Coded Light Docking for Autonomous Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional docking systems for autonomous vehicles, such as aerial drones and surface robots, face challenges with precision and efficiency due to reliance on environmental brightness, mechanical failures, and inaccurate direction guidance, leading to slow location determination and unnecessary movements.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a projector to emit a temporal light signal encoded with pixel coordinates, detected by light sensors and processed by an onboard computer to determine the vehicle's location and orientation, enabling precise guidance and docking through proportional-integral-derivative (PID) calculations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If conventional vision-based docking systems are used, then the system can determine location, but the determination speed is slow and it relies on environmental brightness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation determination speedVSAvoiddocking accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional vision-based optical systems with a coded light transmission system using LEDs and photodetectors. This substitution enables active illumination rather than passive environmental light detection, dramatically improving location determination speed while maintaining docking accuracy through coded signal processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of light detection from passive intensity measurement to active coded signal detection. By modulating LED lights with unique codes and detecting these codes with photodetectors, the system achieves faster location determination independent of environmental brightness conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If mechanical docking parts are used, then the docking structure is simple, but the system introduces points of mechanical failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedocking structure complexityVSAvoidsystem reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical docking components with optical sensing and electronic control systems. Photodetectors detect coded light signals to determine position, and microcontrollers execute docking algorithms, eliminating mechanical wear and failure points while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If complicated region relations are used for direction guidance, then the system can provide direction information, but the robot performs unnecessary sideways movements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedirection guidance capabilityVSAvoiddocking time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the docking area into distinct regions, each illuminated by LEDs with unique coded signals. The photodetector identifies which region it is in by detecting the coded light, providing direct directional guidance without requiring complex region relation calculations or unnecessary sideways movements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution allows for quick and accurate docking by determining the vehicle's angular position and distance to the projector, adjusting speed and orientation for smooth and precise alignment with charging contacts, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the docking process.

Implementation Method 1

a projector configured to project a temporal projector light signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight: Light

Implementation Method 2

the light sensor is configured to detect the temporal projector light signal and generate a sensor signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoelectric Effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9904283B2Systems and methods employing coded light to dock aerial drones, self-driving cars and surface robots

Publication Date: 2018.02.27 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

Precision docking is one of the most important tasks for drones and surface robots to charge themselves and load/unload packages. Without accurate docking, surface robots and drones will miss their charging pad or charging contacts and cannot automatically charge themselves for later tasks. Described is a system using coded light to guide the precision docking process for drones and ground robots. More specifically, the system uses projectors to project temporal identifiers for space partitioned by pixel projections. Different space partition gets a different identifier. By using a simple light sensor on a drone or a ground robot, the drone or the ground robot can know its precise location in the space and therefore knows where to move for a precise docking. Depending on docking precision requirement, the coded light precision may be adjusted by using projectors with different resolutions.