Method and system for determining the location in 3D space of an object within an enclosed opaque container

A computing device, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a display screen being in electronic data communication with the at least one processor;
• an image recording device being in electronic data communication with the at least one processor, wherein the image recording device comprises a camera lens that has a center that defines a moving (X, Y, Z) coordinate frame;
• at least one non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored machine readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor causing the at least one processor to process data for determining the location in 3D space of an object of interest located within an interior of an opaque container, wherein the opaque container includes one side and another side, wherein one side of the opaque container faces a first real world partition member having a first predefined unique image thereon and a first plurality of fiducial markers,
• wherein another side of the opaque container faces a second real world partition member having a second predefined unique image thereon and a second plurality of fiducial markers,
• wherein each of the first real world partition member and the second real world partition member defines a plane and a first plane defined by the first real world partition member is perpendicular to a second plane defined by the second real world partition member,
• wherein the stored machine readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
• receive a first digitized x-ray image based on x-ray radiation directed at the first real world partition member and which shows the fiducial markers of the first real world partition member and a view of the interior of the opaque container from a first angle;
• receive a second digitized x-ray image based on x-ray radiation directed at the second real world partition member and which shows the fiducial markers of the second real world partition member and a view of the interior of the opaque container from a second angle;
• receive data representing the first predefined unique image of the first real world partition member and the second predefined unique image of the second real world partition member;
• process the data representing the first predefined unique image and second predefined unique image to generate a virtual reality environment that includes virtual depictions of the first real world partition member with the first predefined unique image thereon and the second real world partition member with the second predefined unique image thereon;
• wherein the stored machine readable instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each real world partition member and corresponding digitized x-ray image:
• display, on the display screen, the virtual depiction of the predefined unique image and fiducial markers of the real world partition member, the fiducial markers being shown as a plurality of icons in the virtual depiction, wherein each icon is differentiated from the other icons and wherein the location of each icon corresponds to a location of a corresponding fiducial marker on the real world partition member;
• generate a graphical user interface on the display screen;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to select a first icon on the virtual depiction of the real world partition member;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to map the selected first icon with a corresponding fiducial marker shown in the digitized x-ray image corresponding to the real world partition member so as to define a first point;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to select a second icon on the virtual depiction of the real world partition member;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to map the selected second icon with a corresponding fiducial marker shown in the digital x-ray image corresponding to the real world partition member so as to define a second point;
• scale, position and orient the digitized x-ray image corresponding to the real world partition member based on the mapping of the selected first icon and the selected second icon with the respective corresponding fiducial markers shown in the digitized x-ray image that corresponds to the real world partition member;
• display, by the display screen, the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray images so as to enable a user to determine if there is an object of interest inside the opaque container, and
• wherein if there is an object of interest, the stored machine readable instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image:
• display, by the display screen, the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image and the virtual depiction of the predefined image of the real world partition member that corresponds to the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical interface to select a reference geometrical shape from a plurality of reference geometrical shapes and drag the selected reference geometrical shape over the scaled, positioned and oriented digital x-ray image;
• and
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical interface to match the selected reference geometrical shape to an X-Y coordinate of the object of interest shown in the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image so as to determine a location of the object of interest in 3D space in relation to the virtual depiction of the predefined images on the real world partition members.

A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored machine-readable instructions that when executed by at least one processor, comprising:

• causing the processor for processing data for determining the location in 3D space of an object of interest located within an interior of an opaque container, wherein the opaque container comprises one side and another side, wherein one side of the opaque container faces a first real world partition member having a first predefined unique image thereon and a first plurality of fiducial markers, wherein another side of the opaque container faces a second real world partition member having a second predefined unique image thereon and a second plurality of fiducial markers, wherein each of the first and second real world partition members defines a first plane and a second plane, respectively, and wherein the first plane defined by the first real world A partition member is perpendicular to the second plane defined by the second real world partition member;
• causing the at least one processor for receiving a first digitized x-ray image based on x-ray radiation being directed at the first real world partition member and which shows the fiducial markers of the first real world partition member and a view of the interior of the opaque container from a first angle;
• receiving a second digitized x-ray image based on x-ray radiation being directed at the second real world partition member and which shows the fiducial markers of the second real world partition member and a view of the interior of the opaque container from a second angle;
• receiving data representing the first predefined unique image of the first real world partition member and the second predefined unique image of the second real world partition member;
• and
• processing the data representing the first predefined unique image and second predefined unique image for generating a virtual reality environment that includes virtual depictions of the first real world partition member with the first predefined unique image thereon and the second real world partition member with the second predefined unique image thereon,
• wherein the stored machine readable instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each real world partition member and corresponding digitized x-ray image:
• display, on a display screen, the virtual depiction of the predefined unique image and fiducial markers of the real world partition member, the fiducial markers being shown as a plurality of icons in the virtual depiction, wherein each icon is differentiated from the other icons and wherein the location of each icon corresponds to a location of a corresponding fiducial marker on the real world partition member;
• generate a graphical user interface on the display screen;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to select a first icon on the virtual depiction of the real world partition member;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to map the selected first icon with a corresponding fiducial marker shown in the digitized x-ray image corresponding to the real world partition member so as to define a first point;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to select a second icon on the virtual depiction of the real world partition member;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical user interface to map the selected second icon with a corresponding fiducial marker shown in the digitized x-ray image corresponding to the real world partition member so as to define a second point;
• scale, position and orient the digitized x-ray image corresponding to the real world partition member based on the mapping of the selected first icon and the selected second icon with the respective corresponding fiducial markers shown in the digitized x-ray image that corresponds to the real world partition member;
• and
• display, by the display screen, the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray images so as to enable a user to determine if there is an object of interest inside the opaque container, and
• wherein if there is an object of interest, the stored machine-readable instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each said scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image:
• display, by the display screen, the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image and the virtual depiction of the predefined image of the real world partition member that corresponds to the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image;
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical interface to select a reference geometrical shape from a plurality of reference geometrical shapes and drag the selected reference geometrical shape over the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image;
• and
• prompt a user, by the display screen, to use the graphical interface to match the selected reference geometrical shape to an X-Y coordinate of the object of interest shown in the scaled, positioned and oriented digitized x-ray image so as to determine a location of the object of interest in 3D space in relation to the virtual depiction of the predefined images on the real world partition members.