Item tracking and processing systems and methods

An item processing system, comprising:

• a data acquisition and display device, the data acquisition and display device further comprised of:
• an information gathering device to capture data about one or more item;
• an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
• a see-through display to display information and instructions about the one or more items, said information and instructions appearing proximately superimposed on the item;
• and
• a local computer in communication with the information gathering device, active beacon detection device, and see-through display, wherein the local computer decodes data from the information gathering device, computes the orientation and position of the wearer of the data acquisition and display device from the orientation and position information captured by the active beacon detection device, and provides information and instructions to be displayed in the see-through display about one or more items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device;
• and
• a tracking system, the tracking system further comprised of:
• a source of energy;
• a passive beacon proximately located on the item, said passive beacon is reactive to the source of energy;
• two or more fixed detectors each capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon;
• and
• a passive beacon location tracking computer in communication with the two or more fixed detectors, wherein the passive beacon location tracking computer knows the location of each fixed detector relative to the other fixed detectors and the passive beacon location tracking computer is able to compute the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the one or more items change;
• and
• two or more unique active beacons having known locations that provide orientation and position signals to the active beacon detection device, wherein information about one or more items' location is provided to the local computer from the tracking system so that the local computer can determine what items are in the data acquisition and display device's field of view and information about those items can be displayed in the see-through display such that the instructions and information appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items.

A method of processing an item, comprising:

• viewing one or more items while wearing a data acquisition and display device having a see-through display;
• displaying processing instructions on the see-through display, wherein said processing instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items;
• and
• processing the one or more items in accordance with the processing instructions.

A method of processing an item, comprising:

• tracking one or more items with a tracking system as the one or more items' locations changes;
• determining the orientation and position of a wearer of a data acquisition and display device having a see-through display;
• determining which of the one or more items are in the field of view of the see-through display of the data acquisition and display device;
• viewing at least one of the one or more items through the see-through display of the data acquisition and display device;
• displaying processing instructions relevant to at least one of the one or more items on the see-through display, wherein said processing instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items;
• and
• processing the one or more items in accordance with the processing instructions.

A method of displaying information about one or more items in a see-through display of a data acquisition and display device, comprising:

• capturing orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
• determining a field of view of the see-through display from the captured orientation and position information;
• and
• displaying information on the see-through display about the one or more items in the field of view of the see-through display such that said information appears proximately superimposed on the one or more items when the one or more items are viewed through the see-through display.

A method of displaying information in a see-through display of a data acquisition and display device, comprising:

• capturing data about one or more items;
• determining information and instructions about the one or more items from the captured data;
• capturing orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
• determining a field of view of the see-through display from the captured orientation and position information;
• and
• displaying information and instructions on the see-through display about at least one of the one or more items in the field of view of see-through display such that said information and instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items when the one or more items are viewed through the see-through display.

A method of tracking one or more items, comprising:

• providing a source of energy;
• locating a passive beacon proximately on an item, said passive beacon is reactive to the source of energy;
• providing two or more fixed detectors having known fixed locations relative to one another, each fixed detector capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon;
• and
• computing the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the one or more items changes.

A method of tracking one or more items, comprising:

• providing a source of energy;
• locating a passive beacon proximately on the one or more items, said passive beacon reactive to the source of energy;
• providing two or more fixed detectors having known fixed locations relative to one another, each fixed detector capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon;
• computing the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the one or more items changes;
• providing a data acquisition and display device having a see-through display, an information gathering device, a local computer, and a beacon detection device;
• capturing data about the one or more items with the information gathering device;
• determining information about the one or more items from the captured data with the local computer;
• capturing orientation and position information about the data acquisition and display device with the beacon detection device;
• determining a field of view of the see-through display from the captured orientation and position information;
• determining if at least one of the one or more items are in the field of view of the see-through display from the location of the passive beacon;
• and
• displaying information and instructions on the see-through display about at least one of the one or more items if the one or more items are in the field of view of see-through display such that said information and instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items when the one or more items are viewed through the see-through display.

A method of tracking items, comprising:

• providing a data acquisition and display device having an information gathering device to capture data about an item, an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device, a see-through display to display information and instructions about the item, and a local computer in communication with the information gathering device, active beacon detection device, and see-through display, wherein the local computer decodes data from the information gathering device, computes the orientation and position of the wearer of the data acquisition and display device from the orientation and position information captured by the active beacon detection device, and provides information and instructions to be displayed in the see-through display about at least one of the items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device;
• and
• providing a tracking system having a source of energy, a passive beacon located on the item that is reactive to the source of energy, two or more fixed detectors that are each capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon, and a passive beacon location tracking computer in communication with the two or more fixed detectors, wherein the passive beacon location tracking computer knows the location of each fixed detector relative to the other fixed detectors and the passive beacon location tracking computer is able to compute the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the locations of the items change;
• providing information about the one or more items' location to the local computer from the tracking system so that the local computer can determine what items are in the data acquisition and display device's field of view;
• displaying information about at least one of the items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device in the see-through display such that the instructions and information appear proximately superimposed on the item.