Electronic device and method for identifying ground surface in time-varying point clouds for three-dimensional space

Abstract

The electronic device of the present invention includes a communication circuit communicatively connected with a sensing device, an input device, one or more processors, and one or more memories, wherein the one or more memories are configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to acquire a time-varying point cloud for a three-dimensional space from the sensing device, generate a grid covering the three-dimensional space and including a plurality of cells, select at least one cell from the plurality of cells using the input device that includes a ground surface, determine a height value for each of the at least one cell based on the point cloud, determine a height value for each of the remaining cells of the plurality of cells except for the at least one cell based on the height value of the at least one cell, and identify the ground surface based on the height values ​​of each of the plurality of cells.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for identifying ground surfaces in a time-series point cloud for three-dimensional space. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, technology that uses 3D sensors to sense three-dimensional space and generate data about the three-dimensional space based on this sensing has been used in various industrial technology fields. One type of 3D sensor, the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor, emits light toward an object in three-dimensional space and receives the reflected light to obtain information about the three-dimensional space. For example, a LiDAR sensor can sense the distance to an object in three-dimensional space and various physical properties, making it useful for autonomous driving technology.

[0003] Since there is a physical limit to the sensing area that one sensing device can sense, multiple sensing devices must be appropriately arranged for a large space. Based on the data received from multiple sensing devices, information about a large space can be obtained. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention aims to identify a ground area in a point cloud by using a method for generating grid-based ground information.

[0005] According to the present invention, the ground corresponding to the static object area is identified and the static point cloud corresponding to the ground is excluded from the calculation, thereby reducing errors and improving calculation efficiency.

[0006] The present invention aims to accurately identify the ground surface in a 3D point cloud without a pre-mapping process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electronic device according to the present invention includes a communication circuit communicatively connected with a sensing device, an input device, one or more processors, and one or more memories, wherein the one or more memories store instructions configured, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to acquire a time-varying point cloud for a three-dimensional space from the sensing device, generate a grid covering the three-dimensional space and including a plurality of cells, select at least one cell from the plurality of cells using the input device that includes a ground surface, determine a height value for each of the at least one cell based on the point cloud, determine a height value for each of the remaining cells from the plurality of cells excluding the at least one cell based on the height value of each of the at least one cell, and identify the ground surface based on the height values ​​of each of the plurality of cells.

[0008] Each of the plurality of cells is a hexahedral cell having a width and a length of a predetermined length, and a height value determined based on the point cloud or user input.

[0009] The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to, for a first cell among the at least one cell, identify a point among a plurality of points included in the first cell that has the largest height value, and determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the first cell.

[0010] The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to receive, for a second cell of the at least one cell, a user input via the input device to select at least one point including the ground from among a plurality of points included in the second cell, and in response to receiving the user input, identify a point from the at least one point having a largest height value, and determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the second cell.

[0011] The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to receive, for a third cell among the at least one cell, a user input via the input device to input a height value for the third cell, and to determine a height value for the third cell in response to receiving the user input.

[0012] The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to determine a height value for each of the remaining cells by interpolation based on a height value for each of the at least one cell.

[0013] The instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to determine a region of the point cloud that is identified as the ground as a static object region, and to exclude from the calculation a static point cloud that corresponds to the static object region.

[0014] The display may further include a display, and the instructions may be configured to cause the display to display the at least one cell in a particular color in response to the one or more processors selecting the at least one cell.

[0015] The communication circuit is communicatively connected to a plurality of sensing devices, and the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to acquire, from the plurality of sensing devices, a plurality of time-series point clouds for the three-dimensional space, respectively, and to select, via the input device, one point cloud from the plurality of point clouds to identify the ground surface.

[0016] The present invention provides a method for identifying a ground surface using a time-series point cloud for a three-dimensional space of an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a time-series point cloud for the three-dimensional space from a sensing device; generating a grid covering the three-dimensional space and including a plurality of cells; selecting at least one cell from the plurality of cells using an input device, the cell including the ground surface; determining a height value for each of the at least one cell based on the point cloud; determining a height value for each of the remaining cells from the plurality of cells, excluding the at least one cell, based on the height value of the at least one cell; and identifying the ground surface based on the height values ​​of each of the plurality of cells.

[0017] Each of the plurality of cells is a hexahedral cell having a width and a length of a predetermined length, and a height value determined based on the point cloud or user input.

[0018] The operation of determining the height value of each of the at least one cell includes, for a first cell among the at least one cell, an operation of identifying a point having the largest height value among a plurality of points included in the first cell, and an operation of determining the height value of the identified point as the height value of the first cell.

[0019] The operation of determining a height value for each of the at least one cell includes an operation of receiving, for a second cell of the at least one cell, a user input by the input device to select at least one point including the ground from among a plurality of points included in the second cell; an operation of identifying a point having the largest height value from among the at least one point in response to receiving the user input; and an operation of determining the height value of the identified point as the height value of the second cell.

[0020] The operation of determining a height value for each of the at least one cell includes, for a third cell among the at least one cell, receiving a user input by the input device to input a height value for the third cell, and determining a height value for the third cell in response to receiving the user input.

[0021] The operation of determining height values ​​of each of the remaining cells, excluding the at least one cell, among the plurality of cells includes an operation of determining height values ​​of each of the remaining cells by interpolation based on the height values ​​of each of the at least one cell.

[0022] The method further includes determining the area of ​​the point cloud identified as the ground as a static object area, and excluding the static point cloud corresponding to the static object area from the calculation.

[0023] The method further includes, in response to selecting the at least one cell, displaying the at least one cell in a particular color by a display.

[0024] The method further includes an operation of acquiring a plurality of time-series point clouds for the three-dimensional space from a plurality of sensing devices, and an operation of selecting one point cloud from the plurality of point clouds to identify the ground surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] The present invention aims to identify a ground area in a point cloud. Specifically, the ground area can be identified in the point cloud using a method for generating grid-based ground information.

[0026] According to the present invention, by identifying the ground corresponding to a static object area and excluding static point clouds corresponding to the ground from calculation, errors can be reduced and calculation efficiency can be improved.

[0027] According to the present invention, the ground surface can be accurately identified in a 3D point cloud without a pre-mapping process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device and a sensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for sensing a three-dimensional space using multiple sensing devices according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an operational flowchart of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5a to 5f are screen shots of a program that provides various information about a three-dimensional space according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an operational flowchart of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention are illustrated for the purpose of explaining the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the scope of the rights of the present invention is the embodiments presented below, but is not limited to the specific description of these embodiments.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the meanings that are commonly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. All terms used in the present invention are selected for the purpose of more clearly describing the present invention, and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0031] As used herein, expressions such as "including," "comprises," "has," etc. should be understood as open-ended terms that include the possibility of including other embodiments, unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence in which the expression is included.

[0032] The singular expressions described in the present invention may include the plural meaning unless otherwise specified, and this also applies to the singular expressions described in the claims. The expressions "first", "second", etc. used in the present invention are used to distinguish between multiple elements, and do not limit the order or importance of the corresponding elements.

[0033] The term "module" as used herein refers to software or hardware components such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). However, "modules" are not limited to hardware and software. A "module" may also be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, "modules" include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processors, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided within components and "modules" may be combined into fewer components and "modules" or further separated into additional components and "modules."

[0034] As used herein, the expression "based on" is used to describe one or more factors that influence the decision, judgment, act, or behavior described in the phrase or sentence containing the expression, and does not exclude additional factors that influence the decision, judgment, act, or behavior.

[0035] In the present invention, when a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component can be directly coupled or connected to the other component, or can be coupled or connected via another component.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, in the following description of the embodiments, duplicated descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, omission of a description of a component does not mean that such a component is not included in a certain embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 10 includes an electronic device 110 and a plurality of sensing devices 120. The electronic device 110 is communicatively connected to the plurality of sensing devices 120 to transmit and receive various data. While this figure illustrates an example in which the plurality of sensing devices 120 is three (e.g., a first sensing device 120a, a second sensing device 120b, and a third sensing device 120c), the number of the plurality of sensing devices 120 is not limited thereto.

[0038] The sensing device 120 according to one embodiment is a device that acquires a point cloud as spatial information for a three-dimensional space. The sensing device 120 can acquire a point cloud for a three-dimensional space by emitting light into the three-dimensional space and receiving light reflected by an object. The sensing device 120 includes at least one sensor. A point cloud refers to a set cloud of multiple points spread in a three-dimensional space. A point cloud is also referred to as a set of points, a point group, or point cloud data. Unlike a two-dimensional image, a point cloud contains depth (z-axis) information, and is therefore data that enables three-dimensional modeling.

[0039] According to an embodiment, the sensing device 120 can acquire a time-series point cloud for a three-dimensional space. The sensing device 120 acquires a point cloud for a three-dimensional space by time or at predetermined time intervals (e.g., 0.1 seconds), thereby acquiring a time-series point cloud.

[0040] According to an embodiment, the sensing device 120 is installed indoors or outdoors at a location where it can sense a three-dimensional space. To monitor a wide three-dimensional space, a plurality of sensing devices 120 are installed in consideration of a sensing area corresponding to the range that sensors included in the sensing device can sense. For example, the plurality of sensing devices 120 are installed at regular intervals. For example, the plurality of sensing devices 120 may be disposed in a distributed manner at positions where they can sense the three-dimensional space in different directions. For example, the plurality of sensing devices 120 may be disposed in a distributed manner at positions where they can sense one area of ​​the three-dimensional space.

[0041] The sensing device 120 includes a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor as a 3D sensor that senses a three-dimensional space. A sensing device including a LiDAR sensor can acquire a volumetric point cloud for a three-dimensional space. The LiDAR sensor can sense the shape, size, and position of an object contained in the three-dimensional space. A multi-channel LiDAR sensor that can collect information about a three-dimensional space is suitable for fields where the shape, size, and volume of an object can be utilized.

[0042] The sensing device 120 may further include various types of sensors, such as a radar sensor, an infrared sensor, and a camera (image sensor). The sensing device 120 may include multiple sensors of the same type, or may use a combination of different types of sensors. The above types of sensors are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0043] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 110 is a server device that operates a service that provides 3D information about a 3D space. The electronic device 110 may be implemented using cloud computing technology. The electronic device 110 is communicatively connected to a plurality of sensing devices 120 and can acquire a point cloud about the 3D space from the plurality of sensing devices 120. The electronic device 110 provides a customer with 3D information about the 3D space using the point cloud acquired from the plurality of sensing devices 120. The customer can use the service using their terminal device (not shown). For example, the customer may install a plurality of sensing devices 120 at locations that can sense the 3D space they wish to monitor. The plurality of sensing devices 120 transmit the point cloud about the 3D space to the electronic device 110. The electronic device 110 models the 3D information about the 3D space using the point cloud acquired from the plurality of sensing devices 120. The electronic device 110 transmits the 3D information about the 3D space to the customer's terminal device. The customer can receive various services provided by the electronic device 110 through the customer's terminal device.

[0044] If the 3D space is composed of a flat ground, there is no problem, but if a 3D space with an uneven ground is assumed to be flat, objects located in the 3D space may be mistakenly recognized as existing below the ground or as floating above the ground. Therefore, it is important to accurately identify the ground in the point cloud.

[0045] In order to accurately identify the ground in a point cloud, the point cloud can generally be mapped to 3D map information based on 3D map information. For example, HD map information for 3D space (e.g., satellite information for 3D space) is acquired in advance, and the area corresponding to the ground can be accurately identified by mapping each point cloud to the corresponding map information. In this case, since 3D map information must be used to identify the ground, a large amount of computational resources are required for the mapping process. Furthermore, when 3D map information is used, a large amount of computational time is required to process the large amount of computation.

[0046] The present invention relates to a technology for identifying ground surfaces in a 3D point cloud without a pre-mapping process. A specific method for identifying ground surfaces will be described later.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device 110 and a sensing device 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2 , an electronic device 110 according to one embodiment includes one or more processors 111, one or more memories 113, a communication circuit 115, an input device 117, and a display 119. Some components of the electronic device 110 may be omitted or replaced. Additionally or generally, some components may be integrated or implemented as a single or multiple individual components. The term "processor 111" refers to a collection of one or more processors 111 unless otherwise indicated by the context. The term "memory 113" refers to a collection of one or more memories 113 unless otherwise indicated by the context. At least some components in the electronic device 110 may be connected to each other via a bus, a general purpose input / output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), or the like to exchange data and / or signals.

[0049] According to an embodiment, the processor 111 of the electronic device 110 may perform calculations and data processing related to control and / or communication of each component of the electronic device 110. The processor 111 may be operatively connected to, for example, the components of the electronic device 110. The processor 111 may store instructions or data received from other components of the electronic device 110 in the memory 113 of the electronic device 110, load and process the instructions or data stored in the memory 113, and store the resulting data back in the memory 113. The memory 113 may store instructions for the operation of the processor 111.

[0050] According to an embodiment, the memory 113 of the electronic device 110 can store various information. The memory 113 can store basic information about the plurality of sensing devices 120. The memory 113 can store a plurality of point clouds acquired from the plurality of sensing devices 120.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 115 of the electronic device 110 establishes a wired or wireless communication channel with an external device (e.g., multiple sensing devices 120) to transmit and receive various data to and from the external device. According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 115 includes at least one port for connecting to an external device via a wired cable for wired communication with the external device. The communication circuitry 115 communicates with the wired external device via the at least one port. According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 115 includes a cellular communication module and can be configured to connect to a cellular network (e.g., 3G, LTE, 5G, Wibro, or Wimax). According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 115 includes a short-range communication module and can transmit and receive data to and from the external device using short-range communication (e.g., but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or UWB).

[0052] In one embodiment, input device 117 of electronic device 110 can receive instructions or data from outside (e.g., a user) of electronic device 110 for use by components (e.g., processor 111) of electronic device 110. Input device 117 may include, for example, a mouse, a microphone, or a keyboard.

[0053] According to an embodiment, the display 119 of the electronic device 110 can display various screens under the control of the processor 111. The display 119 is, for example, a monitor. The display 119 can be implemented in various ways, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display 119, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM-OLED), and a plasma display panel (PDP). According to an embodiment, the display 119 can be implemented in the form of a touch sensor panel (TSP) that can recognize contact or proximity (e.g., hovering) of various external objects.

[0054] The sensing device 120 according to one embodiment includes a controller 121, a memory 123, a communication circuit 125, and at least one sensor 127. Some components of the sensing device 120 may be omitted or replaced. Additionally or generally, some components may be integrated or implemented as a single or multiple individual components. Unless otherwise indicated in the context, the term "sensor 127" refers to a collection of one or more sensors 127.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the controller 121 of the sensing device 120 may perform calculations and data processing related to control and / or communication of each component of the sensing device 120. The controller 121 may be operatively connected to, for example, the components of the sensing device 120. The controller 121 stores commands or data received from other components of the sensing device 120 in the memory 123 of the sensing device 120, loads and processes the commands or data stored in the memory 123, and stores the resulting data back in the memory 123. The memory 123 stores instructions for the operation of the sensing device 120. The controller 121 of the sensing device 120 executes a program installed in the sensing device 120. The controller 121 controls a processing module that executes a program for sensing a three-dimensional space.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the sensor 127 of the sensing device 120 is a sensor 127 for sensing a three-dimensional space. The sensor 127 includes a light-emitting unit that emits light into the three-dimensional space and a light-receiving unit that receives light reflected from an object. The sensor 127 may further include a dedicated controller 121 that acquires a point cloud for the three-dimensional space based on the intensity of the light received by the light-receiving unit. The sensor 127 may acquire a time-series (or time-dependent) point cloud for the three-dimensional space to track an object located in the three-dimensional space within the sensing area. The sensor 127 may be a lidar sensor, and may acquire data for a specific range of space, including a three-dimensional lidar sensor. The sensor 127 may further include various types of sensors, such as a radar sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera, depending on the environment.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 125 of the sensing device 120 can establish a wired or wireless communication channel with an external device (e.g., the electronic device 110) and transmit and receive various data to and from the external device. According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 125 includes at least one port for connecting to an external device via a wired cable for wired communication with the external device. The communication circuitry 125 can communicate with the wired external device via the at least one port. According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 125 includes a cellular communication module and can be configured to connect to a cellular network (e.g., 3G, LTE, 5G, Wibro, or Wimax). According to one embodiment, the communication circuitry 125 includes a short-range communication module and can transmit and receive data to and from the external device using short-range communication (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), UWB, etc., but is not limited thereto).

[0058] According to an embodiment, the sensor 127 of the sensing device 120 may further include a position sensor (e.g., a GPS sensor) in addition to the above-described LIDAR sensor. The sensing device 120 may also include a configuration for improving sensing performance depending on the installation environment of the sensing device 120. The controller 121 of the sensing device 120 according to an embodiment may execute one or more instructions stored in the memory 123 to operate the sensor 127 to acquire a point cloud for a three-dimensional space and transmit the point cloud for the three-dimensional space to the electronic device 110 via the communication circuit 125. The sensing device 120 may transmit information capable of identifying the sensing device 120 (e.g., ID information) along with the point cloud for the three-dimensional space.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the processor 111 of the electronic device 110 may generate 3D information for the 3D space by three-dimensionally modeling a structure of the 3D space based on the point clouds received from the plurality of sensing devices 120. The processor 111 may detect objects in the 3D space based on the point cloud for the 3D space and perform a series of operations to monitor the 3D space. The electronic device 110 may receive the point cloud for the 3D space from the sensing devices 120 and accurately identify the ground in the point cloud.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for sensing a three-dimensional space using multiple sensing devices 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 3 , according to an embodiment, multiple sensing devices 120 may be arranged at a certain distance apart to sense a three-dimensional space. While this figure illustrates the case where there are two multiple sensing devices 120, the number of multiple sensing devices 120 is not limited thereto. The first sensing device 120a may acquire a first point cloud for the three-dimensional space within the first sensing area 310a, and the second sensing device 120b may acquire a second point cloud for the three-dimensional space within the second sensing area 310b. The first sensing device 120a transfers the acquired first point cloud to the electronic device 110, and the second sensing device 120b transfers the acquired second point cloud to the electronic device 110. Depending on the type of sensor, the sensing devices 120 have a predetermined field of view angle and a sensing limit distance, which determine a sensing area for detecting objects in the three-dimensional space.

[0062] FIG. 4 is an operational flowchart of the electronic device 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to the operational flowchart 400, in operation 410, the processor 111 of the electronic device 110 according to an embodiment acquires a time-series point cloud for a three-dimensional space from the sensing device 120. The processor 111 receives the time-series point cloud for the three-dimensional space from the sensing device 120 via the communication circuit 115. The sensing device 120 acquires the time-series (time-dependent) point cloud for the three-dimensional space by continuously sensing the three-dimensional space using a sensor. The sensing device 120 transmits the time-series point cloud for the three-dimensional space to the electronic device 110, and the electronic device 110 can acquire the time-series point cloud for the three-dimensional space from the sensing device 120. FIG. 5a shows a screen 500 of a program that provides various information for a three-dimensional space 510. The three-dimensional space 510 is a space set as a region of interest. A time-series point cloud 520 for the three-dimensional space 510 is displayed on the screen 500.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the processor 111 can also acquire multiple time-series point clouds for a three-dimensional space from multiple sensing devices 120. In this case, the processor can select one point cloud from the multiple clouds using the input device 117 to identify the ground.

[0065] In one embodiment, the processor 111 generates a grid covering a three-dimensional space and including a plurality of cells in operation 420. The processor 111 can divide the three-dimensional space defined as a region of interest into a grid including a plurality of cells. FIG. 5b is a screen 500 of a program providing various information about a three-dimensional space 510. Specifically, FIG. 5b is a diagram showing a screen on which a grid including a plurality of cells 530 covering the three-dimensional space 510 is generated. As shown in FIG. 5b, a grid including a plurality of cells 530 covering the three-dimensional space 510 is generated. Each of the plurality of cells is a hexahedron having a horizontal value (e.g., x-axis length) and a vertical value (e.g., y-axis length) of a predetermined length, and a height value (e.g., z-axis length) determined based on the point cloud or user input. That is, for each of the plurality of cells, the horizontal value and vertical value have predetermined lengths, and the height value is determined based on the point cloud or user input. Each of the plurality of cells is represented by its own height value. The height value will be used later as information for identifying the ground.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the processor 111 may select at least one cell corresponding to the ground from the plurality of cells using the input device 117 in operation 430. For example, the user may select at least one cell by using a mouse to click or drag over the at least one cell corresponding to the ground from the plurality of cells. That is, the user may select at least one cell that the user believes to be the ground. FIG. 5c illustrates a screen 500 of a program providing various information about a three-dimensional space 510. Specifically, FIG. 5c illustrates a screen in which at least one cell 535 from the plurality of cells 530 is selected. The user may select at least one cell 535 corresponding to the ground from the plurality of cells 530 using the input device 117. According to an embodiment, in response to the selection of the at least one cell 535, the processor may display the selected at least one cell 535 in a specific color on the display 119. That is, the processor 111 may display the selected at least one cell in a specific color to distinguish it from other cells.

[0067] In one embodiment, the processor 111 may determine a height value for each of the at least one cell 535 based on the point cloud in Operation 440. For example, for a first cell among the at least one cell 535, the processor 111 may identify a point having the largest height value among multiple points included in the first cell and determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the first cell. For example, for a second cell among the at least one cell 535, the processor 111 may receive, via the input device 117, a user input for selecting at least one point corresponding to the ground among multiple points included in the second cell, and in response to receiving the user input, identify a point having the largest height value among the at least one point and determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the second cell. For example, for a third cell among the at least one cell 535, the processor 111 may receive, via the input device 117, a user input for inputting a height value for the third cell and determine the height value of the third cell in response to receiving the user input.

[0068] 5d shows a screen shot 500 of a program that provides various information about a three-dimensional space 510, specifically showing a state in which a height value has been determined for each of at least one selected cell 535. The processor 111 can determine the height value for each of the at least one cell 535 using one of the methods described above.

[0069] Returning to FIG. 4 again, in operation 450, the processor 111, according to one embodiment, may determine height values ​​of the remaining cells of the plurality of cells, excluding the at least one cell, based on the height value of the at least one cell. The processor 111 may determine height values ​​of the remaining cells using interpolation based on the height value of the at least one cell. That is, the processor 111 may use interpolation to estimate arbitrary height values ​​of cells adjacent to at least one cell whose height value has been determined. The processor 111 may determine (estimate) height values ​​of the remaining cells whose height values ​​have not been determined so that the contours of the ground are generated smoothly. FIG. 5e is a screen 500 of a program that provides various information about a three-dimensional space 510, specifically illustrating a state in which height values ​​of at least one selected cell 535 and the remaining unselected cells 536 have been determined. The processor 111 may determine all height values ​​of the plurality of cells by using interpolation to estimate arbitrary height values ​​of cells adjacent to at least one cell whose height value has been determined.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the processor 111 may identify the ground based on the height values ​​of each of the plurality of cells in operation 460. The processor 111 may identify the height value of each cell as the ground height. FIG. 5F is a screen shot 500 of a program that provides various information about a three-dimensional space 510, specifically illustrating a point cloud 550 included in a region of the point cloud identified as the ground. The processor 111 may accurately identify the ground based on the height values ​​of each of the plurality of cells. Thereafter, the processor 111 may determine the region of the point cloud identified as the ground as a static object region. The processor 111 may exclude static point clouds corresponding to the static object region from the calculation. As a result, the processor 111 may clearly distinguish between static object regions, such as the ground, and dynamic object regions, such as a person, and more efficiently monitor dynamic object regions.

[0071] 6 is an operational flowchart of the electronic device 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a specific method for operation 440 of FIG.

[0072] Referring to the operational flowchart 600, in operation 610, the processor 111 of the electronic device 110 according to an embodiment determines whether a first cell corresponding to the ground is selectable among at least one cell. The processor 111 may determine whether a ground information reference cell corresponding to the ground is selectable among at least one cell including the ground. For example, if the user determines that a first cell (ground information reference cell) corresponding to the ground exists, the user clicks (selects) an icon for selecting the first cell. In this case, the processor 111 may determine that the first cell corresponding to the ground is selectable. If the icon for selecting the first cell is not selected, the processor 111 may determine that the first cell is not selectable.

[0073] If the first cell is selectable, the process branches to operation 603 (operation 601—Yes), where the processor 111 may select the first cell from the at least one cell. The processor 111 may select the first cell based on user input selecting the first cell. In operation 605, the processor 111 according to one embodiment may identify the point having the largest height value from among the plurality of points included in the first cell. The processor 111 may identify the point having the largest height value from among the plurality of points included in the first cell. In operation 607, the processor 111 according to one embodiment may determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the first cell. That is, the processor 111 may determine the height value of the point having the largest height value from among the plurality of points included in the first cell as the height value of the first cell.

[0074] If the first cell cannot be selected, the process branches to operation 609 (operation 601-No), where the processor 111 can check whether at least one point corresponding to the ground can be selected. The processor 111 can check whether at least one point corresponding to the ground can be selected among the points included in the point cloud. For example, if the user determines that at least one point corresponding to the ground exists, the user clicks (selects) an icon for selecting the at least one point. In this case, the processor 111 can recognize that at least one point corresponding to the ground is in a selectable state. If the icon for selecting at least one point is not selected, the processor 111 can recognize that at least one point is in a non-selectable state.

[0075] If at least one point corresponding to the ground can be selected, the process branches to operation 611 (operation 609-Yes), and the processor 111 may select the at least one point included in the second cell. According to an embodiment, the processor 111 may confirm the point having the largest height value among the at least one point in operation 613. According to an embodiment, the processor 111 may determine the height value of the confirmed point as the height value of the second cell in operation 615. That is, the processor 111 may determine the height value of the point having the largest height value among the at least one point selected by the user among the multiple points included in the second cell as the height value of the second cell.

[0076] If at least one point corresponding to the ground cannot be selected, the process branches to operation 617 (operation 609—No), where the processor 111 may receive user input for selecting a third cell. For example, the user may select a third cell from among the multiple cells using an input device to directly input a height value for the third cell. In one embodiment, the processor 111 may receive user input for inputting a height value for the third cell in operation 619. In one embodiment, the processor 111 may determine a height value for the third cell in operation 621. The processor 111 determines the height value input by the user as the height value of the third cell.

[0077] Using the above-described method, a height value can be determined for each of at least one cell. The processor 111 can also accurately identify the ground in the point cloud. Furthermore, since the ground can be identified in the point cloud without a free mapping process, computational resources and computation time can be reduced.

[0078] Although the flowcharts may describe process steps, method steps, algorithms, etc., sequentially, such processes, methods, and algorithms may be configured to operate in any suitable order. That is, the steps of the processes, methods, and algorithms described in one embodiment of the present invention need not be performed in the order described in the present invention. Also, even if some steps are described as occurring asynchronously, in other embodiments, such steps may occur simultaneously. Furthermore, the illustration of a process shown in the drawings does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, nor does it imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps is essential to one or more of the embodiments of the present invention, or that the illustrated process is preferred.

[0079] While the technical features of the present invention have been described above using some embodiments and examples shown in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be made without departing from the technical scope of the present invention, as understood by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, such substitutions, modifications, and alterations are to be considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Although the above-described method has been described using specific embodiments, the method can also be embodied as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include all types of storage devices that store data readable by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc. Furthermore, computer-readable recording media can be distributed across computer systems connected via a network, allowing the computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. Furthermore, functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the above-described embodiments can be easily construed by programmers skilled in the art.

Claims

1. a communication circuit communicatively coupled to the sensing device; An input device; one or more processors; one or more memories; The one or more memories, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: acquiring a time-series point cloud in three-dimensional space from the sensing device; generating a grid covering the three-dimensional space and including a plurality of cells; selecting at least one cell including a ground surface from among the plurality of cells by the input device; determining a height value for each of the at least one cell based on the point cloud; determining height values ​​of the remaining cells of the plurality of cells excluding the at least one cell based on the height value of each of the at least one cell; an electronic device storing instructions configured to identify a ground surface based on the elevation values ​​of each of the plurality of cells;

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cells is a hexahedral cell having a width and a length of a predetermined length, and a height determined based on the point cloud or a user input.

3. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: For a first cell among the at least one cell, determining a point having a largest height value among a plurality of points included in the first cell; 3. The electronic device of claim 2, configured to determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the first cell.

4. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: receiving, by the input device, a user input for selecting, for a second cell of the at least one cell, at least one point including a ground surface from among a plurality of points included in the second cell; In response to receiving the user input, determining which of the at least one point has the greatest height value; 3. The electronic device of claim 2, configured to determine the height value of the identified point as the height value of the second cell.

5. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: receiving, for a third cell of the at least one cell, a user input by the input device to input a height value of the third cell; The electronic device of claim 2 , configured to determine a height value for the third cell in response to receiving the user input.

6. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: The electronic device according to claim 1 , configured to determine the height value of each of the remaining cells by interpolation based on the height value of each of the at least one cell.

7. The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: A region of the point cloud that is identified as the ground is determined as a static object region; The electronic device of claim 1 , configured to exclude static point clouds corresponding to the static object regions from the calculation.

8. further comprising a display; The instructions may cause the one or more processors to:

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display the at least one cell in a particular color in response to selecting the at least one cell.

9. the communication circuitry is in communication with a plurality of sensing devices; The instructions may cause the one or more processors to: acquiring a plurality of time-series point clouds for the three-dimensional space from the plurality of sensing devices, respectively; The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input device is configured to select one of the plurality of point clouds to identify the ground surface.

10. 1. A method for identifying a ground surface in a time-series point cloud for a three-dimensional space of an electronic device, comprising: acquiring a time-series point cloud for a three-dimensional space from a sensing device; generating a grid covering the three-dimensional space and including a plurality of cells; an operation of selecting, by an input device, at least one cell including a ground surface from among the plurality of cells; determining a height value for each of the at least one cell based on the point cloud; determining height values ​​of the remaining cells of the plurality of cells, excluding the at least one cell, based on the height value of the at least one cell; and identifying a ground surface based on the height values ​​of each of the plurality of cells.

11. 11. The method for identifying a ground surface according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of cells is a hexahedral cell having a width value and a length value of a predetermined length, and having a height value determined based on the point cloud or user input.

12. The act of determining a height value for each of the at least one cell includes: For a first cell among the at least one cell, determining a point having a largest height value among a plurality of points included in the first cell; and determining an elevation value of said identified point as an elevation value of said first cell.

13. The act of determining a height value for each of the at least one cell comprises: receiving, by the input device, a user input for selecting, for a second cell of the at least one cell, at least one point including the ground from among a plurality of points included in the second cell; In response to receiving the user input, identifying a point among the at least one point having a greatest height value; and determining an elevation value of said identified point as an elevation value of said second cell.

14. The act of determining a height value for each of the at least one cell includes: receiving, with respect to a third cell among the at least one cell, a user input for inputting a height value of the third cell by the input device; and determining a height value for the third cell in response to receiving the user input.

15. The operation of determining height values ​​of the remaining cells excluding the at least one cell among the plurality of cells includes:

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the act of determining a height value for each of the remaining cells by interpolation based on the height value for each of the at least one cell.

16. An operation of determining a region of the point cloud that is identified as the ground as a static object region; The method of claim 10 , further comprising: excluding static point clouds corresponding to the static object regions from the calculation.

17. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the act of displaying said at least one cell in a particular color by a display in response to selecting said at least one cell.

18. acquiring a plurality of time-series point clouds for the three-dimensional space from a plurality of sensing devices; The method of claim 10 , further comprising the operation of selecting one point cloud from the plurality of point clouds for identifying the ground surface.

Images