Single-camera tracking of an object

• US 20030063292A1
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mostafavi, Hassan
• Granted Patent: US 6,973,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/614
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4263 using sensors not mounted on the probe, e.g. mounted on an external reference frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1059 using cameras imaging the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 : Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 : Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods

Abstract

A method and system for determining the position and orientation of an object is disclosed. A set of markers attached or associated with the object is optically tracked and geometric translation is performed to use the coordinates of the set of markers to determine the location and orientation of their associated object.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a location and orientation of an object in three-dimensional space using a single camera for the tracking action, comprising:

(a) surveying a plurality of markers on a marker block;

(b) calibrating an imaging device that is used to image the marker block;

(c) obtaining a prior image data set;

(d) projecting the prior image data set;

(e) obtaining an image frame data set using the imaging device, the image frame set comprising image data for at least three markers from the plurality of markers;

(f) analyzing the image frame data to determine if the prior image data set is within acceptable threshold tolerance;

(g) adjusting the prior image data set if results of (f) are not within the acceptable threshold tolerances; and

(h) accepting the prior image data for the position and orientation of the object if results of (f) are within the acceptable threshold tolerances;