Method and apparatus for using unique landmarks to locate industrial vehicles at start-up

Abstract

A method and apparatus for using unique landmarks to position industrial vehicles during start-up. In one embodiment, a method of using pre-positioned objects as landmarks to operate an industrial vehicle is provided. The method comprises identifying a start-up scenario from sensor data, wherein the start-up scenario comprises a unique marker start-up or a pre-positioned object start-up. in response to the identified start-up scenario, either a unique marker or pre-positioned object is identified within a physical environment, wherein the pre-positioned object or unique marker corresponds with a sub-area of the physical environment. The industrial vehicle pose is determined in response to the identity of the pre-positioned object or unique marker and the industrial vehicle is operated based on the determined industrial vehicle pose.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of operating an industrial vehicle in a navigation system comprising the industrial vehicle, one or more sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle, a mobile computer operably coupled to the industrial vehicle, and an environment based navigation module comprised in the mobile computer, wherein the method comprises:
 starting-up the industrial vehicle such that the industrial vehicle has no information about its pose;   utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to process measurement data from the sensors after starting-up the industrial vehicle, wherein the measurement data is indicative of the presence of pre-positioned objects or landmarks within a range of the sensors;   utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to determine initial pose prediction data for the industrial vehicle from the measurement data, wherein
 the initial pose prediction data is sufficient to determine a sub-area of a physical environment in which the industrial vehicle is positioned, but 
 the initial pose prediction data is insufficient to determine a location of the industrial vehicle within the determined sub-area; 
   utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to select a sub-area based on the initial pose prediction data and obtain a sub-area map from an overview map of the physical environment based on the initial pose prediction data;   utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to refine the initial pose prediction data for the industrial vehicle using the sub-area map and features observable by the sensors from the selected sub-area to generate a new pose; and   utilizing the refined initial pose prediction, the sensors, and the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle through the physical environment.   
     
     
         22 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the selected sub-area comprises a block stacked area of the physical environment and method further comprises utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to develop a new start-up pose estimate by triggering a start-up task wherein:
 the industrial vehicle is driven by the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to scan a pre-positioned object in the block stacked area of the physical environment; 
 the pre-positioned object is uniquely identifiable through a feature that can be sensed by the sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle; 
 the mobile computer operably coupled to the industrial vehicle accesses the position of the pre-positioned object and uses the position to develop the new start-up pose estimate. 
 
     
     
         23 . A method as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle accesses the position of the pre-positioned object from placed object data or by requesting a location of the pre-positioned object from an system external to the mobile computer. 
     
     
         24 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the overview map comprises a plurality of sub-area maps, the initial pose prediction data comprises relative positions of features sensed using the sensors, and the method comprises:
 utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to determine if the industrial vehicle is in a particular sub-area of the physical environment by evaluating relative positions of sensed features against the sub-area maps; and 
 utilizing the sub-area map and the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle to a location where the initial pose prediction data is refined by the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle. 
 
     
     
         25 . A method as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the location to which the industrial vehicle is navigated to refine the initial pose prediction data comprises a pre-positioned object. 
     
     
         26 . A method as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the location to which the industrial vehicle is navigated to refine the initial pose prediction data comprises an end of a row of block stacked products. 
     
     
         27 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein:
 the overview map comprises a model of block-stacked object rows data; 
 the initial pose prediction data comprises relative positions of features sensed using the sensors; and 
 the method comprises utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to determine if the industrial vehicle is in a sub-area corresponding to blocked-stacked object rows by evaluating the relative positions of the sensed features against the model of block-stacked object rows data. 
 
     
     
         28 . A method as claimed in  claim 27  wherein:
 the initial pose prediction data is insufficient to determine in which of a plurality of rows of products the industrial vehicle is positioned; and 
 the method comprises utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to select a candidate row of blocked stacked product in the sub-area using pre-positioned product information that matches feature information received from the sensors. 
 
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 28  wherein the candidate row may be inaccurate and the method further comprises utilizing the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle to a location where the initial pose prediction data is refined by the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle. 
     
     
         30 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the location to which the industrial vehicle is navigated to refine the initial pose prediction data comprises a pre-positioned object or an end of a row of block stacked products. 
     
     
         31 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein:
 the overview map comprises a racking aisle model provided in data of the overview map; 
 the initial pose prediction data comprises relative positions of features sensed using the sensors; and 
 the method comprises utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to determine if the industrial vehicle is in a sub-area corresponding to a racking aisle by matching relative positions of the sensed features against the racking aisle model. 
 
     
     
         32 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the observable features are selected from landmarks comprising walls, rack protectors, racking legs, placed unique navigational markers, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         33 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein:
 the observable features comprise pre-positioned objects; and 
 the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle accesses a position of the pre-positioned object from placed object data or by requesting a location of the pre-positioned object from an system external to the mobile computer. 
 
     
     
         34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  wherein the placed object data comprises object identity and object pose. 
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  wherein:
 the pre-positioned object comprises a pallet or product load; 
 the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle accesses a position of the pallet or product load by scanning, picking up, or otherwise engaging the pallet or product load and retrieving a known location of the pallet or product load from a warehouse management system database. 
 
     
     
         36 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle comprise a laser scanner and a camera. 
     
     
         37 . A method of operating an industrial vehicle in a navigation system comprising the industrial vehicle, one or more sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle, a mobile computer operably coupled to the industrial vehicle, wherein the mobile computer comprises an environment based navigation module and the method comprises:
 starting-up the industrial vehicle such that the industrial vehicle has no information about its pose or its location relative to particular sub-areas of the environment;   utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to process measurement data from the sensors after starting-up the industrial vehicle, wherein the measurement data is indicative of the presence of at least one pre-positioned object within a range of the sensors;   utilizing the mobile computer coupled to the industrial vehicle to develop an initial pose estimate;   utilizing the initial pose estimate and data from the sensors coupled to the industrial vehicle to navigate the industrial vehicle to the pre-positioned object;   accessing a position of the pre-positioned object from placed object data associated with the pre-positioned object or from a warehouse management system in communication with the mobile computer;   developing a new start-up pose estimate using the accessed position of the pre-positioned object; and   utilizing the new start-up pose, data from the sensors, and the environment based navigation module of the mobile computer to navigate the industrial vehicle through the physical environment.   
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein:
 the measurement data processed after starting-up the industrial vehicle comprises a plurality of pre-positioned objects; and   the environment based navigation module obtains position data for the pre-positioned objects from a map manager in communication with the mobile computer.