公开(公告)号：US20170146990A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-25

申请号：US14945659

申请日：2015-11-19

Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.

Inventor： Qi WANG ,  Paul Edmund RYBSKI

IPC: G05D1/00 ,  G05D1/10 ,  G01S19/42 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: G05D1/0011 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/024 ,  B64C2201/108 ,  B64C2201/122 ,  G01S19/03 ,  G01S19/14 ,  G01S19/21 ,  G01S19/43 ,  G05D1/101 ,  G05D1/102 ,  H04B7/18504

Abstract: A system for augmenting wireless communication and satellite positioning for machines at a worksite includes one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) configured to be remotely operated above an area encompassing the worksite. Each of the UAV includes a real time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS) onboard the UAV for determining the position of the UAV relative to a base station located at a known location, and a machine vision module for detecting an object on the ground at the worksite. The RTK GPS onboard each UAV determines the global coordinates of the detected object in 3D space using the position of the UAV. A flight control module receives information on current position of one or more machines operating at the worksite, and machine wireless communication and satellite positioning requirements in real-time from the one or more machines, and controls flight of at least one UAV to a position where the at least one UAV can augment wireless communication signal and GPS satellite signal connectivity to meet the machine wireless communication and satellite positioning requirements.

公开(公告)号：US20170109577A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-20

申请号：US14886192

申请日：2015-10-19

Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.

Inventor： Qi WANG ,  Paul Edmund RYBSKI

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06K9/46 ,  G06F17/30 ,  H04N7/18 ,  G06T11/20

CPC classification number: G06K9/00476 ,  G01C11/00 ,  G06F17/30241 ,  G06F17/30268 ,  G06K9/0063 ,  G06K9/3216 ,  G06K9/46 ,  G06K9/629 ,  G06K2009/3225 ,  G06T17/05 ,  H04N7/185

Abstract: A terrain mapping system includes an aerial system including at least one camera configured to capture a plurality of aerial images of an area and transmit the plurality of aerial images to an image database, a plurality of machines each having a ground control point (GCP) disposed thereon, and each being configured to periodically record a global location of the GCP in a location history database, and a mapping unit configured to construct a preliminary three-dimensional (3D) terrain map based on the plurality of aerial images, detect at least one GCP within at least one aerial image, determine an estimated global location and an accurate global location of the at least one GCP, and calibrate the preliminary 3D terrain map based on the estimated global location and the accurate global location of the at least one GCP.