METHOD FOR DETERMINING COORDINATES OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

Method for determining coordinates of a vehicle (100), specifically using a sensor arrangement (202) arranged to acquire information in relation to an optical machine-readable tag (302) mounted in a surrounding of the vehicle (100). Furthermore, a location determining arrangement (200) and a corresponding computer program product.

Claims

1. A method for determining coordinates of a vehicle, the vehicle equipped with a location determining arrangement comprising a sensor arrangement and a control unit, the sensor arrangement provided at the vehicle with a predetermined relation to a vehicle reference position, the method comprising: determining, using the sensor arrangement and the control unit, at least one distance to an optical machine-readable tag, the optical machine-readable tag mounted in a surrounding of the vehicle at a fixed structure having a predetermined convex shape, determining, using the control unit, the shortest distance of the at least one distances to the optical machine-readable tag, determining, using the control unit, tag reference coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag based on an ID code associated with the optical machine-readable tag, and determining, using the control unit, the coordinates for the vehicle based on the tag reference coordinates, the shortest distance, the predetermined convex shape and the predetermined relation between the sensor arrangement and the vehicle reference position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: acquiring the ID code by scanning the optical machine-readable tag using the sensor arrangement.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, using the control unit, a relative angle between the sensor arrangement and the optical machine-readable tag for the shortest distance, acquiring a compass direction for the vehicle in relation to the vehicle reference position, and determining a vehicle orientation, at the determined vehicle coordinates, based on the relative angle and the compass direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a pulsed laser, and determining the plurality of distances comprises: forming a point cloud comprising a plurality of measurement points, and estimating an appeared shape of the optical machine-readable tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined convex shape of the fixed structure is circular.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the circular fixed structure has a predetermined radius.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the tag reference location for the optical machine-readable tag comprises acquiring information relating to geographical coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag and information relating to the predetermined convex shape for the fixed structure.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: acquiring the geographical coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag and the information relating to the predetermined convex shape for the fixed structure from a database.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the database is located onboard the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the database is located remotely from the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: relating the determined vehicle coordinate to a map of the surrounding of the vehicle.

12. A location determining arrangement for a vehicle, the location determining arrangement comprising a sensor arrangement and a control unit, the sensor arrangement provided at the vehicle with a predetermined relation to a vehicle reference position, wherein the location determining arrangement is adapted to: determine, using the sensor arrangement and the control unit, at least one distance to an optical machine-readable tag, the optical machine-readable tag mounted in a surrounding of the vehicle at a fixed structure having a predetermined convex shape, determine, using the control unit, the shortest distance of the at least one distance to the optical machine-readable tag, determine, using the control unit, tag reference coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag based on an ID code associated with the optical machine-readable tag, and determine, using the control unit, the coordinates for the vehicle based on the tag reference coordinates, the shortest distance, the predetermined convex shape and the predetermined relation between the sensor arrangement and the vehicle reference position.

13. The location determining arrangement of claim 12, wherein the location determining arrangement is further adapted to acquire the ID code by scanning the optical machine-readable tag using the sensor arrangement.

14. The location determining arrangement of claim 12, wherein the location determining arrangement is further adapted to: determine, using the control unit, a relative angle (α) between the sensor arrangement and the optical machine-readable tag for the shortest distance, and acquire a compass direction for the vehicle in relation to the vehicle reference position, and determine an orientation of the vehicle, at the determined vehicle coordinates, based on the relative angle (α) and the compass direction.

15. The location determining arrangement of claim 12, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a pulsed laser.

16. The location determining arrangement of claim 12, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a LiDAR system.

17. The location determining arrangement of claim 12, wherein the location determining arrangement is further adapted to relate the determined vehicle coordinates to a map of the surrounding of the vehicle.

18. The location determining arrangement of claim 17, wherein the location determining arrangement is further adapted to present the map at a user interface of the vehicle.

19-21. (canceled)

22. A location determining system, comprising: a location determining arrangement comprising: a sensor arrangement and a control unit, the sensor arrangement provided at a vehicle with a predetermined relation to a vehicle reference position, wherein the location determining arrangement is adapted to: determine, using the sensor arrangement and the control unit, at least one distance to an optical machine-readable tag, the optical machine-readable tag mounted in a surrounding of the vehicle at a fixed structure having a predetermined convex shape, determine, using the control unit, the shortest distance of the at least one distance to the optical machine-readable tag, determine, using the control unit, tag reference coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag based on an ID code associated with the optical machine-readable tag, and determine, using the control unit, the coordinates for the vehicle based on the tag reference coordinates, the shortest distance, the predetermined convex shape and the predetermined relation between the sensor arrangement and the vehicle reference position; and an optical machine-readable tag, wherein the optical machine-readable tag (302) is mounted in a surrounding of the vehicle at a fixed structure having a predetermined convex shape.

23. The location determining system of claim 22, wherein the fixed structure is at least one of a pole and a stake.

24. The location determining system of claim 22, wherein the optical machine-readable tag is provided as a repeating pattern.

25. The location determining system of claim 22, wherein the optical machine-readable tag is a barcode.

26. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure cited as examples.

[0030] In the drawings:

[0031] FIGS. 1A illustrates a wheel loader and 1B a truck in which the location determining arrangement according to the present disclosure may be incorporated;

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a conceptual location determining arrangement in accordance to a currently preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 3 is an exemplary illustration of an operational environment for the vehicle of FIG. 1A, where the vehicle acquires data from a plurality of optical machine-readable tag mounted on poles in a surrounding of the vehicle, and

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates the processing steps for performing the method according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the disclosure to the skilled addressee. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout.

[0036] Referring now to the drawings and to FIG. 1A in particular, there is depicted an exemplary vehicle, here illustrated as a wheel loader 100, in which a location determining arrangement 200 (as shown in FIG. 2) according to the present disclosure may be incorporated. The location determining arrangement 200 may of course be implemented, possibly in a slightly different way, in a truck 102 as shown in FIG. 1B, a car, a bus, etc.

[0037] The vehicle may for example be one of an electric or hybrid vehicle, or possibly a gas, gasoline or diesel vehicle. The vehicle comprises an electric machine (in case of being an electric or hybrid vehicle) or an engine (such as an internal combustion engine in case of being a gas, gasoline or diesel vehicle). The vehicle may further be manually operated, fully or semi-autonomous.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a conceptual and exemplary implementation of the location determining arrangement 200, comprising a control unit 204, such as an electronic control unit (ECU), for determining coordinates of e.g. any one of the vehicles 100, 102. The ECU 204 implements an interface for receiving data from a sensor arrangement 202, in FIG. 2 implemented as a LiDAR arrangement (as mentioned above), where the operation of a LiDAR is well known to the person skilled in the art. Such a LiDAR arrangement may for example be arranged at a roof portion of the vehicle 100, 102.

[0039] The location determining arrangement 200 of FIG. 2 further comprises a database 206, where the database 206 may be locally arranged (such as with the vehicle 100, 102), or remotely such as with a remotely arranged server arranged in a networked communication with the control unit 204.

[0040] For reference, the control unit 204 may for example be manifested as a general-purpose processor, an application specific processor, a circuit containing processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. The processor may be or include any number of hardware components for conducting data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in memory. The memory may be one or more devices for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating the various methods described in the present description. The memory may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. The memory may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities of the present description. According to an exemplary embodiment, any distributed or local memory device may be utilized with the systems and methods of this description. According to an exemplary embodiment the memory is communicably connected to the processor (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and includes computer code for executing one or more processes described herein.

[0041] With further reference to FIG. 3, as indicated above the location determining arrangement 200 is preferably arranged as a component of the vehicle, such as the wheel loader 100. In FIG. 3, the location determining arrangement 200 is arranged at an elevated portion of the wheel loader 100, such as at a roof portion of the wheel loader 100.

[0042] The wheel loader 100 is in FIG. 3 travelling along a path 310, such as along a road section within a mine. As mentioned above, within a mine there may in some situation be none or very limited possibility to rely on e.g. a global positioning system (GPS), due to the fact that satellite signal will not reach below ground and into the mine. Along the path 310 there are arranged a plurality of structures 304, each provided with an optical machine-readable tag 302, here provided as barcodes (being individual for each of the structures 304). The barcodes in FIG. 3 are arranged with the lines in a horizontal direction, resulting in that information comprised with the barcode may be acquired (optically read) using the sensor arrangement 202, independent on in which direction the wheel loader 100 is approaching the structures 304 with the optical machine-readable tag 302.

[0043] In FIG. 3 there are shown two types of structures 304, where on a left hand side of the wheel loader 100 the structures are poles (arranged between two lanes of the path 310), whereas on the right hand side the structure 304 is a “bulging surface” arranged at e.g. a wall of the mine. Furthermore, based on the use of a barcode as the optical machine-readable tag 302, it is in line with the present disclosure possible to include an individual ID code, embedded with the barcode. As shown in FIG. 3, the wheel loader 100 is provided with a vehicle reference position V.sub.ref, where the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref is defined as a set position at the vehicle having a predetermined relation to the sensor arrangement 202.

[0044] In line with the present disclosure, coordinates for the different structures 304 have been (as exactly as possible) determined at a previous point in time. The coordinates for each of the structures 304 have then been stored in e.g. the database 206 in association with the ID code for the specific structure 304.

[0045] Accordingly, during operation of the wheel loader 100, with reference also to FIG. 4, the wheel loader 100 will approach one of the structures 304 and using the sensor arrangement 202 and the control unit 204 identify the presence of the optical machine-readable tag 302. The sensor arrangement 202 and the control unit 204 then determines, S1, at least one distance (d.sub.1, d.sub.2, . . . , d.sub.n) to the optical machine-readable tag 302. In the illustration provided in FIG. 3, three distances are determined (d.sub.1, d.sub.2 and d.sub.3). It should however be understood that more than three distances may be determined, as well as in some situations only a single distance.

[0046] The control unit 304 then determines, S2, which of the distances is the shortest distance, and in the exemplary illustration as shown in FIG. 3 the distance d.sub.2 is determined to be the shortest distance, d.sub.short. The control unit 204 then determines, S3, tag reference coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag 302 based on an ID code associated with the optical machine-readable tag 302. In line with the illustration provided in FIG. 3, this is implemented by acquiring an individual ID code embedded with the barcode arranged at the structure 304. The control unit 204 then provides the individual ID code to the database 206, and in return receives the tag reference coordinates for the optical machine-readable tag 302 arranged at the structure 304, as well as a shape of the specific structure 304.

[0047] With the tag reference coordinates for the specific structure 304 at hand, in combination with the shortest distance d.sub.short and the information about the shape of the structure 304, the control unit 204 may determine, S4, the coordinates for the wheel loader 100. That is, there is by means of the present disclosure possible to form a relation between the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref and a known position associated with the specific structure 304, where the known position for the specific structure 304 preferably is a center point if the specific structure 304 is formed to have an at least partly circular shape.

[0048] The relation between the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref and a known position at the specific structure 304 preferably take into account not only the shortest distance between the sensor arrangement 202 and the optical machine-readable tag 302, but also a relative angle a between the two. The combination of (optionally) the relative angle a and the known radius (since the of the shape of the structure 304 is known) may then used for calculating how the known position of the structure 304 is related to the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref, as is further illustrated in FIG. 3, thereby relating the known position (coordinates) of the specific structure 304 to the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref.

[0049] It may in some embodiment be desirable to make use of the coordinates of the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref, for the wheel loader 100 to also determine the complete orientation of the wheel loader 100. As is exemplified in FIG. 3 it may be possible to also take into account a compass direction for the wheel loader 100 in relation to the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref, and relate the compass direction of the wheel loader 100 with the relative angle a between the sensor arrangement 202 and the optical machine-readable tag 302 for the shortest distance d.sub.short. Accordingly, using such an implementation it may be possible to determine coordinates for any position at the wheel loader 100 (as related to the vehicle reference position V.sub.ref.

[0050] The determined coordinates as well as the orientation of the wheel loader 100 may subsequently be used for navigation of the wheel loader 100. Using the exemplified LiDAR arrangement as the sensor arrangement 202, it may in line with the present disclosure be possible to at an in comparison high speed continuously determine the location of the wheel loader 100. For example, in some embodiments the LiDAR arrangement may sample up to 1.5 million data points per second. In a possible embodiment, the LiDAR arrangement may be provided as a rotating arrangement at the roof of the wheel loader 100, where the rotational speed is between 5-20 Hz, meaning that the same position may be scanned every ⅕.sup.th- 1/20.sup.th second. Accordingly, the update rate for the coordinates for the vehicle 100, 102 in relation to a specific optical machine-readable tag 302/structure 304 be as high as 5-20 times per second.

[0051] In summary, the present disclosure relates to a method for determining coordinates of a vehicle 100, specifically using a sensor arrangement 202 arranged to acquire information in relation to an optical machine-readable tag 302 mounted in a surrounding of the vehicle 100. The present disclosure also relates to a location determining arrangement 200 and to a corresponding computer program product.

[0052] In line with the present disclosure, by means of combining a distance to the optical machine-readable tag as well as the known shape of the structure, it is possible to determine an overall distance to e.g. a center of the structure, where coordinates for the center of the structure have been previously determined.

[0053] The present disclosure contemplates methods, devices and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor.

[0054] By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

[0055] Although the figures may show a specific order of method steps, the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. In addition, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision steps. Additionally, even though the disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplifying embodiments thereof, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art.

[0056] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled addressee in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. Furthermore, in the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.