| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 701028000 | Having image processing | 29 |
| 20130041549 | Optical tracking vehicle control system and method - A vehicle control system having a controller and a spatial database adapted to provide spatial data to the controller at control speed. The spatial data provided from the spatial database to the controller includes images collected from an optical sensor subsystem in addition to other data collected by a variety of sensor types, including a GNSS or inertial measurement system. The spatial data received by the controller from the database forms at least part of the control inputs that the controller operates on to control the vehicle. The advantage provided by the present invention allows control system to “think” directly in terms of spatial location. A vehicle control system in accordance with one particular embodiment of the invention comprises a task path generator, a spatial database, at least one external spatial data receiver, a vehicle attitude compensation module, a position error generator, a controller, and actuators to control the vehicle. | 02-14-2013 |
| 20100100270 | PARKING PILOT SYSTEM AND METHOD - The present invention discloses a parking pilot system and method. The system of the present invention comprises a display, at least one image sensor, at least one speed sensor and an ECU. The ECU uses the images captured by the image sensor to calculate an intended parking position and uses the captured images and the detected speed to work out the coordinates of the current position and the intended parking position. The ECU also works out an initial parking position. According to the adopted parking mode, the ECU presents on the display a forward pilot track extending from the current position through the initial parking position to the intended parking position, or a forward pilot track extending from the current position to the initial parking position. Then, the driver can easily park his vehicle and effectively avoid collision via the pilot instructions presented on the display. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20090125175 | Apparatus and method for generating three-dimensional map using structured light - A three-dimensional map-generating apparatus and method using structured light. The apparatus for generating a three-dimensional map using structured light includes an odometer detecting the pose of a mobile robot, and a distance-measuring sensor including a light source module that emits light upward and a camera module that captures an image formed by light reflected from an obstacle, and measuring a distance to the obstacle using the captured image. The apparatus measures a distance to the obstacle using the distance-measuring sensor while changing the relative pose of the mobile robot, thereby generating a three-dimensional map. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20120191287 | CONTROL METHOD FOR LOCALIZATION AND NAVIGATION OF MOBILE ROBOT AND MOBILE ROBOT USING THE SAME - The present invention relates to a control method for the localization and navigation of a mobile robot and a mobile robot using the same. More specifically, the localization and navigation of a mobile robot are controlled using inertial sensors and images, wherein local direction descriptors are employed, the mobile robot is changed in the driving mode thereof according to the conditions of the mobile robot, and errors in localization may be minimized. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20130096767 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LANE KEEPING ASSISTANCE REGULATION - In a lane keeping assistance method for a vehicle which is traveling in a lane, it is checked whether an activation criterion for an automatic driving dynamics intervention is satisfied, and in response to the satisfaction of the activation criterion, control signals are output for the driving dynamics intervention. A remaining travel time to crossing or reaching a lateral lane line is ascertained and compared to a threshold value as the activation criterion. During the automatic driving dynamics intervention, a deactivation criterion for ending the automatic driving dynamics intervention is checked, the deactivation criterion including a comparison of a vehicle alignment to a lane direction. | 04-18-2013 |
| 20130066511 | Systems and Methods for Semi-Autonomous Vehicular Convoys - The present invention relates to systems and methods for vehicles to safely closely follow one another through partial automation. Following closely behind another vehicle has significant fuel savings benefits, but is unsafe when done manually by the driver. On the opposite end of the spectrum, fully autonomous solutions require inordinate amounts of technology, and a level of robustness that is currently not cost effective. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20080215204 | METHODS, APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCED SYNTHETIC VISION AND MULTI-SENSOR DATA FUSION TO IMPROVE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES - The invention provides, in some aspects, improved methods, apparatus and systems for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation that utilize multiple data links between a UAV and a control station in order to transmit control and actionable intelligence data. Such methods, apparatus and systems can be used, for example, to monitor a selected environment (e.g., an oil field or other terrain/environment of interest). In a related aspect, such data links comprise satellite communication channels. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20090118890 | VISUAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD BASED ON STRUCTURED LIGHT - A visual navigation system and method based on structured light are provided. The visual navigation system at least includes at least one projector for generating a specific path pattern formed by structured light, and a visual server. In addition to facilitating the visual navigation system to detect an obstacle, the pattern formed by the structured light provides a specific path pattern followed by robots during the navigation. In the visual navigation method, when detecting the obstacle, the visual server routes a virtual path and issues a movement-control command to the robots, which in turn follow the virtual path. The present invention is capable of raising the accuracy for the robot navigation and reducing operation burden of the visual server by using the structured light to guide the robots. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090254236 | System and method for image mapping and visual attention - A method is described for mapping dense sensory data to a Sensory Ego Sphere (SES). Methods are also described for finding and ranking areas of interest in the images that form a complete visual scene on an SES. Further, attentional processing of image data is best done by performing attentional processing on individual full-size images from the image sequence, mapping each attentional location to the nearest node, and then summing all attentional locations at each node. More information is available through this method since attentional processing is repeatedly done on each image in the sequence. An attentional point that has persisted in several adjacent images will have a higher activation value and, therefore, will be deemed more salient than an attentional point found in only one image. Therefore, the confidence that a location deemed salient by this method is an actual salient feature is greater than with the alternative processing methods in which attentional processing is performed only once on the image reconstructed from the foveal windows posted on the SES. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100228421 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POSITION ESTIMATION USING REFLECTED LIGHT SOURCES - The invention is generally related to the estimation of position and orientation of an object with respect to a local or a global coordinate system using reflected light sources. A typical application of the method and apparatus includes estimation and tracking of the position of a mobile autonomous robot. Other applications include estimation and tracking of an object for position-aware, ubiquitous devices. Additional applications include tracking of the positions of people or pets in an indoor environment. The methods and apparatus comprise one or more optical emitters, one or more optical sensors, signal processing circuitry, and signal processing methods to determine the position and orientation of at least one of the optical sensors based at least in part on the detection of the signal of one or more emitted light sources reflected from a surface. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100235034 | Method, Apparatus And Computer Program Product For Recognizing A Gesture - A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for recognizing a gesture in which one or more relationships are determined between a plurality of body parts and the gesture is then determined based upon these relationships. Each relationship may be determined by determining an angle associated with at least one joint, determining one or more states of a body part based upon the angle associated with at least one joint, and determining a probability of a body part being in each respective state. The gesture may thereafter be determined based upon the one or more states and the probability associated with each state of the body part. Directions may be provided, such as to an unmanned vehicle, based upon the gesture to, for example, control its taxiing and parking operations. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100152945 | Apparatus and method of localization of mobile robot - A localization method and localization device of a mobile robot is provided. In one aspect, characteristic information of a reference object is stored in advance to be used as a landmark for localization, and reference characteristic information is defined by utilizing the stored characteristic information and characteristic information obtained at an initial location of the mobile robot. Therefore, the accuracy of localization can be increased without the use of additional artificial landmarks. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20120143430 | VISION SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE - A vision system includes a processor and a plurality of cameras, each of which is configured to be communicatively coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to select input from different combinations of the plurality of cameras based on a parameter that is associated with at least one of the status of a vehicle and a surrounding environment of the vehicle. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20110004368 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HURRICANE SURVEILLANCE FROM THE EYE - Methods and apparatus to provide an aerial vehicle having an eyewall sensor to enable the aerial vehicle to stay within the eye of a hurricane and transmit weather information to a remote location. In one embodiment, the aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched into the eye of the hurricane. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20120035799 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE ACCORDING TO SCENE IMAGES - The present disclosure relates to a robotic system including one or more self-propelled motorized vehicles | 02-09-2012 |
| 20100070125 | Apparatus and method for localizing mobile robot - An apparatus and method for localizing a mobile robot are provided. The method includes building a forward image map including features extracted according to position at which the mobile robot takes forward images and feature descriptors of the extracted features, and localizing the mobile robot on the basis of features extracted from a newly input forward image and the built forward image map. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20110153139 | OPTOELECTRONIC SENSOR - An optoelectronic sensor ( | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110077814 | SAFETY SCANNER - The invention relates to a safety scanner for the securing of the environment of a vehicle, in particular of a driverless transport system, comprising a light transmitter, a light deflection unit for the deflection of the light into a protected field to be monitored, a receiver for the provision of received signals in dependence on light remitted at objects present in the field of view of the scanner, an evaluation unit for the evaluation of the received signals and of the incremental encoder signals and for the provision of a safety signal, a first input connected to a vehicle speed determination unit for the reception of first signals which are representative of a vehicle speed and comprising switchover means for the safe switching over between at least two different protected fields in dependence on the vehicle speed. To provide a safety scanner with which components can be saved and which is of simple construction, it is proposed that a second input is connected to the vehicle speed determination unit for the reception of desired speed signals of the vehicle and the vehicle speed determination unit has comparison means with which an actual speed can be compared with a desired speed on the basis of the first signals and of the desired speed signals and the safety signal can also be output in dependence on this comparison. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110160950 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING A COLLISION - Controlling a vehicle to automatically prevent the vehicle from colliding with obstacles includes identifying and locating obstacles in front of the vehicle, wherein relative position of an obstacle is determined; measuring relative speed of the obstacles; assessing whether there is a risk of a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle as a function of the relative position and relative speed. If there is a risk of a collision, the method further includes: calculating an unsafe region around the obstacle as a function of known measurement errors; calculating an evasion point within or on an edge of the unsafe region; defining a protection zone around the evasion point; defining an evasion route which is in the form of a circular path and has a predefined radius of curvature; controlling the vehicle at a critical distance, so that the vehicle follows the evasion route which is tangential to the protection zone. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20100004810 | Vehicle driving support apparatus - A vehicle driving support apparatus includes: a tire type determination element determining a tire type of a vehicle; a memory storing a curvature threshold data showing a relationship between the tire type and a curvature threshold such that the curvature threshold is inversely related to a grip performance of the tire; a curve determination element determining based on a current position of the vehicle and a road data whether a curve is disposed on a road ahead of the vehicle; a curvature threshold determination element specifying the curvature threshold corresponding to the tire based on the tire type and the curvature threshold data; and a warning guidance performing element performing warning guidance when a curvature of the curve ahead of the vehicle is smaller than the curvature threshold corresponding to the tire. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20120310466 | SENSOR FIELD SELECTION - Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to safe and effective use of autonomous vehicles. More specifically, an autonomous vehicle | 12-06-2012 |
| 20120072068 | METHOD OF DETECTING A STRUCTURE IN A FIELD, A METHOD OF STEERING AN AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE AND AN AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE - An agricultural vehicle has a steering system providing steering signals and including an imaging device for imaging surroundings of the vehicle and an image processing device, the steering system operates to provide by the imaging device an image of the field, analyse the image to obtain texture information, assign to a plurality of areas of the image probability-values reflecting the likelihood that the respective area relates to a specific structure, assume at least one geometric property of the specific structure, and establish a most possible position parameter of the specific structure taking into account the probability-values and the assumed geometric property; and to provide a steering signal in accordance with the position parameter thus established. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20110106363 | Arrangement and Method for Controlling a Drive of an Automotive, Driverless Transportation Device - An arrangement and a method for controlling a drive of an automotive, driverless transportation device, wherein the drive of a driverless transportation device or the drives of a plurality of driverless transportation device is or are controlled by means of a stationary control device. Here, a chain of light sources which is embodied as a running light is arranged along a route of the driverless transportation device, wherein at least two optical sensors for sensing the running light are arranged one behind the other on the driverless transportation device. The at least two sensors are connected to the drive of the driverless transportation device such that the driverless transportation device essentially synchronously follows at least one illuminated segment of the running light, and the stationary control device is configured to control the running light. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the mechanical drag chain conveyors. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20120253584 | IMAGING-BASED INTERFACE SENSOR AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR MINING MACHINES - Systems, methods, and computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling mining machines. One system includes an image sensor for capturing an image of a cutting face of a mine and interface sensing and control system for obtaining the image, identifying an anomaly in the image, calculating a distance between the anomaly and a reference, and using the distance to automatically instruct a mining machine control system to keep a cutter head of the mining machine within a seam. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20120253583 | IMAGING-BASED PROXIMITY DETECTION SYSTEMS FOR MINING MACHINES - Systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for controlling a mining machine. One system includes an image sensor for capturing an image of an area adjacent to the mining machine and a proximity sensing and control system. The proximity sensing and control system obtains the image; identifies an object in the image, the object including at least one of a person and piece of equipment; calculates a distance between the identified object and at least one of the image sensor and the mining machine using at least one image processing algorithm; and automatically controls the mining machine based on the distance. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20100049392 | SYSTEM FOR DEMARCATING AN AREA - A system for demarcating an area comprises a first vehicle, an attachment point, a demarcating element, a motor and a vehicle control unit. The demarcating element extends from the first vehicle to the attachment point. The system furthermore comprises a camera, which camera is operatively connected to the vehicle control unit. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20110046838 | AUTOMATIC SEARCH SYSTEM AND METHOD - An automatic search system and a method for assisting a mobile apparatus to search for a matching device are provided. The automatic search method includes the following steps. First, N sets of consecutive images are captured at N time points respectively when the mobile apparatus moves along a first direction. The N is a positive integer greater than 1. Next, the N sets of consecutive images are received, and several image features of the N sets of images are compared, so as to determine accordingly whether the matching device exists in the first direction. If it is determined that the matching device exists, a route signal and an adjustment signal are generated. Next, according to the route signal, the mobile apparatus is controlled to move to an adjacent position of the matching device. Also, according to the adjustment signal, the mobile apparatus is controlled to be combined with the matching device. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20120089295 | MOVING ROBOT AND METHOD TO BUILD MAP FOR THE SAME - A moving robot and a method to build a map for the same, wherein a 3D map for an ambient environment of the moving robot may be built using a Time of Flight (TOF) camera that may acquire 3D distance information in real time. The method acquires 3D distance information of an object present in a path along which the moving robot moves, accumulates the acquired 3D distance information to construct a map of a specific level and stores the map in a database, and then hierarchically matches maps stored in the database to build a 3D map for a set space. This method may quickly and accurately build a 3D map for an ambient environment of the moving robot. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120095641 | Method for Wireless Communication Between Vehicles - The invention relates to a method for wireless communication between vehicles ( | 04-19-2012 |
