Enhanced motion tracking using transportable inertial sensors to determine that a frame of reference is established

• US 10,111,620 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Quentin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/634,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20160249856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing enhanced motion tracking using a transportable inertial sensor. Configurations disclosed herein utilize a first inertial sensor mounted to a device to determine a frame of reference, and a second inertial sensor mounted to an object to determine movement of the object within the frame of reference. Configurations disclosed herein determine if the frame of reference is established. If it is determined that the frame of reference is established, the first inertial sensor and the second inertial sensor are used to detect movement of the object within the frame of reference.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first inertial sensor mounted on a portable device of a user;

a second inertial sensor mounted on a tracking device of the user being carried by a moving platform; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions configured to;

receive, from the portable device, input that indicates the portable device is affixed or secured to the moving platform,

receive, from the first inertial sensor, a signal useable to determine an established frame of reference based at least in part on the portable device being affixed or secured to the moving platform,

receive, from the second inertial sensor, a signal useable to determine movement of the tracking device within the established frame of reference;

provide a notification,

receive a response to the notification, and

based on the response indicating an acceptance, process the signal received from the second inertial sensor and the signal received from the first inertial sensor to determine the movement of the tracking device within the established frame of reference.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to track the movement of the tracking device within the established frame of reference.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to determine that the established frame of reference has been established based, at least in part, on the signal received from the first inertial sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to determine that the established frame of reference has been established based, at least in part, on the signal received from the second inertial sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to determine that the established frame of reference has been established based, at least in part, on the signal received from the first inertial sensor and the signal received from the second inertial sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to determine that the established frame of reference has been established based, at least in part, on the signal received from the first inertial sensor and contextual data received by the tracking device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the contextual data identifies a location of the portable device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises a processor in communication with the computer-readable storage medium, the executable instructions further configured to cause the tracking device to:

interpret a pattern of the signal received from the first inertial sensor, and

determine that the established frame of reference has been established based, at least in part, on the pattern.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises a processor in communication with the computer-readable storage medium, the executable instructions further configured to cause the tracking device to:

obtain data identifying a threshold,

monitor the signal received from the first inertial sensor to determine that the signal received from the first inertial sensor meets the threshold, and

determine that the established frame of reference has been established based, at least in part, the signal received from the first inertial sensor meeting the threshold.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a portable device of a user, input that indicates the portable device is affixed or secured to a moving platform,

receiving a signal from a first inertial sensor mounted on the portable device;

receiving a signal from a second inertial sensor mounted on a tracking device of the user being carried by the moving platform;

determining, based at least in part on the portable device being affixed or secured to the moving platform and the signal received from the first inertial sensor, that a frame of reference is established;

providing a notification;

receiving a response to the notification; and

based on the response indicating an acceptance, processing the signal received from the second inertial sensor and the signal received from the first inertial sensor to detect movement of the tracking device within the frame of reference.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining that the frame of reference is established is further based, at least in part, on the signal received from the second inertial sensor.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining that the frame of reference is established is further based, at least in part, on contextual data.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the contextual data identifies a location of the portable device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the contextual data defines user activity.

15. A device of a user comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to;

receive, from a portable device of the user, input that indicates the portable device is affixed or secured to a moving platform,

receive a signal from a first inertial sensor mounted on the portable device;

receive a signal from a second inertial sensor being carried by the moving platform, the second inertial sensor associated with the device;

determine, based at least in part on the portable device being affixed or secured to the moving platform and the signal received from the first inertial sensor, that a frame of reference is established;

provide a notification;

receive a response to the notification; and

based on the response indicating an acceptance, process the signal received from the second inertial sensor and the signal received from the first inertial sensor to detect movement of the device within the frame of reference.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein determining that the frame of reference is established is further based, at least in part, on contextual data.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the contextual data identifies a location of the portable device.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the contextual data defines user activity.