System and method for exploring 3D scenes by pointing at a reference object

A computer-implemented method for responding to spatial queries about a real-world object of interest using a real-world reference object to identify the object of interest, comprising steps of:

• (A) generating a query statement relating to at least one real-world object of interest with an electronic pointing device associated with a user, with the query statement including at least a query topic and a spatial preposition, and determining a geodetic position and a pointing direction of the pointing device, and transmitting the query statement, the geodetic position and the pointing direction to a system server;
• (B) mapping a projective three-dimensional representation of a real-world scene including at least the object of interest and the reference object, and transmitting the three-dimensional representation to the system server;
• (C) a system server performing substeps of,
• (1) generating a real-world two-dimensional digital representation of the three-dimensional scene mapped at step (B), with the two-dimensional digital representation including at least a digital representation of the object of interest and the reference object,
• (2) identifying the reference object and the reference object position according to the pointing device geodetic position and the pointing direction applied to the two-dimensional digital representation, wherein the pointing device geodetic position is according to a latitude, longitude, elevation, pitch, and yaw of the pointing device,
• (3) identifying the object of interest according to the position of the reference object, the query topic and the spatial preposition by linking the query topic and the spatial preposition of the query statement to a particular object in the two-dimensional digital representation, wherein the spatial preposition including an egocentric frame of reference expressing at least a point of view of the user according to the pointing device geodetic position, and
• (4) the system server communicating with the pointing device and transmitting at least an identification of the particular object as the object of interest to the pointing device.

A system for responding to spatial queries about a real-world object of interest using a real-world reference object to identify the object of interest, comprising:

• a pointing device associated with a user for
• pointing at a reference object in a real-world scene and generating a query statement including a query topic and a spatial preposition, relating to the object of interest according to a position of the reference object,
• determining a geodetic position and a pointing direction of the pointing device, and
• communicating the query statement, and the pointing device geodetic position and the pointing direction to a system server;
• and
• a system server further comprising,
• a mapping module for receiving and processing a projective three-dimensional representation of an environment that contains a real-world scene including the reference object and the object of interest,
• a scene generator that
• connects to the mapping module and receives an output from the mapping module for generating a real-world two-dimensional digital representation of the real-world scene including the reference object and the object of interest, and
• identifies the reference object according to the pointing device geodetic position and the pointing direction applied to the two-dimensional digital representation, wherein the pointing device geodetic position is according to a latitude, longitude, elevation, pitch, and yaw of the pointing device,
• a scene annotator for
• annotating the two-dimensional digital representation for identifying the object of interest according to the position of the reference object, the query topic and the spatial preposition of the query statement by linking the query topic and the spatial preposition to a particular object in the two-dimensional digital representation, wherein the spatial preposition including an egocentric frame of reference expressing a user's point of view according to the pointing device geodetic position, and
• communicating to the pointing device an identification of the particular object as the object of interest.

A system for responding to spatial queries about a real-world object of interest using a reference object to identify the object of interest, comprising:

• a pointing device associated with a user for
• pointing at a reference object in a real-world scene and generating a query statement including a query topic and a spatial preposition, the query statement relating to the object of interest according to a geodetic position of the reference object,
• determining a geodetic position and a pointing direction of the pointing device, and
• communicating the query statement, and the pointing device geodetic position and the pointing direction to a system server;
• and
• a system server further comprising,
• a mapping module for receiving and processing a projective three-dimensional representation of an environment that contains a real-world scene including the reference object and the object of interest,
• a scene generator that
• connects to the mapping module and receives an output from the mapping module for generating a real-world two-dimensional digital representation of the real-world scene including the reference object and the object of interest, and
• identifies the reference object according to the pointing device geodetic position and the pointing direction applied to the two-dimensional digital representation, wherein the pointing device geodetic position is according to a latitude, longitude, elevation, pitch, and yaw of the pointing device, and
• an identifier module for
• identifying the object of interest in the two-dimensional digital representation according to the position of the reference object and the query topic and the spatial preposition of the query statement by linking the query topic and the spatial preposition to a particular object in the two-dimensional digital representation, and
• communicating to the pointing device an identification of the particular object as the object of interest wherein the spatial preposition including an egocentric frame of reference expressing a user's point of view according to the pointing device geodetic position.