System and method for linking real-world objects and object representations by pointing

A computer-implemented method for determining a likelihood a moving object in a real-world scene is an object being pointed at by a mobile device that includes capabilities of a pointing device, comprising the steps of:

• (A) pointing a mobile electronic device that includes capabilities of a pointing device (mobile device) at a moving object of interest in the real-world scene;
• (B) generating with the mobile device a mobile device geodetic position and pointing direction, and transmitting the mobile device geodetic position and pointing direction, and standard deviations relating to generating the mobile device geodetic position and pointing direction to a system server;
• (C) mapping a three-dimensional representation of a real-world scene containing the objects in the real-world scene, including the moving object of interest, and transmitting the three-dimensional representation to the system server;
• (D) a system server performing the substeps of,
• (1) generating a two-dimensional virtual digital representation of the three-dimensional scene mapped at step (C), with the two-dimensional digital virtual representation including at least a virtual digital representation of the objects in the real-world scene, including the moving object of interest,
• (2) determining for each object, including the moving object of interest, in the two-dimensional virtual digital representation a distance estimate from the mobile device geodetic position to each such object, including the moving object of interest,
• (3) determining for each object, including the moving object of interest, in the two-dimensional virtual digital representation an accuracy of actual pointing and in determining the accuracy of pointing according to substep (D)(3) using standard deviations transmitted at step (B) caused by the mobile device in generating the mobile device geodetic position and pointing direction and the distance estimate for each object determined at substep (D)(2),
• (4) defining for each object, including the moving object of interest, in the two-dimensional virtual digital representation an optimal pointing location relating to a visible part of each object, including the moving object of interest,
• (5) determining for each object, including the moving object of interest, in the two-dimensional virtual digital representation a probability surface for optimal pointing from the mobile device geodetic position applying the definition for each object defined at substep (D)(4),
• (6) determining for each object, including the moving object of interest, in the two-dimensional virtual digital representation, a numeric correspondence between actual pointing accuracy and optimal pointing location by comparing a standard deviation for the actual pointing accuracy determined at substep (D)(3) and the probability surface for optimal pointing determined at substep (D)(5),
• (7) selecting as the object of interest the object with the highest numeric correspondence determined at substep (D)(6),
• (8) updating a position and direction of movement of each object, including the moving object of interest, in the two-dimensional virtual digital representation, and
• (9) the system server communicating to the mobile device an identity of the moving object of interest.