Freight Vehicle Positioning Using Overhead Depth Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the dimensions of moving freight using three-dimensional point clouds are inefficient, leading to delays due to the need to separate the freight-moving vehicle from the freight and determine dimensions separately.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing multiple depth sensors positioned on a freight-moving vehicle to receive depth values from an overhead surface, determining the vehicle's position and orientation by querying a lookup table, and isolating the geometric shape of the freight to calculate its dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the freight-moving vehicle is separated from the freight to determine dimensions separately, then the measurement precision of freight dimensions is improved, but the productivity of freight moving is reduced due to delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vehicle positioning function and freight dimension measurement function into a single integrated system. Depth sensors on the vehicle simultaneously capture data for both vehicle location determination and freight dimension calculation, eliminating the need for separate measurement processes and maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calibration by storing depth values at known vehicle positions in a lookup table before actual measurement. This pre-established reference data enables rapid dimension calculation during freight moving without requiring real-time complex computations, thus maintaining both precision and speed.
2Measurement precision
If multiple depth sensors are used to determine vehicle position and orientation, then the measurement precision of vehicle location is improved, but the device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical depth sensor system through software processing. Multiple depth sensor readings are processed algorithmically to reconstruct vehicle position and orientation, replacing complex hardware positioning mechanisms with computational geometry and lookup table queries.
Solution Approach 2:
The lookup table serves as an intermediary between the raw depth sensor data and the final position/orientation determination. Instead of directly computing complex spatial relationships, the system uses the lookup table to map depth values to pre-calculated vehicle positions, simplifying the processing architecture.
3Measurement precision
If the geometric shape of freight is isolated from the collective shape of vehicle and freight, then the measurement precision of freight dimensions is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the point cloud data into vehicle portion and freight portion based on the determined vehicle position and orientation. By establishing a reference frame from vehicle depth sensor data, the system automatically separates freight geometric features from vehicle features, enabling precise freight dimension measurement even for irregularly shaped loads.
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
Enables high-precision locationing and dimensioning of freight in motion, reducing delays by accurately determining the position and orientation of the freight-moving vehicle and isolating its geometric shape from the collective shape of the vehicle and freight.
Implementation Method 1
receiving multiple depth values that correspond respectively to depth readings from multiple depth sensors positioned on a freight-moving vehicle... each of the multiple depth values is representative of a distance between a respective one of the depth sensors and a respective different portion of the overhead surface
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are methods and systems for high-precision locationing with depth values. One embodiment takes the form of a method that includes: receiving multiple depth values that correspond respectively to depth readings from multiple depth sensors positioned on a freight-moving vehicle and oriented towards an overhead surface, wherein different portions of the overhead surface are positioned at different heights above a floor surface, determining a position and orientation of the freight-moving vehicle at least in part by querying a lookup table using the received multiple depth values, wherein the lookup table maps respective heights of the respective different portions of the overhead surface to known positions of the different portions of the overhead surface; and outputting the determined position and orientation of the freight-moving vehicle.