Vehicle Positioning Using Visual Reference Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining a vehicle's position in a defined region, such as warehouses, face challenges including high installation and maintenance costs, inaccuracies due to environmental similarities, and the need for extensive marker installations, which limit their effectiveness, especially in external environments and large storage depots.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that create a digital map with unique stationary and temporary reference features, allowing for continuous absolute position determination using imaging sensors, eliminating the need for relative movement calculations and reducing installation costs by utilizing existing features like markings and goods items with identifying features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laser radar scanning is used to determine vehicle position, then position can be determined in environments with measurable contours, but identical objects cannot be uniquely identified and position determination fails in environments with similar structures or empty spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual markers with distinct color patterns and identifying features that can be uniquely recognized by imaging sensors. These markers use color and pattern variations to enable unique identification even in environments with identical structural elements, resolving the limitation where laser scanning cannot distinguish between similar objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces laser radar scanning with imaging sensor-based visual recognition. Instead of using laser ranging to measure distances to contours, the system uses cameras to capture and recognize visual markers, providing more reliable position determination in environments with identical or similar structures.
2Reliability
If ceiling-mounted position markers are installed to enable continuous position registration, then position can be determined at all locations, but installation costs become extremely high particularly in large storage depots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the position determination function between stationary visual markers (which can be placed sparsely on walls, floors, or ceilings) and mobile imaging sensors on vehicles. This reduces the total number of markers needed compared to ceiling-mounted systems, lowering installation costs while maintaining continuous position registration through the vehicle's own imaging sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables vehicles to determine their own position using onboard imaging sensors that capture and recognize visual markers in their environment. Each vehicle performs self-positioning without requiring external infrastructure like ceiling-mounted cameras, reducing overall system installation costs while maintaining reliable continuous tracking.
3Productivity
If dead reckoning navigation is used to determine vehicle position, then relative movement can be tracked, but absolute position determination becomes inaccurate over time due to accumulation of errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual markers as fixed reference points that provide feedback for correcting accumulated positioning errors. The onboard imaging sensors continuously recognize these markers to determine absolute position, which corrects drift from dead reckoning navigation, maintaining both continuous tracking and high absolute position accuracy over time.
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 approach provides a robust and accurate position determination system that can operate in both indoor and outdoor environments with reduced costs and complexity, enabling continuous tracking without relying on pure relative movement calculations.
Implementation Method 1
wherein moreover a digital image of a portion of the defined region is recorded by the vehicle, and in the digital image reference features are detected and optionally identified
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a method and a system for purposes of registering the position of a vehicle (1) in a defined region (3), wherein a digital map of the defined region (3) is created, having a defined coordinates system, wherein the digital map includes stationary reference features (T1) with a unique identifying feature, before digital images are recorded of at least a sub-region of the defined region (3), preferably of the whole defined region (3), for purposes of registering and detecting further reference features (T1, T2, T3), wherein stationary and/or temporary reference features (T2, T3) without unique identifying features are also registered and detected, and are added to the digital map and/or an associated buffer store, so that the absolute position of the vehicle (1) in the defined region (3) can subsequently be determined, in that a digital image of a portion of the defined region (3) is recorded by the vehicle (1), and in the digital image reference features (T1, T2, T3) are detected and optionally identified, wherein the determination of absolute position is undertaken on the basis of the stationary and/or temporary reference features (T1, T2, T3) that have been detected and optionally identified.