# US 11,029,701 B2 · Apparatus and method for navigation control

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- Number: US 11,029,701 B2
- Document ID: US11029701B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/549,329
- Filed: 2016-02-03
- Published: 2018-09-27
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-05
- Assignees: Grey Orange Pte. Ltd.
- Applicants: Grey Orange Pte. Ltd.
- Inventors: Akash Gupta; Wolfgang Kurt Hoeltgen; Samay Kohli; Gaurav Kejriwal; Srijan Choudhary; Tushar Agrawal; Swarnik
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029701B2

## CPC

- G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)}
- B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided}
- G01C 21/206: {specially adapted for indoor navigation}
- G05B 19/41895: {using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] (control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00)}
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0234: {using optical markers or beacons (optical beacons per se G01S1/70)}
- G05D 1/0236: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)}
- G05D 1/0261: {using magnetic plots}
- G05D 1/0291: {Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127)}
- G05D 1/0297: {by controlling means in a control room}
- G06Q 10/04: Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202)
- G06Q 10/0631: Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 10/0833: Tracking
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- B65G 43/00: Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
- B66F 9/0755: {Position control; Position detectors}
- G01G 19/08: for incorporation in vehicles
- G05B 2219/50393: Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle
- G05D 1/0272: {comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels (measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00)}
- G06K 19/06: characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
- G06K 19/06028: {using bar codes}
- G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding}
- G06K 19/0723: {the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs}
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Described herein are an apparatus and a method for controlling movement of a vehicle along a transportation path. The method includes receiving, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus, first marker information that is generated based on a first marker being detected by the vehicle, wherein the first marker being one of a plurality of markers located at predetermined positions. The circuitry further determines a second marker of the plurality of markers to which the vehicle is to be moved from the first marker and thereafter generates first control information to control movement of the vehicle from the first marker to the second marker based on the first marker information and pre-determined navigation information associated with the first marker, wherein the predetermined navigation information indicates the location of the second marker relative to the first marker. The circuitry further transmits the first control system station information to the vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing apparatus for controlling movement of a plurality of vehicles along transportation paths, the information processing apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with the plurality of vehicles; and
circuitry configured to:
(i) receive, from one of the plurality of vehicles via the communication interface, first marker information that is generated based on a first marker being detected by the one of the plurality of vehicles, the first marker being one of a plurality of markers located at predetermined positions,
(ii) determine a second marker of the plurality of markers to which the one of the plurality of vehicles is to be moved from the first marker,
(iii) generate first control information to control movement of the one of the plurality of vehicles from the first marker to the second marker based on the first marker information and predetermined navigation information associated with the first marker, the predetermined navigation information indicating the location of the second marker relative to the first marker, and
(iv) transmit, via the communication interface, the first control information to the one of the plurality of vehicles,
wherein a transportation path between the first marker and the second marker is divided into a plurality of path segments,
wherein upon the one of the plurality of vehicles reaching an end of a path segment of the plurality of path segments, the circuitry is further configured to receive, from the one of the plurality of vehicles, vehicle position feedback information recorded by the one of the plurality of vehicles as the one of the plurality of vehicles travels between segments of the plurality of segments, the vehicle position feedback information corresponding to a wheel counter of the one of the plurality of vehicles that keeps track of a number of rotations of the wheels of the one of the plurality of vehicles as the one of the plurality of vehicles travels between segments of the plurality of segments, and
wherein, based on the received vehicle position feedback information, the circuitry is further configured to (i) calculate control information to control the movement of the one of the plurality of vehicles at a start of a next path segment of the plurality of path segments and (ii) transmit the calculated control information to the one of the plurality of vehicles at a start of the next path segment of the plurality of path segments.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
receive, from the one of the plurality of vehicles via the communication interface, second marker information that is generated based on the second marker being detected by the one of the plurality of vehicles;
determine a third marker of the plurality of markers to which the one of the plurality of vehicles is to be moved from the second marker; and
generate second control information to control movement of the one of the plurality of vehicles from the second marker to the third marker based on the second marker information and the predetermined navigation information, the predetermined navigation information indicating the location of the third marker relative to the second marker.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the second marker neighbors the first marker, and
the predetermined navigation information indicates the relative location of each marker of the plurality of markers that neighbors the first marker.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first marker information includes a unique identifier extracted by the one of the plurality of vehicles from a machine readable pattern.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first marker information includes orientation information of the one of the plurality of vehicles with respect to the first marker and identification information associated with the first marker.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first marker information includes an image of the first marker that is captured by the one of the plurality of vehicles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
compute one of the transportation paths, the one of the transportation paths including a sequence of markers of the plurality of markers to be traversed by the one of the plurality of vehicles starting at a source marker and terminating at a destination marker.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
retrieve the predetermined navigation information from a marker map stored in a memory, the marker map including, for each of the plurality of markers, navigation information indicative of the location of at least one defined other marker of the plurality of markers relative to the respective one of the plurality of markers, the navigation information being usable to control movement of the one of the plurality of vehicles between the respective one of the plurality of markers and the at least one defined other marker.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The information processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the navigation information includes a displacement value corresponding to a distance between the respective one of the plurality of markers and the at least one defined other marker of the plurality of markers, and a bearing angle value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The information processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the marker map includes a plurality of keys, each key of the plurality of keys corresponding to one of the plurality of markers and including:
a first data field that stores identification information when a vehicle is disposed on the corresponding marker,
a second data field that stores reservation information of the corresponding marker,
a third data field that stores information corresponding to neighboring markers of the corresponding marker, the neighboring markers including at least one of a marker that is deployed in a north direction, a south direction, an east direction, and a west direction from the marker,
a fourth data field that stores a distance of the corresponding marker to each of the neighboring markers, the distance being used to determine a cost incurred by the vehicle in travelling from the corresponding marker to the corresponding neighboring marker, and
a fifth data field that indicates whether the vehicle can deploy a goods rack at the marker.

### Claim 11

A vehicle comprising:
circuitry configured to:
(i) detect a first marker of a plurality of markers located at predetermined positions,
(ii) generate first marker information based on the detected first marker,
(iii) transmit the generated first marker information to an information processing apparatus that is configured to control movement of a plurality of vehicles,
(iv) receive first control information from the information processing apparatus, the first control information being generated by the information processing apparatus based on the first marker information and predetermined navigation information in response to the first marker information, and
(v) cause the vehicle to move to a second marker of the plurality of markers based on the first control information, wherein the predetermined navigation information indicates the location of the second marker relative to the first marker,
wherein a transportation path between the first marker and the second marker is divided into a plurality of path segments,
wherein upon the vehicle reaching an end of a path segment of the plurality of path segments, the circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, vehicle position feedback information recorded by the vehicle as the vehicle travels between segments of the plurality of segments, the vehicle position feedback information corresponding to a wheel counter of the vehicle that keeps track of a number of rotations of the wheels of the vehicle as the vehicle travels between segments of the plurality of segments, and
wherein, based on the transmitted vehicle position feedback information, the circuitry is further configured to receive, from the information processing apparatus at a start of a next path segment of the plurality of path segments, control information calculated from the transmitted vehicle position feedback information to control the movement of the vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
detect the second marker;
generate second marker information based on the detected second marker;
transmit the generated second marker information to the information processing apparatus;
receive second control information from the information processing apparatus, the second control information being generated by the information processing apparatus based on the second marker information and the predetermined navigation information in response to the first marker information; and
cause the vehicle to move to a third marker of the plurality of markers, wherein the predetermined navigation information indicates the location of the third marker relative to the second marker.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein
the second marker neighbors the first marker, and
the predetermined navigation information indicates the relative location of each marker of the plurality of markers that neighbors the first marker.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein
the first marker is a machine readable pattern, and
the circuitry is further configured to extract a unique identifier from the machine readable pattern.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first marker information includes orientation information of the vehicle with respect to the first marker and identification information associated with the first marker.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first marker information includes an image of the first marker that is captured by the vehicle.

### Claim 17

A system, comprising:
an information processing apparatus for controlling movement of a plurality of vehicles, the information processing apparatus including
a communication interface configured to communicate with the plurality of vehicles; and
first circuitry configured to:
(i) receive, from a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles via the communication interface, first marker information that is generated based on a first marker being detected by the one of the plurality of vehicles, the first marker being one of a plurality of markers located at predetermined positions,
(ii) determine a second marker of the plurality of markers to which the vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is to be moved from the first marker,
(iii) generate first control information to control movement of the vehicle of the plurality of vehicles from the first marker to the second marker based on the first marker information and predetermined navigation information associated with the first marker, the predetermined navigation information indicating the location of the second marker relative to the first marker, and
(iv) transmit, via the communication interface, the first control information to the vehicle of the plurality of vehicles; and
the vehicle including second circuitry that is configured to:
(i) detect the first marker of the plurality of markers located at the predetermined positions,
(ii) generate the first marker information based on the detected first marker,
(iii) transmit the generated first marker information to the information processing apparatus,
(iv) receive the first control information from the information processing apparatus, and
(v) cause the vehicle to move to the second marker of the plurality of markers based on the first control information, wherein the predetermined navigation information indicates the location of the second marker relative to the first marker,
wherein a transportation path between the first marker and the second marker is divided into a plurality of path segments,
wherein upon the vehicle reaching an end of a path segment of the plurality of path segments, the first circuitry is further configured to receive, from the second circuitry, vehicle position feedback information recorded by the vehicle as the vehicle travels between segments of the plurality of segments, the vehicle position feedback information corresponding to a wheel counter of the vehicle that keeps track of a number of rotations of the wheels of the vehicle as the vehicle travels between segments of the plurality of segments, and
wherein, based on the received vehicle position feedback information, the first circuitry is further configured to (i) calculate control information to control the movement of the vehicle at a start of a next path segment of the plurality of path segments and (ii) transmit the calculated control information to the vehicle at a start of the next path segment of the plurality of path segments.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to reserve the second marker of the plurality of markers such that another vehicle cannot enter a reserved region including the second marker of the plurality of markers.