Method for tracking a device in a landmark-based reference system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJames J. Troy, Christopher D. Esposito
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for determining locations of a device in an environment where features are present. Passive code pattern markers are used as unique location landmarks to provide on-demand location information to the user of the device in an abstract, landmark-based reference system that can then be mapped into an underlying physical 3-D coordinate system to give location coordinates that can be used by other tools to determine a viewpoint. For example, a 3-D visualization system can be configured to set a viewpoint so that an image concurrently generated by a computer system presents a scene which approximates the scene being viewed by the user in the physical world at that moment in time.
Claims21
A method for locating a handheld imaging device in a frame of reference of a target object, comprising:
- (a) encoding a multiplicity of code pattern markers using symbology representing data identifying respective repetitive features of the target object;
- (b) associating the data identifying the respective repetitive feature to respective coordinate positions in the frame of reference of the target object to create a landmark-to-location map;
- (c) after steps (a) and (b), placing the code pattern markers on the respective repetitive features of the target object;
- (d) placing a handheld imaging device at a location separated from one of the code pattern markers by a distance;
- (e) after step (d), aiming the handheld imaging device to have a viewpoint wherein the one code pattern marker is within a field-of-view of the handheld imaging device;
- (f) after step (e), operating the handheld imaging device to acquire image data representing an image of the one code pattern marker;
- (g) processing the image data to decode the data identifying the repetitive feature of the target object corresponding to the one code pattern marker;
- and
- (h) retrieving data representing the coordinate position of the repetitive feature of the target object corresponding to the one code pattern marker from the landmark-to-location map using the data generated in step (g).
A method for locating a handheld imaging device in a frame of reference of a target object, comprising:
- (a) encoding a multiplicity of code pattern markers using symbology, each code pattern marker comprising respective symbology representing respective data identifying respective ones of a multiplicity of repetitive features of the target object;
- (b) mapping the data identifying respective repetitive features of the multiplicity of repetitive features to respective coordinate positions in the frame of reference of the target object to create a landmark-to-location map;
- (c) after steps (a) and (b), placing each code pattern marker of the multiplicity of code pattern markers at a location adjacent to a surface of a respective repetitive feature of the multiplicity of repetitive features of the target object;
- (d) placing a handheld imaging device at a first location separated from a first code pattern marker of the multiplicity of code pattern markers by a first distance, the first code pattern marker being placed at a location adjacent to a surface of a first repetitive feature of the multiplicity of repetitive features;
- (e) after step (d), aiming the handheld imaging device to have a first viewpoint wherein the first code pattern marker is within a field-of-view of the handheld imaging device;
- (f) after step (e), operating the handheld imaging device to acquire first image data representing an image of the first code pattern marker;
- (g) processing the first image data to decode the data identifying the first repetitive feature of the target object;
- and
- (h) retrieving data representing the coordinate position of the first repetitive feature of the target object from the landmark-to-location map using the data generated in step (g).
A system comprising:
- a target object comprising a multiplicity of repetitive features;
- and
- a multiplicity of code pattern markers placed at respective locations adjacent to surfaces of respective repetitive features of the multiplicity of repetitive features, each code pattern marker comprising first, second and third registration fiducial symbols and respective symbology representing respective data identifying respective repetitive features of the multiplicity of repetitive features.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.