Logistics operation environment mapping for autonomous vehicles
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorBala GANESH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An indication that one or more physical objects have been detected in a first geographical environment is received via one or more sensors. The one or more sensors are coupled to a logistics vehicle as the logistics vehicle performs one or more shipping operations. Based at least in part on the receiving of the indication that one or more physical objects have been detected, a mapping of the first geographical environment is caused to be generated. The mapping includes at least an image representation of the first geographical environment associated with the first geographical environment. The mapping is stored. The stored mapping is for use by an autonomous vehicle or partially autonomous vehicle for detecting objects in the first geographical environment.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- detecting, via a sensor coupled to a vehicle traversing a road found in a geographical environment, a physical object in the geographical environment;
- generating, by at least one computer processor and based at least in part on detecting the physical object, metadata for the physical object that comprises a probability, wherein the probability represents a property of at least one of the physical object or a similar physical object to the physical object that can be encountered while traversing the road;
- generating, by the at least one computer processor, a High Definition (HD) mapping, wherein the HD mapping includes a first layer that includes a first image representing the geographical environment and a second layer that includes the metadata;
- and
- transmitting, by the at least on computer processor the HD mapping, wherein transmitting the HD mapping causes an autonomous vehicle or a partially autonomous vehicle to upload the HD mapping before traversing the road and use the HD mapping and a third sensor to detect the physical object or the similar physical object while in the geographical environment and responsive to detecting the physical object or the similar physical object, perform an action based at least in part on the probability of encountering the property as the autonomous vehicle or the partially autonomous vehicle traverses the road.
A system comprising:
- at least one computing device having at least one processor;
- and
- at least one computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, via a sensor coupled to a vehicle traversing a road in a geographical environment, an indication of a physical object that has been detected in the geographical environment;
- generating, based at least in part on the indication of the physical object that has been detected, metadata for the physical object comprising a probability, wherein the probability represents a property of at least one of the physical object or a similar physical object to the physical object that can be encountered while traversing the road;
- generating a mapping of the geographical environment, wherein the mapping comprises a first layer that includes a first image representing the geographical environment and a second layer that includes the metadata;
- and
- providing the mapping to at least one of an autonomous vehicle or a partially autonomous vehicle for uploading, wherein uploading the mapping causes at least one of the autonomous vehicle or the partially autonomous vehicle to, upon detecting the physical object or the similar physical object while in the geographical environment, perform an action based at least in part on the probability of encountering the property as at least one of the autonomous vehicle or the partially autonomous vehicle traverses the road.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer processor, configure the at least one computer processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, via a sensor coupled to a vehicle traversing a road in a geographical environment during a first time, an indication that a physical object has been detected in the geographical environment;
- generating, based at least in part on the indication that the physical object has been detected, metadata for the physical object that comprises a probability, wherein the probability represents a property of at least one of the physical object or a similar physical object to the physical object that can be encountered while traversing the road;
- causing a mapping of the geographical environment to be generated, the mapping including an image representation of the geographical environment and the metadata;
- storing the mapping;
- and
- in response to receiving a request for the mapping, transmitting the mapping for uploading to an autonomous vehicle or a partially autonomous vehicle, wherein uploading the mapping causes the autonomous vehicle or the partially autonomous vehicle to, during a second time subsequent to the first time while traversing the road and upon detecting the physical object or the similar physical object in the geographical environment, perform an action based at least in part on the probability of encountering the property.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.