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EP-3828499-B1 - METHOD FOR DETERMINING LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF MACHINE

EP3828499B1EP 3828499 B1EP3828499 B1EP 3828499B1EP-3828499-B1

Inventors

  • Kovanen, Tuomas
  • KOLU, Antti
  • MOISIO, PETRI
  • VESANEN, Mikko
  • Anttila, Arto

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20201020

Claims (10)

  1. A method for determining location and orientation of a machine (1) in a worksite (13), the worksite (13) being equipped with at least one reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3), wherein the at least one reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) is in the worksite (13) and has a location determined in a worksite coordinate system (WCS), the method comprising: setting a tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) on the machine (1), where the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) comprises at least one tracking device (TD, TD1) to track visually the at least one reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3); initializing a tracking state for the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) by determining location and orientation of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) in a machine coordinate system (MCS); acquiring data by the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) by tracking locations of one to two reference points (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) in the worksite (13) with respect to the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1), the acquired data comprising identification data for identifying the one to two reference points (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) and locations thereof relative to the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1); transmitting data from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) to a position determination unit (PDU) regarding the tracking; acquiring data by at least one sensor (SM, STA), wherein if the transmitted data regarding the tracking comprises locations of two reference points (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) in the worksite (13) with respect to the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1), the acquired data by the at least one sensor (SM, STA) comprises at least one of: inclination of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) and heading of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1); and if the transmitted data regarding the tracking comprises location of only one reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) in the worksite (13) with respect to the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1), the acquired data by the at least one sensor (SM, STA) comprises inclination of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) and heading of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1); transmitting the data from the at least one sensor (SM, STA) to the position determination unit (PDU); and determining by the position determination unit (PDU), based at least in part on the data regarding the tracking and the data from the at least one sensor (SM, STA), the location and orientation of the machine (1) in the worksite (13).
  2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: indicating by the position determination unit (PDU) a current level of accuracy regarding the location and orientation of the machine (1) achieved by the data received from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1).
  3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: determining a level of accuracy, above a minimum threshold level pre-determined, regarding the location and orientation of the machine (1) to be achieved, detecting by the position determination unit (PDU) a need for higher level of accuracy regarding the location and orientation of the machine (1) needed to carry out a specific work task with the machine (1), and acquiring by the position determination unit (PDU) an additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1).
  4. The method according to claim 3, wherein an additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) is acquired by at least one of: semi-automatically or automatically.
  5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) acquired semi-automatically comprises: arranging the position determination unit (PDU) to provide at least one of: indicating an operator (10) the need for the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) to detect at least one reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) in a case where the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) is not able to detect any reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3), indicating the operator (10) the need for the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) to detect another reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3), or indicating the operator (10) the need for the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) to detect at least one further reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) in a case where the reference points (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) already tracked by the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) are not able to provide sufficiently information to determine the location and orientation of the machine (1) in the worksite (13) accurately enough; and the operator (10) operates the machine (1) according to the indication.
  6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the setting of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) on the machine (1) comprises setting the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) on the machine (1) on an adjustable base (B), the operator (10) operates the adjustable base (B) according to the indication, and after each operating of the adjustable base (B) initializing of the tracking state for the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) by determining location and orientation of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) in the machine coordinate system (MCS) occurs.
  7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the setting of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) on the machine (1) comprises setting the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) on the machine (1) on an adjustable base (B), and the additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) is acquired automatically by controlling the adjustable base (B) by at least one of: the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) or the position determination unit (PDU).
  8. The method according to claim 7, wherein after the controlling of the adjustable base (B) by at least one of: the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) or the position determination unit (PDU), initializing of the tracking state for the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) by determining location and orientation of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) in the machine coordinate system (MCS) occurs.
  9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises: setting one or more additional tracking apparatuses (TA2) to the worksite (13) and equipping the machine (1) with at least one marker point (MP, MP1, MP2, MP3) known in the machine coordinate system (MCS), acquiring data by the one or more additional tracking apparatuses (TA2) by tracking reference point (RP, RP1, RP2, RP3) and marker point (MP, MP1, MP2, MP3) locations with respect to the respective one or more additional tracking apparatuses (TA2), transmitting the acquired data from the one or more additional tracking apparatuses (TA2) to the at least one position determination unit (PDU), and determining by the at least one position determination unit (PDU) based at least in part on the data received from the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) and the one or more additional tracking apparatuses (TA2), the location and orientation of the machine (1) in the worksite coordinate system (WCS).
  10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the location and orientation of the tracking apparatus (TA, TA1) set in the machine (1) is defined in the machine coordinate system (MCS) using one of the additional tracking apparatuses (TA2).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a method for determining location and orientation of a machine in a worksite. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Different types of work machines may be utilized at different earth-moving work sites or construction sites for example for moving soil or rock material from one location to another or to lift or lower materials to be used in the constructions. Examples of this kind of work sites include for example substructure construction work sites or housing construction work sites for buildings and road construction work sites. The work machines like that are for example excavators and mobile cranes. The work machines and the working tools of the work machines should be able to be positioned very accurately in the work site in order to execute designed operations properly. The information regarding the accurate location of the work machine and the tool thereof may be shown to an operator of the work machine so that the operator may use the information when controlling the tool and the machine. This accurate location information of the machine and the tool thereof is especially important when it is utilized in semiautomatic or fully automatic work machines, i.e. work machines operating at least some time without a constant control by the operator of the machine, and whereby possible misplacement of the machine or its tool is not immediately rectified by the operator of the machine. Generally automatic positioning of the machine may be based for example on a satellite-based positioning system GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems), such as GPS (US), GLONASS (RU), Galileo (EU) or Compass (CN). Alternatively, the positioning of the work machine may be provided by means of a total station positioned to the work site. However, in every work site there is not necessarily any or accurate enough satellite-based positioning system available, or the positioning system available is not sophisticated enough for high-precision determination of the location and orientation of the machine. Retrofitting of an older machine with a high-precision system is not necessarily very cost-effective. Also, a setup of the total station-based positioning system in the work site may be laborious especially if the total station-based system should be removed from the work site daily or many times each day. Therefore, there is a need for a simple positioning solution which is easy to remove and set up again. Publications US-2015/0168136 A1, US-2007/0064246 A1, US-2015/0225923 A1, US-2018/0283862 A1 and US-2014/0146167 A1 and Lundeen Kurt M. et al.: "Optical marker-based end effector pose estimation for articulated excavators", Automation in Construction, Elsevier, Amsterdam, NL, vol. 65, 26 February 2016 (2016-02-26), pages 51-64, XP029454217, ISSN: 0926-5805, dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2016.02.003 disclose some solutions for determining a position of a machine in a worksite. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for determining location and orientation of a machine in a worksite. The invention is defined by the features of the independent claim. The invention provides a simple solution for determining location and orientation of the machine in the worksite. Some embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. According to an embodiment of the method, the method further comprises indicating by the position determination unit a current level of accuracy regarding the location and orientation of the machine achieved by the data received from the tracking apparatus. According to an embodiment of the method, the method further comprises determining a level of accuracy regarding the location and orientation of the machine to be achieved, detecting by the position determination unit a need for higher level of accuracy regarding the location and orientation of the machine, and acquiring by the position determination unit an additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus. According to an embodiment of the method, an additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus is acquired by at least one of: semi-automatically or automatically. According to an embodiment of the method, the additional tracking data from the tracking apparatus acquired semi-automatically comprises arranging the position determination unit to provide at least one of: indicating an operator the need for the tracking apparatus to detect at least one reference point, indicating the operator the need for the tracking apparatus to detect another reference point, and indicating the operator the need for the tracking apparatus to detect at least one further reference point; and the operator operates the machine according to the indication. According to an embodiment of the method, the setting of the tracking apparatus on the machine comprises setting the tracking apparatus on the machine on an adjustable base, and that the operator operates the adjust