Patents by Inventor Ashley Alan Napier

Ashley Alan Napier has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9875557
    Abstract: A method and system for determining extrinsic calibration parameters for at least one pair of sensing devices mounted on transportable apparatus obtains (202) image data (110) representing images captured by an image generating sensing device (102) of the pair at a series of poses during motion through an environment (120) by transportable apparatus (100). The method obtains (202) data (112) representing a 3D point cloud based on data produced by a 2D LIDAR sensing device (104) of the pair. The method selects (204) an image captured by the image at a particular pose. The method generates (210) a laser reflectance image based on a portion of the point cloud corresponding to the pose. The method computes (212) a metric measuring alignment between the selected image and the corresponding laser reflectance image and uses (214) the metric to determine extrinsic calibration parameters for at least one of the sensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford
    Inventors: Ashley Alan Napier, Paul Michael Newman
  • Patent number: 9464894
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for localizing a vehicle along a route. The method comprises initially surveying the route to be traversed by the vehicle by creating a plurality of orthographic images of the route, at a plurality of locations along the route and subsequently passing the vehicle along the route while obtaining a current view of the route. The method further comprises resolving a pose of the vehicle relative to a survey trajectory by maximizing a relation between the orthographic images and the current view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Ashley Alan Napier, Paul Michael Newman
  • Publication number: 20150317781
    Abstract: A method and system for determining extrinsic calibration parameters for at least one pair of sensing devices mounted on transportable apparatus obtains (202) image data (110) representing images captured by an image generating sensing device (102) of the pair at a series of poses during motion through an environment (120) by transportable apparatus (100). The method obtains (202) data (112) representing a 3D point cloud based on data produced by a 2D LIDAR sensing device (104) of the pair. The method selects (204) an image captured by the image at a particular pose. The method generates (210) a laser reflectance image based on a portion of the point cloud corresponding to the pose. The method computes (212) a metric measuring alignment between the selected image and the corresponding laser reflectance image and uses (214) the metric to determine extrinsic calibration parameters for at least one of the sensing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: ASHLEY ALAN NAPIER, PAUL MICHAEL NEWMAN
  • Publication number: 20140249752
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for localizing a vehicle along a route. The method comprises initially surveying the route to be traversed by the vehicle by creating a plurality of orthographic images of the route, at a plurality of locations along the route and subsequently passing the vehicle along the route while obtaining a current view of the route. The method further comprises resolving a pose of the vehicle relative to a survey trajectory by maximising a relation between the orthographic images and the current view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Inventors: Ashley Alan Napier, Paul Michael Newman