Object location using offset
OwnerKevin Macvittie, Brian Kausler +2inventors
InventorsKevin Macvittie, Brian Kausler, John S. McNeely, George S. Smith, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for locating an object of interest using offset. The object may be a mobile platform, or portion of same, associated with a vehicle, or a pavement segment or feature of or on a pavement segment on which the mobile platform is located. The vehicle includes first and second fixed points having a known offset from each other. An image sensor whose field of view includes the second fixed point and a portion of the mobile platform provides image data which is used with the known offset to calculate the precise location of the object of interest.
Claims20
A method for determining the location of at least a selected portion of a mobile platform adjacent to a vehicle, comprising:
- (a) receiving, by a first data collection system, first location data from at least a first position sensor and a second position sensor located on a vehicle;
- (b) using the first location data to calculate a first location representing a first fixed point on the vehicle;
- (c) receiving, by a second data collection system, first image data from at least a first image sensor located on the vehicle whose field of view includes:
- i) a second fixed point on the vehicle which has a first known offset from the first fixed point, and
- ii) at least a first portion of a first mobile platform adjacent to the vehicle;
- and,
- (d) using the first location, the first known offset, and the first image data to calculate the location of the first portion of the first mobile platform.
A method for aligning a mobile platform attached to a vehicle with an object of interest, comprising:
- (a) receiving, by a first data collection system, first image data from a first image sensor located on the vehicle whose field of view includes:
- i) at least a first portion of a first mobile platform adjacent to the vehicle;
- and
- ii) a first object of interest located externally to both the vehicle and the first mobile platform;
- (b) using the first image data to calculate the actual location of the first object of interest in relation to the first portion of the first mobile platform;
- (c) comparing the actual location of the first object of interest in relation to the first portion of the first mobile platform to a desired location of the first object of interest in relation to the first portion of the first mobile platform to calculate the difference between the actual location and the desired location;
- and
- (d) if the difference between the actual location and the desired location exceeds a predetermined threshold, adjusting the position of at least one of the vehicle and the first mobile platform to decrease the difference between the actual location and the desired location until that difference is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.
A method for determining the location of at least a selected portion of a mobile platform adjacent to a vehicle, comprising:
- (a) receiving, by a first data collection system, first location data transmitted wirelessly from at least a first position sensor located on a vehicle;
- (b) receiving, by a second data collection system, second location data transmitted wirelessly from at least a second position sensor located on a first mobile platform attached to the vehicle and having a first known offset from a first selected portion of the first mobile platform;
- and,
- (c) processing the first location data, the second location data, and the first known offset to determine the location of the first selected portion of the first mobile platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.