Having Correction By Non-inertial Sensor Patents (Class 701/501)
  • Patent number: 11835342
    Abstract: Operations of the present disclosure include obtaining a first measure of velocity of a vehicle based on a plurality of locations determined for the vehicle. The operations also include obtaining, based on IMU measurements of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the vehicle, a second measure of velocity of the vehicle. In addition, the operations include performing calibration of the IMU based on the first measure of velocity and the second measure of velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Di Zeng, Mengxi Wu
  • Patent number: 11815363
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a gyrometer (11) of an object (1) moving in an ambient magnetic field, the method being characterised in that it comprises the steps of: (a) Acquisition by the gyrometer (11) of a measured angular velocity, and by magnetic measuring means (20) secured to said object (1) of at least two components of the magnetic field; (b) Determination of values of at least one calibration parameter of the gyrometer (11) minimising a first expression defined by an estimated angular velocity of the object (1) and at least one first magnetic equation on the components of the magnetic field, the estimated angular velocity being a function of the measured angular velocity and of calibration parameters, and the at least one first magnetic equation assuming that the magnetic field is uniform and stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SYSNAV
    Inventors: David Vissiere, Mathieu Hillion, Hendrik Meier
  • Patent number: 11734846
    Abstract: An electronic device tracks its motion in an environment while building a three-dimensional visual representation of the environment that is used to correct drift in the tracked motion. A motion tracking module estimates poses of the electronic device based on feature descriptors corresponding to the visual appearance of spatial features of objects in the environment. A mapping module builds a three-dimensional visual representation of the environment based on a stored plurality of maps, and feature descriptors and estimated device poses received from the motion tracking module. The mapping module provides the three-dimensional visual representation of the environment to a localization module, which identifies correspondences between stored and observed feature descriptors. The localization module performs a loop closure by minimizing the discrepancies between matching feature descriptors to compute a localized pose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Esha Nerurkar, Simon Lynen, Sheng Zhao
  • Patent number: 11598638
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of enhancing a navigation solution about a device and a platform, wherein the mobility of the device may be constrained or unconstrained within the platform, and wherein the navigation solution is provided even in the absence of normal navigational information updates (such as, for example, GNSS). More specifically, the present method comprises utilizing measurements from sensors (e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers etc.) within the device to calculate and resolve the attitude of the device and the platform, and the attitude misalignment between the device and the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventors: Jacques Georgy, Zainab Syed, Christopher Goodall, Mohamed Atia, Aboelmagd Noureldin, Naser El-Sheimy
  • Patent number: 11415421
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inertial/video hybridisation device (2) intended to be mounted on a carrier (2), the device comprising: a camera (6) configured to acquire a first image showing a predetermined landmark (12) attached to the carrier (2), a processing unit (8) configured to estimate a velocity of the carrier (2) from the acquired first image, with a view to hybridising the estimated velocity with inertial data relating to the carrier (2) produced by an inertial unit (4), locating a position of the landmark (12) in the first acquired image, calculating a deviation between the located position and a reference position of the landmark (12), comparing the calculated deviation with a predetermined threshold, and signalling an alert when the calculated deviation is greater than the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE
    Inventor: Philippe Elie
  • Patent number: 11307081
    Abstract: A method determines the total mass of an automotive vehicle on the basis of data of a communication network and parameters of the vehicle, in which an estimation of the total laden mass (mv,est) of the vehicle, of the speed of the vehicle (vest) and of the slope of the road (?est) is determined at an instant (k) by applying the fundamental equation of dynamics and as a function of the values of the total mass of the vehicle, of the speed of the vehicle and of the slope of the road at a previous instant (k?1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Domenico Di Domenico, Alexandre Chasse, Guillaume Sabiron
  • Patent number: 11269347
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a partially autonomous or autonomous motor vehicle. A digital three-dimensional height model of an infrastructure interior which has at least one aisle that can be traversed by the motor vehicle can be provided by a data server device of the infrastructure for example. The height model describes a spatial situation within the infrastructure, and the topography of at least one section of a surface of a region of the infrastructure, said motor vehicle being located in the section, is detected by means of a sensor device of the motor vehicle. A controller of the motor vehicle generates a three-dimensional topographical map of the region by means of the height model using the ascertained topography. The controller ascertains the current position of the motor vehicle within the infrastructure using the result of the comparison, and the controller ascertains a route along the at least one aisle using the ascertained current position and the height model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Thomas Wiacker
  • Patent number: 11183081
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure present systems, devices, methods, and computer readable medium for contextual driver evaluation. The disclosed techniques allow for collecting trip data from various sensors integrated in a mobile device for a user. The techniques include segregating the trip motion data into one or more segments associated with one or more populations with distinct features and characteristics. The trip data can be processed to identify event and behavior features that can be used to evaluate a driver's abilities in a contextually appropriate way. The information for a plurality of drivers can be compared to score the driver's ability amount a plurality of drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Tourmaline Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Lloyd Pifko, Lukas Daniel Kuhn, Christoph Peter Stüber
  • Patent number: 11118867
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for determining a predicted impact point of a selected weapon and associated round based on stored ballistic information, provided elevation data, provided azimuth data, and provided position data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: John C. McNeil, Earl Clyde Cox, Makoto Ueno, Jon Andrew Ross
  • Patent number: 11042133
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of controlling a vehicle, comprising predicting a first parameter of a vehicle state at each of a plurality of points in time in dependence on a first parameter of a current vehicle state and a first model associated with the vehicle, predicting a second parameter of the vehicle state at each of the plurality of points in time in dependence on a second parameter of the current vehicle state, the predicted first parameter of the vehicle state and a second model associated with the vehicle, and determining one or more control inputs for the vehicle at each of the points in time in dependence on the predicted first and second parameters of the vehicle state at each of the plurality of points in time and desired first and second parameters of the vehicle state at each of the plurality of points in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventor: Juan Herrera
  • Patent number: 11015941
    Abstract: A method map matches probe data to a candidate road segment or node. Methods may include: searching for candidate road segments or nodes for each probe data point to be matched to, where searching for candidate road segments or nodes includes: searching within a predefined radius of each probe data point for road segments or nodes and in response to no road segments or nodes being found within the predefined radius of the respective probe data point, iteratively increasing the predefined radius and searching again until a predefined maximum radius is reached or at least two road segment candidates or node candidates are found; map matching each probe data point to a respective road segment candidate or node candidate based on the road segment candidate or node candidate found in the search; and generating a path based on the map matched probe data points from a respective probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
    Inventors: Qi Mao, Qin Chen, Sanjay Kumar Boddhu
  • Patent number: 10914587
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for correcting for time varying changes to a gyroscope incorporating a resonator and/or to an environment in which the gyroscope is located, and which affect the resonator. Free spectral range of the gyroscope, which varies with such changes, is determined and is used to correct at least one of gyroscope bias and scale factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Glen A. Sanders, Lee K. Strandjord, Tiequn Qiu, Marc Smiciklas, Norman Gerard Tarleton
  • Patent number: 10914585
    Abstract: A sensor includes an acceleration or magnetic field sensitive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator, configured to oscillate in at least a first normal mode and a second normal mode. The sensor further includes: a coarse readout circuit configured to drive the first normal mode, measure a motion of the first normal mode, and derive from the measured motion a coarse measurement of the true acceleration or true external magnetic field; and a fine readout circuit configured to drive the second normal mode, measure a motion of the second normal mode, and derive from the measured motion and the coarse measurement a measurement of the difference between the true acceleration or true external magnetic field and the coarse measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Logan D. Sorenson, Raviv Perahia, David T. Chang, Randall L. Kubena, Deborah J. Kirby, Hung Nguyen, Richard J. Joyce
  • Patent number: 10883831
    Abstract: A system is provided for improving performance of inertial sensing systems. The system uses dynamic stability compensation to adapt to the changing state of the inertial system such that the system remains ultra-responsive during dynamic events, while also exhibiting ultra stable output during subtle motions or rest conditions. The system uses a method that operates upon output data as it exits the component sensors but before it enters the sensor fusion that produces a final orientation. The method can be used with any sensor fusion algorithm to provide improved noise and stability performance in the output while having little to no impact upon responsiveness of that output during dynamic conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Yost Labs Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Yost
  • Patent number: 10465840
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for calibrating an image stabilization mechanism. One method includes a control system sending a command to thermally condition one or more sensors to a predetermined temperature. During thermal conditioning to the predetermined temperature, the control system sends a command to drive one or more motors of the image stabilization mechanism to cause movement of an imaging device coupled to the image stabilization mechanism. After thermal conditioning to the predetermined temperature, the control system sends a command to stop driving the one or more motors of the image stabilization mechanism to stop movement of the imaging device coupled to the image stabilization mechanism. After stopping the driving of the one or more motors, the control system sends a command to calibrate the one or more sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gubler, Pascal Gohl
  • Patent number: 10429408
    Abstract: A portable system for monitoring vehicle driving conditions is provided. The system may include a processor, an accelerometer unit, and a gyroscope unit. The processor may be configured to determine a primary axis of the vehicle based on acceleration data from the accelerometer unit and the angular rate of change data from the gyroscope unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: DANLAW INC.
    Inventor: Dale R. Greer
  • Patent number: 10404900
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus is provided. The photographing apparatus includes a photographing unit comprising a photographing sensor and a lens unit configured to focus image light onto the photographing sensor, a first driver configured to drive the photographing sensor to perform a first rotation about a first axis that is coincide with an optical axis of the lens unit, and a second driver configured to drive the photographing unit and the first driver to perform a second rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoon-seok Kang, Jae-kyu Shim, Bae-seok Lim, Woo-jong Cho, Bon-min Koo
  • Patent number: 10339639
    Abstract: A method and system of calibrating multispectral images from a camera on an aerial vehicle, the method including: capturing multispectral images of an area at a plurality of intervals with a multispectral imaging camera; simultaneously or at an arbitrary time capturing sunlight radiance data for each of the captured images; correlating the images with the sunlight radiance data; and calibrating the multispectral images based on the sunlight radiance data to normalize the multispectral images to one or more previous images of the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: John Randall Christ, Po-Chieh Hung
  • Patent number: 10337883
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate attitude estimation for a mobile structure. An attitude estimation system includes a logic device in communication with a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and/or a speed sensor. Sensor signals provided by the various sensors are used to determine an estimated absolute coordinate frame relative to the mobile structure, which can be referenced to the Earth's gravity. Angular velocities provided by the gyroscope are transformed to the estimated absolute coordinate frame and used to determine a stabilized attitude estimate for the mobile structure. The stabilized attitude estimate may be displayed to a user, used to calculate a heading or route for the mobile structure, and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: FLIR SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Johnson, Warwick Mills, Chris Yeomans, Paul Stokes
  • Patent number: 10113929
    Abstract: A compactor gathers GPS, orientation and wheel slip data to identify the location of a soft spot in a surface that is being compacted and to isolate the soft spot to a particular side of the compactor if the wheel slip data indicates that the soft spot is located beneath only one of the compactor wheels. The GPS, orientation and wheel slip data are displayed as location information to an operator and/or sent to a remote location to facilitate the fast and accurate repair of the soft spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Frelich, Kyle David Hendricks
  • Patent number: 9798326
    Abstract: An aquatic vessel comprising a control system for controlling the position of the vessel, the control system including one or more inputs for receiving real-time operational data in relation to flow conditions of the aquatic environment. The vessel has a dynamic positioning system and a navigational system connected to the dynamic positioning system, the navigational system comprising a data processing device and a plurality of motion sensors for continuously calculating the position, orientation and velocity of the vessel. Furthermore, a data processing device for generating data in relation to a plurality of possible failures of parts of the vessel is included, the data processing device being in communication with the control system which is thereby able to react in the event of an actual failure of a part of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventor: Richard Parkinson
  • Patent number: 9619144
    Abstract: Devices, methods and systems are provided for processing measurement data. An exemplary device includes a first module to provide data and an interrupt, a control module coupled to the first module to obtain the data from the first module and provide an indication after obtaining the data, and an interrupt control module coupled to the first module and the control module to notify the first module to clear the interrupt in response to the indication from the control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventor: Firoz Ahmed
  • Patent number: 9495018
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to computing technologies. In particular, aspects of the disclosure relate to mobile computing device technologies, such as systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for improving orientation data. In one embodiment, techniques are described for filtering data associated with a first sensor coupled to a computing device, by receiving a signal from the first sensor, detecting a change in a variability of a first signal parameter from a plurality of signal parameters from the signal, and adjusting, based at least in part on the detected change in the variability of the first signal parameter, at least one filter parameter of a filter used to filter a second signal parameter from the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Victor Kulik
  • Patent number: 9454245
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to computing technologies. In particular, aspects of the disclosure relate to mobile computing device technologies, such as systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for improving orientation data. In one embodiment, the orientation data is generated based on information synchronized to a common sensor input from a plurality of sensor inputs. In one implementation, the common sensor input is from a gyroscope. Furthermore, techniques are provided for improved and novel methods of presenting orientation data to an application layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Victor Kulik
  • Patent number: 9411053
    Abstract: A system and method for augmenting a GNSS/INS system by using a vision system is provided. The GNSS system generates GNSS location information and the INS system generates inertial location information. The vision system further generates vision system location information that is used as an input to an error correction module. The error correction module outputs inertial location adjustment information that is used to update the inertial system's location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: NovAtel Inc.
    Inventor: Kristian Morin
  • Patent number: 9360323
    Abstract: A method of computing an orientation of a mobile device in a vehicle includes collecting accelerometer data from the mobile device. The accelerometer data are subdivided into frames, each frame being a quantity of time in which a sample data point is taken. Statistics are calculated for each frame, including (i) a mean and (ii) a standard deviation of the magnitude of the acceleration vectors. Device usage delimiters, marking start and end points of a coherent block, are computed, the coherent block being consecutive frames in which the mobile device stays in the same orientation relative to the vehicle. A gravity vector is estimated using the statistics in coherent blocks. A nullspace is computed from the gravity vector, the nullspace being a plane orthogonal to the gravity vector. The accelerometer data is projected onto the nullspace, resulting in an estimated orientation of the mobile device in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Tourmaline Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard H. Grokop
  • Patent number: 9037407
    Abstract: A system for retrieving information about a position of an inertial computing device (ICD) for use in an application, which includes a network of local positioning docks (PDs), each capable of docking an ICD by restricting three dimensions of a physical position of the ICD near one of the PDs; a database capable of storing information about the positions of the PDs within the network; a calculator capable of determining, based on a position of a positioning dock (PD), the position of the ICD; and an application programming interface (API) connected to the database and capable of outputting the position of a PD to the ICD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: James Thompson
  • Publication number: 20150105943
    Abstract: Embodiments of a metrology device and a computer-implemented method generate survey data without touching the subsea objects being surveyed. The metrology device can include an inertial navigation system (INS) outputting position and orientation data of the metrology device; an aiding device positioned at a known distance and orientation with respect to the INS for collecting image data of the subsea objects; and a computer having one or more computer programs that use the image data to calculate measured velocity of the metrology device at first and second subsea objects to perform virtual zero velocity updates, and uses an apparent difference in the position of the first subsea object measured prior and subsequent to measuring the second subsea object to perform virtual position update.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Ziwen Wayne Liu, Charles William Tink
  • Patent number: 8989985
    Abstract: A vehicle-based positioning system (VBPS) for a vehicle traversing a guideway, the VBPS includes an inertial navigation system (INS) on-board the vehicle, wherein the INS is configured to detect inertial parameters of the vehicle while the vehicle traverses the guideway, the detected inertial parameters including roll, pitch and yaw of the vehicle. The VBPS includes a guideway database, wherein the guideway database is configured to store inertial parameters of the guideway at a plurality of locations along the guideway, the stored inertial parameters include roll, pitch and yaw of the guideway. The VBPS further includes a vital on-board controller (VOBC), the VOBC is configured to determine a position of the vehicle based on a comparison of the detected inertial parameters with the stored inertial parameters. The VOBC is configured to limit comparison of the inertial parameters with the stored inertial parameters based on a latest checkpoint passed by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Thales Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Ehsan Kimiagar, Firth Whitwam
  • Patent number: 8990014
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable storage media are presented for directional scaling of inertial path data to satisfy ranging constraints. The presented techniques take into account scaling confidence information. In addition to bounding potential scale corrections based on the reliability of the inertial path and the magnetic heading confidence, the techniques bound potential scale parameters based on constraints and solve for directional scale parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: TRX Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Funk, Dan Hakim, John Karvounis, Carole Teolis
  • Publication number: 20150073707
    Abstract: Systems and methods for comparing range data with evidence grids are provided. In certain embodiments, a system comprises an inertial measurement unit configured to provide inertial measurements; and a sensor configured to provide range detections based on scans of an environment containing the navigation system. The system further comprises a navigation processor configured to provide a navigation solution, wherein the navigation processor is coupled to receive the inertial measurements from the inertial measurement unit and the range measurements from the sensor, wherein computer readable instructions direct the navigation processor to identify a portion of an evidence grid based on the navigation solution; compare the range detections with the portion of the evidence grid; and calculate adjustments to the navigation solution based on the comparison of the range detections with the portion of the evidence grid to compensate for errors in the inertial measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Yunqian Ma, Gang Qian, John B. McKitterick
  • Publication number: 20150032300
    Abstract: Device for determining location information, primary references consolidated for an aircraft, comprising a chain for determining location information comprising means for measuring radionavigation data, suitable means for consolidating, suitable means for computing parameters and suitable means for consolidating the parameters. The device also comprises a chain for determining inertial primary references comprising means for measuring inertial data, suitable means for consolidating, suitable means for computing parameters and suitable means for consolidating the parameters. The device finally comprises a chain for determining anemo-barometric data comprising means for measuring anemo-barometric data, suitable means for consolidating the measured anemo-barometric data, suitable means for computing parameters, and suitable means for consolidating the reference parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: THALES
    Inventor: THALES
  • Patent number: 8935093
    Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and methods for improving satellite navigation by assessing the dynamic state of a platform for a satellite navigation receiver and using this data to improve navigation models and satellite tracking algorithms. The dynamic state of the receiver platform may be assessed using only accelerometer data, and does not require inertial navigation system integration. The accelerometers may not need to be very accurate and may not need to be aligned and/or accurately calibrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: CSR Technology Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Mangesh Chansarkar
  • Patent number: 8930138
    Abstract: An attitude determination system provided with North-finding capability, comprises: a) a stage consisting of a rotating platform provided with a high precision positioning controller; b) an Inertial Navigation System (INS) comprising inertial sensors, wherein said inertial sensors comprise gyroscopes and accelerometers, and wherein at least one gyroscope is of a precision suitable to find the direction of true North; and, c) a control unit for controlling input signals and output signals of the stage and the INS and combining the signals in order to provide attitude data of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Igal Kadosh, Nadav Katzman, Michael Naroditsky, Ofir Elya
  • Publication number: 20140379256
    Abstract: A mapping and positioning apparatus may include an IMU module for monitoring movement through an environment, a scanner module, and a control unit. The IMU module is configured to monitor movement on the basis of detecting steps taken by a transporter. The scanner module may be configured to employ laser scanning to determine distances to objects or boundaries in the environment as the transporter moves the apparatus through the environment. The control unit may be configured to receive data from at least the IMU module and the scanner module and make an environmental determination to classify the environment. The control unit may be configured to generate map data based on the data received from the IMU module and the scanner module. The control unit may be configured to adaptively adjust processing of the data received from the IMU module and the scanner module based on a classification of the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Jason A. Stipes, John C. Humphreys, Richard A. Startt
  • Publication number: 20140358434
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a peer-assisted dead reckoning (PA-DR). When a first mobile device has a much larger location error than a second mobile device, its location can be optimized from that of the second device. For the first device, its optimized location is equal to the sum of the location of the second device and the relative location between two devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicants: HANGZHOU HAICUN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.
    Inventors: GUOBIAO ZHANG, BRUCE BING WANG
  • Patent number: 8886394
    Abstract: Methods and systems for producing data describing states of a plurality of targets using a processor in a system having at least one onboard sensor. The method includes obtaining data from at least one onboard sensor and performing a first data fusion process on the obtained onboard sensor data to produce onboard sensor fused data. Data is also obtained from at least one off-board sensor, and a second, different data fusion process is performed on the obtained off-board sensor data and the onboard sensor fused data to produce target state data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: BAE Systems PLC
    Inventor: Colin Anthony Noonan
  • Patent number: 8880342
    Abstract: A moving body position detection system including an unit acquiring dead reckoning navigation information including a moving body direction; a unit identifying a moving body position based on the dead reckoning navigation information on the moving body; a unit predicting a predicted arrived position of the moving body after a predetermined interval from the position of the moving body based on the dead reckoning navigation information on the moving body; a unit calculating a difference direction angle between a direction from the position of the moving body to the predicted position and the direction of the moving body; a unit correcting the difference direction angle if it is equal to or larger than a threshold; and a unit updating the moving body position based on the difference direction angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Ando, Takuma Yagi
  • Patent number: 8880327
    Abstract: Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fernando Pedrazzoli Pazos, Jacques C. Van Belle
  • Patent number: 8862396
    Abstract: A positioning device including a movement measuring unit for measuring a relative positional change and a passing position calculation control unit for continuing measurement of the positional change of the movement measuring unit during movement, being given position data of any first point at the first point on a moving route excluding a start point, and determining position data of a point which has been passed before arrival at the first point on the basis of the given position data of the first point and data of the positional change continuously measured by the movement measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masao Sambongi
  • Patent number: 8860352
    Abstract: A method controls an operation of an actuator. A first control signal is determined to change a position of a moving element of the actuator according to a trajectory of the moving element. A second control signal is determined to compensate for a first component of an error of the operation due to uncertainty of a model of the actuator. A third control signal is determined to compensate for a second component of the error of the operation due to an external disturbance on the actuator. The operation of the actuator is controlled based on a combination of the first control signal, the second control signal, and the third control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Mouhacine Benosman, Gokhan Atinc
  • Patent number: 8855929
    Abstract: The initialization of an inertial navigation system is performed using information obtained from an image of an object. Positional and orientational information about the object in a global reference frame and positional and orientational information about the camera relative to the object are obtained from the image. Positional and orientational information for the camera in the global reference frame is determined along with a transformation matrix between inertial sensor reference frame and a navigation coordinate frame. The inertial navigation system is initialized using the positional and orientational information for the camera, the transformation matrix and the velocity of the camera when the object was imaged, i.e., zero. Using the initialized data with measurements from the inertial sensors the position of the mobile platform may be updated during navigation and provided, e.g., on a digital map. Inertial navigation errors may be corrected using information obtained from images of different objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Gengsheng Zhang, Lionel J. Garin
  • Patent number: 8825396
    Abstract: A quasi tightly coupled (QTC) aided INS (AINS) process has an inertial navigator system with a loosely-coupled AINS Kalman filter that constructs INS-GNSS position measurements, a GNSS position engine that computes a position fix from observables and an externally provided a priori position and position VCV matrix. An INS position seeding process in which the externally provided a priori position to the GNSS position engine is an antenna position computed from the INS position and attitude solution. An observable subspace constraint (OSC) process computes an OCS matrix that suppress the components of the GNSS position error due to a poor geometry in the GNSS position solution in the IG position measurement constructed by the AINS Kalman filter and that multiplies the OSC matrix and the IG position measurement and measurement model matrix to suppress uncorrected component of the GNSS position error in the IG position measurement and measurement model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Applanix Corporation
    Inventor: Bruno M. Scherzinger
  • Patent number: 8818722
    Abstract: A method includes generating current coarse edge count representation based on current fine grid representation of current section, correlating current edge quantity values of current coarse pixels with historical edge quantity values of historical coarse pixels of historical coarse edge count representation of environment, and identifying first subsection of historical coarse edge count representation with highest correlation to current coarse edge count representation. Each current coarse pixel in current coarse edge count representation represents current fine pixels from current fine grid representation. Fine grid representation of current section of environment is based on data from range and attitude sensor. Each current coarse pixel within current coarse edge count representation includes current edge quantity value that represents quantity of current fine pixels represented by current coarse pixel that include edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Elgersma, Yunqian Ma
  • Patent number: 8798925
    Abstract: An unambiguous heading direction is calculated to determine the forward/reverse state of a vehicle. A heading alignment error is determined at step 100, being the difference between a GNSS direction of motion and the unresolved IMU heading of the vehicle. The heading alignment error is adjusted by 180° to be within a predetermined range at step 200. The unresolved IMU heading of the vehicle 10 is adjusted using the heading alignment error to determine an ambiguous error corrected IMU heading at step 300. Step 400 determines whether the ambiguous error corrected IMU heading is substantially in the true direction of the nose of the vehicle. The unambiguous heading direction is calculated at step 500 by offsetting the ambiguous error corrected IMU heading by 180 degrees if the ambiguous error corrected IMU heading is substantially opposite the true direction of the nose the vehicle of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventor: William James Kellar
  • Patent number: 8756001
    Abstract: A navigation module and method for providing an INS/GNSS navigation solution for a moving platform is provided, comprising a receiver for receiving absolute navigational information from an external source (e.g., such as a satellite), means for obtaining speed or velocity information and an assembly of self-contained sensors capable of obtaining readings (e.g., such as relative or non-reference based navigational information) about the moving platform, and further comprising at least one processor, coupled to receive the output information from the receiver, sensor assembly and means for obtaining speed or velocity information, and operative to integrate the output information to produce a navigation solution. The at least one processor may operate to provide a navigation solution by using the speed or velocity information to decouple the actual motion of the platform from the readings of the sensor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Trusted Positioning Inc.
    Inventors: Jacques Georgy, Aboelmagd Noureldin
  • Patent number: 8751161
    Abstract: A method of determining a heading in the geographical North direction by means of an inertial sensor module having three rate gyro measurement axes and three accelerometer measurement axes, the method comprising the steps of: using data from the inertial sensor module in a North-seeking mode to obtain a first heading value; using data from the inertial sensor module in a gyro-compass mode to obtain a second heading value; and determining the heading in the North direction by using the first heading value and the second heading value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Sagem Defense Securite
    Inventor: Yves Becheret
  • Patent number: 8725413
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating location and motion of an object. An image of a ground surface is obtained and a first set of features is extracted from the image. A map database is searched for a second set of features that match the first set of features and a geo-location is retrieved from the map database, wherein the geo-location is associated with the second set of features. The location is estimated based on the retrieved geo-location. The motion of the object, such as distance travelled, path travelled and/or speed may be estimated in a similar manner by comparing the location of extracted features that are present in two or more images over a selected time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Kristopher C. Kozak, Marc C. Alban, Samuel E. Slocum
  • Patent number: 8725412
    Abstract: A positioning device includes a map data storing unit configured to store map data; autonomous sensors configured to detect behavior information of a moving object; an inertial positioning unit configured to detect an estimated position of the moving object by applying the behavior information detected by the autonomous sensors to positioning results obtained by an electronic navigation positioning unit such as a GPS; a planimetric feature detecting unit configured to detect a planimetric feature located around a road; a planimetric feature position identifying unit configured to identify a position of the planimetric feature; a planimetric feature reference positioning unit configured to estimate a planimetric feature estimated position of the moving object by using the position of the planimetric feature as a reference; and a position estimating unit configured to estimate a position of the moving object by applying the estimated position and the planimetric feature estimated position to a Kalman filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norimasa Kobori, Kazunori Kagawa
  • Publication number: 20140121963
    Abstract: A navigation system includes at least one inertial sensor configured to detect motion of the system and generate inertial data; at least one aiding device configured to generate aiding device measurement data; at least one processing unit configured to generate an un-smoothed navigation solution inclusive of navigation state variable error resets based on the inertial data and the aiding device measurement data; wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to sum the state variable error resets into a cumulative sum of the state variable error resets; wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to high pass filter the cumulative sum of the state variable error resets; and wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to subtract the high pass filtered cumulative sum of the state variable error resets from the un-smoothed navigation solution to generate a smoothed navigation solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Honeywell International Inc.