deviation of an entity is The width of the entity 200 is represented by "b" 306, which is the distance from the left wall 310 to the The distance between the two points is represented by "d" 308. The relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 calculates the number 8. Determine the deviation (Δw) 312 given by [Number 8] Δw = w / 2- (d+b / 2) (8) Here, w / 2 is the distance between the left side wall 310 and the predetermined path 304, and the distance between the predetermined path and the navigation Assembly line 1 314 or assembly line 2 316 in the gate space It represents the distance between.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 is The relative position of the entity 200 within a marked passageway, such as a lane, as depicted By determining whether the object is located in the front, rear, and / or center of the entity 200, Also, based on one sensor (e.g., an image capture device) from the second sensor set. and determining a relative position and / or a relative orientation of the entity 200 based on the As shown in FIG. 3A, the front side 206 and the rear side 204 are provided with Placed sensors 306A and 306B represent one such embodiment.

[0054] FIG. 3C illustrates the relative position and relative orientation of entity 200, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 3C illustrates an example of determining the front side of the entity 200. In front of the entity 200 with a sensor (image capture device) 320 located at A perspective view is depicted. The entity navigates along a predetermined path 304. Sensor 3 20 captures the relative distance of the entity 200 with respect to a pair of lane lines 322 and 324. The relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 is located at the center of the entity (sensor or image capture device). Based on the distance from the location where the capture device is placed, a predetermined path (or ideal path) Determine the deviation Δw of entity 200 from 304. is determined based on Equation 8. Also, the angle of the lane line sensed by the sensor 320 The difference is that the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 estimates the relative position of the entity with respect to the lane lines. This makes it possible to determine the opposite orientation.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 is configured to estimate the position of the vehicle along a predetermined route 3. 04, the system that provides the depth information is used to determine the relative position and relative Using the depth information, the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 determines the virtual 3B-3C, the line is drawn, and then the line is drawn from the predetermined path 304. The deviations are identified.

[0056] 4A-4B show a transformed navigation plane 40 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 4, the navigation plane 402 always aligns the predetermined path with the Y axis. Depict the transformation of the entity, so that the coarse absolute position is the transformed coarse absolute position of the entity. The floor alignment, similar to that in Figure 3B, is determined based on the transformed coarse absolute position. By improving only the Y value from the specified XY coordinates, the entity from the given path can be Factory floor alignment with the XY axis requires a simple step to increase the deviation of the For a general solution to eliminate the constraints on the Y axis, the analysis unit 112 may A given path (line segment) is rotated in a plane so that it is always aligned parallel to one of the axes. As depicted in FIG. 4A, (x,y) is a coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit. If the absolute coordinate set of the entity 200 provided by the unit 106 is Analysis unit 112 sets initial plane 402 as θ (the angle between the entity's direction and the Y axis). 404. The transformed coordinates of the entity 200 are (x t ,y t ), and x t According to the number 9, is given. [Number 9] JPEG2025013759000002.jpg12153

[0057] The deviation of the transformed plane 404 from the desired (ideal) path is x t Only a single essence Since it is dense, the analysis unit 112 receives from the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108 Based on the instantaneous relative position of the taken entity 200, refinement is applied to obtain the coordinates (x' t , y t ) is obtained as the starting coordinate for the given path. i ,y i ), the transformation x i Value x i t is given by the number 10. [Number 10] JPEG2025013759000003.jpg7153

[0058] After the transformation, the desired (ideal) path is parallel to the Y axis, and all values ​​of the desired path have the same value x i t The analysis unit 112 may include the information received from the relative position and orientation estimation unit 108. The refinement is performed based on the instantaneous relative position of the entity 200. t Applying this to equation (11), is given by x' t Get the. [Number 11] x' t = x i t - Δw (11) If the wall is to the right of entity 200's navigation direction, then x' t According to the formula 12, is given. [Number 12] x' t = x i t + Δw (12) If the wall is to the left of the navigation direction of entity 200, Δw is calculated as follows: 3, which is the deviation of an entity from a given path 304 derived using x i t is the transformed "x" value of the starting coordinate on the ideal path, and w is the width of the path. and d is the relative distance reported by multiple sensors from the side of entity 200 to the wall. is the distance and b is the width of the entity 200.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present specification, as depicted in FIG. 4B, the analysis unit 112: (x' t ,y t ), after rotation and translation, the plane is set as the navigation plane 40 The analysis unit 112 rotates the azimuth direction back to the original orientation of 2. To obtain the precise absolute position (x', y') of the entity 200 in the motion plane 402, do.

[0060] [Number 13] JPEG2025013759000004.jpg10153

[0061] The precise absolute coordinates (x', y') are, for example, 10 cm maximum error, and are aligned along a predetermined path 304. The metric provides the exact absolute position of the entity 200 with respect to the metric.

[0062] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the analysis unit 112 is a relative position and orientation estimation unit. The relative orientation of the entity provided by the Since the transformed path in 404 is parallel to the Y axis, the transformed path is The heading of the road is 90 degrees. The converted heading shown in 404 using the relative heading of the entities is Refine the absolute orientation of the route taken and then rotate the plane to match the original orientation of the navigation plane 402. By converting it back to a heading, the absolute heading of the entity in the navigation plane 402 is , is obtained. Using this absolute orientation, the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit (106) The weighted combination with the provided coarse absolute orientation is derived by an analysis unit (112). The weighting provides the final precise absolute orientation of the entity being served. Identification from the orientation estimation unit 108 and the coarse absolute position and orientation estimation unit (106) The accuracy is determined based on the accuracy provided by the relative inputs.

[0063] FIG. 5 illustrates a method for detecting a predetermined frequency using the system 102 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Find precise absolute position and precise absolute heading of an entity by number / interval and navigate A process for facilitating navigation of an entity 200 along a predetermined path in space. 5 is a flow diagram showing the process of navigating entities. The navigation is initiated along a predetermined path in the navigation space. At least one of the coarse absolute position and the coarse absolute orientation of the entity A first set of sensors is selected from among a plurality of sensors arranged at a first plurality of positions on the In step 506, the location of the entity is determined based on the location data captured by the At least one of the plurality of relative positions and the plurality of relative orientations is based on a second plurality of relative positions and orientations on the entity. The data captured from a second diverse set of sensors from among the multiple sensors disposed at the location is Based on the data set, a coarse absolute position is determined for the given path. Based on the position and navigation map, a predetermined route is selected from a plurality of relative positions and relative orientations. Select at least one of the relative position and the relative orientation of the entity with respect to the path. In step 510, the precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation of the entity are determined by the navigation system. A coarse absolute position based on the relative position and a coarse absolute direction based on the relative orientation are calculated using a map. The navigation map uses map data and historical navigation to determine the position of the vehicle. In step 512, the navigation data is used as the basis for the machine learning model. If the destination is reached, in step 514, Navigation is stopped. If the destination is not reached, steps 504 to 512 are repeated. Repeated.

[0064] FIG. 6 illustrates a typical navigation scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. When an entity traverses from point A to point D, the entity Navigate through the various sections of the The relative positions of the entities are provided by the respective sections of the layout, The navigation map provides a context and attributes for the navigation. For example, when an entity navigates through section AB, the relative position is The lane markings ( 604) provides a representation of the relative position of an entity with respect to the lane lines. To navigate through the CD, the adjacent wall on the right (606) is It is used to find the relative position of a given navigation section's context. Based on the test, seamless switchover between sensors during navigation is Supported by the application map.

[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates a precise representation of an entity's absolute position and orientation, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Illustrates the improvements provided by the present invention with the ability to reliably navigate and successfully reach goals. For a given navigation, precise absolute position (7 A comparison of the trajectory between the absolute position (704) and the coarse absolute position (702) is shown in FIG. Clearly demonstrate consistency.

[0066] FIG. 8 illustrates a proximity sensor forming part of a second diverse sensor set, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a method for finding the relative orientation of an entity using a proximity sensing device. According to an embodiment further described in conjunction with FIGS. 4A-4B, the navigation plane 402 is rotated to align the predetermined path parallel to the Y axis. At 4, distance measurements provided by the proximity sensors 802a-c are used to The slope of the line connecting ac can be obtained in the transformed plane 404. By rotating the line back to the navigation plane 402, the line's slope undergoes a similar rotation. The corrected slope of this line is the absolute value of the entity in the navigation plane 402. The fine absolute orientation of the entity (200) is given by the coarse absolute It is obtained as a weighted combination of the orientation and an intermediate representation of the entity's absolute orientation.

[0067] The present invention relates to a method for navigating an entity along a predetermined path in a navigation space. Various embodiments of the navigation system and process provide absolute positioning. The system and one such embodiment that is wireless technology (Local Positioning System The instantaneous accuracy of absolute position is obtained using a combination of the real-time ... This technology can refer to either short-term or long-term historical data and calculate the location. The need for a training phase that generates arbitrary templates for future comparisons without the need for judgment Furthermore, this technology does not allow data from multiple sensors to be collected without reference to historical data. Since the two points are captured simultaneously and reach an instantaneous absolute position representation, the quality of the absolute position remains the same. ,Due to the dependency on the recency of old data, it does not degrade during any time interval and The relative position is also independent of a fixed reference on the floor. Therefore, dynamic changes in the position of the fixed reference are The vulnerabilities associated with the introduction of new navigation paths, Planned changes such as demolition of existing walls, construction of new walls, etc. will be maintained with respect to location. In any case, the unique floor map can be updated to the one that is used for navigation. Planned changes, such as changing paths, modifying layouts to destroy walls, etc. It eliminates the dependency on any dynamically changing scenarios on the floor unless The present invention provides a cost-effective system and process that provides high accuracy.

[0068] In addition, the present technique uses coarse absolute positions and specific features in the navigation space. The unique combination of relative positions extracted from the various sensors is used to calculate the accurate absolute position. The precise absolute position and precise absolute coordinates of the entity in the navigation space are realized. This technology also allows for better accuracy compared to existing techniques. Context-based navigation supported by a unique navigation map that provides This technology enables seamless switchover between sensors during navigation. Reliable navigation of entities using precise absolute position and precise absolute orientation , thus minimizing deviations from the ideal path and reaching the target accurately.

[0069] The foregoing description of specific embodiments fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein. Others can apply their current knowledge without deviating from the superordinate concept. The specific embodiments may be easily modified and / or adapted for various applications. and therefore, such adaptations and modifications are within the meaning and range of equivalence of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood and intended that the language or terminology employed herein be understood as being in accordance with the following description. It should be understood that the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. The embodiments are described in terms of preferred embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to practice the present disclosure. It will be recognized that the embodiments can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Let's do it.

[0070] While the embodiments herein have been described in various specific embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that It will be apparent that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modifications.

Claims

1. 1. A method for providing one of a precise absolute position and a precise absolute orientation of an entity at a predefined frequency / interval to facilitate navigation of said entity along a predetermined path in a navigation space, comprising: a) initiating navigation of the entity along the predetermined path in the navigation space (502); b) determining 504 at least one of a coarse absolute position and a coarse absolute orientation of the entity based on position data sets captured by a first set of sensors from among a plurality of sensors positioned at a first plurality of locations on the entity; c) determining (506) at least one of a plurality of relative positions and relative orientations of the entity relative to the predetermined path based on data sets acquired from a second set of sensors from the plurality of sensors positioned at a second plurality of locations on the entity; d) selecting (508) from the plurality of relative positions and relative orientations at least one of a relative position and a relative orientation of the entity relative to the predetermined path based on the coarse absolute position and the navigation map; e) determining 510 the precise absolute position and the precise absolute heading of the entity by using the navigation map to fine-tune the coarse absolute position based on a selected relative position and the coarse absolute heading based on a selected relative heading, wherein the navigation map is generated and updated based on map data and a machine learning model based on historical navigation data; f) verifying whether the destination is reached (512); g) i) if the destination is not reached, repeating steps b) to f); ii) stopping navigation of the entity upon reaching the destination (514); A method comprising:

2. A method as described in claim 1, comprising a step of selecting the relative position and the relative orientation from among a plurality of inputs from a relative position and orientation estimation unit, the plurality of inputs being derived by the relative position and orientation unit using the second set of sensors, and the particular input to be used being selected by the navigation map based on the coarse absolute position of the entity.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising: selecting and using the relative position and the relative orientation from a plurality of inputs from the relative position and orientation estimation unit while navigating through different sections of a navigation layout comprising a plurality of line segments or a single line segment having mutually different physical attributes, the selection being guided by the navigation map based on the coarse absolute position of the entity, the navigation map providing the physical attributes associated with each such line segment, the physical attributes being the presence of walls and lane markings adjacent to a navigation route.

Images