Method and device for positioning objects

• US 10,049,556 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Li, Yingjun, Wang, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Tun, Nay
• Application Number:
  US14/693,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20160091594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method for positioning an object in a positioning device and the positioning device thereof. The method comprises: transmitting a beam according to a preset mode; receiving a feedback signal sent from an object, wherein the feedback signal is a signal sent by an electronic tag on the object after receiving the beam, and the feedback signal correlates to an intensity of the beam when the electronic tag receives the beam; and determining a position of the object relative to the positioning device according to the feedback signal. Accordingly, the problem of cumbersome operation and poor reliability of manually recording storing locations of objects on a logbook by a user can be solved, and the effect of improving the convenience for positioning object can be achieved.

Claims

1. A method for positioning an object, applied to a master positioning device, comprising:

transmitting a beam outward with a beam angle of 360°

;

receiving a feedback signal sent from the object, wherein the feedback signal is a signal sent by an electronic tag on the object after receiving the beam, and the feedback signal correlates to an intensity of the beam when the electronic tag receives the beam;

calculating a distance between the object and the master positioning device according to the beam intensity correlating to the feedback signal;

receiving respective distances, which are measured and sent from at least two slave positioning devices, between the object and the at least two slave positioning devices;

determining, according to respective relative positions between the at least two slave positioning devices and the master positioning device and the respective distances between the at least two slave positioning devices and the object, a circle centered at the master positioning device and having a radius being the distance between the object and the master positioning device, and at least two respective circles each centered at one of the at least two slave positioning devices and having a radius being the distance between the object and the one of the at least two slave positioning devices;

determining whether the circle centered at the master positioning device intersects with at least two of the circles centered at the slave positioning devices at a multi-circle intersection point;

determining, when there is no such of the multi-circle intersection point and the circle centered at the master positioning device intersects with the circles centered at the slave positioning devices at a plurality of double-circle intersection points, whether there is such an arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that the angle of the arc is less than a predetermined angle threshold on the circle centered at the master positioning device; and

determining, when there is no such of the arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points, if there is such one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that there is a second intersection point on the circle centered at a slave positioning device which creates the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and an arc formed by the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and the second intersection point is less than the predetermined angle threshold, a position of the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points on the master positioning device as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device,

wherein the second intersection point is the intersection point of the circle centered at the slave positioning device which creates the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and a circle centered at other slave positioning device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, when there is such of the multi-circle intersection point, a position of the multi-circle intersection point as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, when there is no such of the multi-circle intersection point but there is such of the arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that the angle of the arc is less than a predetermined angle threshold on the circle centered at the master positioning device, a position of either of the two double-circle intersection points as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device.

4. A master positioning device for positioning an object, the master positioning device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store processor-executable instructions;

the processor is configured to perform;

transmitting a bream outward with a beam angle of 360°

;

receiving a feedback signal sent from the object, wherein the feedback signal is a signal sent by an electronic tag on the object after receiving the beam, and the feedback signal correlates to an intensity of the beam when the electronic tag receives the beam;

calculating a distance between the object and the master positioning device according to the beam intensity correlating to the feedback signal;

receiving respective distances, which are measured and sent from at least two slave positioning devices, between the object and the at least two slave positioning devices;

determining, according to respective relative positions between the at least two slave positioning devices and the master positioning device and the respective distances between the at least two slave positioning devices and the object, a circle centered at the master positioning device and having a radius being the distance between the object and the master positioning device, and at least two respective circles each centered at one of the at least two slave positioning devices and having a radius being the distance between the object and the one of the at least two slave positioning devices;

determining whether the circle centered at the master positioning device intersects with at least two of the circles centered at the slave positioning devices at a multi-circle intersection point;

determining, when there is no such of the multi-circle intersection point and the circle centered at the master positioning device intersects with the circles centered at the slave positioning devices at a plurality of double-circle intersection points, whether there is such an arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that the angle of the arc is less than a predetermined angle threshold on the circle centered at the master positioning device; and

determining, when there is no such of the arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points, if there is such one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that there is a second intersection point on the circle centered at a slave positioning device which creates the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and an arc formed by the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and the second intersection point is less than the predetermined angle threshold, a position of the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points on the master positioning device as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device,

wherein the second intersection point is the intersection point of the circle centered at the slave positioning device which creates the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and a circle centered at other slave positioning device.

5. The positioning device of claim 4, the processor is further configured to perform:

determining, when there is such of the multi-circle intersection point, a position of the multi-circle intersection point as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device.

6. The positioning device of claim 4, the processor is further configured to perform:

determining, when there is no such of the multi-circle intersection point but there is such of the arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that the angle of the arc is less than a predetermined angle threshold on the circle centered at the master positioning device, a position of either of the two double-circle intersection points as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device.

7. An object positioning system, wherein the system comprises an electronic tag, a master positioning device and at least two slave positioning devices, wherein the electronic tag is provided on an object to receive a beam sent from the positioning device, and the master positioning device comprises:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store processor-executable instructions;

the processor is configured to perform;

transmitting the beam outward with a beam angle of 360°

;

receiving a feedback signal sent from the object, wherein the feedback signal is a signal sent by the electronic tag on the object after receiving the beam, and the feedback signal correlates to an intensity of the beam when the electronic tag receives the beam;

calculating a distance between the object and the master positioning device according to the beam intensity correlating to the feedback signal;

receiving respective distances, which are measured and sent from at least two slave positioning devices, between the object and the at least two slave positioning devices;

determining, according to respective relative positions between the at least two slave positioning devices and the master positioning device and the respective distances between the at least two slave positioning devices and the object, a circle centered at the master positioning device and having a radius being the distance between the object and the master positioning device, and at least two respective circles each centered at one of the at least two slave positioning devices and having a radius being the distance between the object and the one of the at least two slave positioning devices;

determining whether the circle centered at the master positioning device intersects with at least two of the circles centered at the slave positioning devices at a multi-circle intersection point;

determining, when there is no such of the multi-circle intersection point and the circle centered at the master positioning device intersects with the circles centered at the slave positioning devices at a plurality of double-circle intersection points, whether there is such an arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that the angle of the arc is less than a predetermined angle threshold on the circle centered at the master positioning device; and

determining, when there is no such of the arc formed by two of the plurality of double-circle intersection points, if there is such one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points that there is a second intersection point on the circle centered at a slave positioning device which creates the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and an arc formed by the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and the second intersection point is less than the predetermined angle threshold, a position of the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points on the master positioning device as the position of the object relative to the master positioning device,

wherein the second intersection point is the intersection point of the circle centered at the slave positioning device which creates the one of the plurality of double-circle intersection points and a circle centered at other slave positioning device.