Method and image processing arrangement for estimating a likely pose in respect of a spatial region

An image processing arrangement for estimating a likely pose in respect of a spatial region, wherein the image processing arrangement is coupled to an imaging capturing arrangement that is configured to capture one or more 2-D images of a scene within the spatial region, wherein the image processing arrangement is provided with spatial coordinates of a plurality of 3-D point locations within the spatial region, wherein the image processing arrangement is configured to:

• (i) identify key features present in the one or more 2-D images;
• (ii) identify a correspondence of one or more clusters of the plurality of 3-D point locations to key feature points present in the one or more 2-D images;
• and
• (iii) based on the correspondence, estimate the likely pose of the image processing arrangement relative to the spatial region by using a multi-match likelihood function that finds for each 3-D point location a closest 2-D feature point among k possible 2-D key feature points, wherein k is an integer greater than one.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause a computer to execute a method for estimating a likely pose of an image processing arrangement in respect of a spatial region, wherein the image processing arrangement is coupled to an imaging capturing arrangement that is configured to capture one or more 2-D images of a scene within the spatial region, wherein the image processing arrangement is provided with spatial coordinates of a plurality of 3-D point locations within the spatial region, wherein the method comprises:

• (i) identifying key features present in the one or more 2-D images;
• (ii) identifying a correspondence of one or more clusters of the plurality of 3-D point locations to key feature points present in the one or more 2-D images;
• and
• (iii) from the correspondence, estimating the likely pose of the image processing arrangement relative to the spatial region by using a multi-match likelihood function that finds for each 3-D point location a closest 2-D feature point among k possible 2-D key feature points, wherein k is an integer greater than one.