Item tracking and processing systems and methods
First Claim
1. A data acquisition and display device, comprising:
- an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device; and
a see-through display to display information and instructions about one or more items viewed through the see-through display, said information and instructions appearing proximately superimposed on at least one of the one or more items.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for processing one or more items. The systems involve a data acquisition device and a display device. At least one data acquisition device and the display device may be mounted on frames having a see-through display and an orientation sensor. An item tracking system tracks the items to be processed. The orientation sensor determines the orientation and position of the wearer of the data acquisition device and the display device such that the wearer of the device may see information about or related to the items in the wearer'"'"'s field of view. In a see-through display, this information may appear to be proximately superimposed on the item. A method of using the invention includes viewing characteristic information about items on a display device and processing the items in accordance with the characteristic information.
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Citations
83 Claims
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1. A data acquisition and display device, comprising:
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an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device; and
a see-through display to display information and instructions about one or more items viewed through the see-through display, said information and instructions appearing proximately superimposed on at least one of the one or more items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A data acquisition and display device, comprising:
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an information gathering device to capture data about one or more items;
an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device; and
a see-through display to display information and instructions about at least one of the one or more items, said information and instructions appearing proximately superimposed on at least one of the one or more items. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A data acquisition and display device, comprising:
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an image camera to capture image data about one or more items;
an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
a see-through display to display information and instructions about at least one of the one or more items, said information and instructions appearing proximately superimposed on the item;
an inertial sensor, wherein the inertial sensor provides orientation information of the data acquisition and display device during movement of the data acquisition and display device; and
a local computer in communication with the image camera, active beacon detection device, see-through display, and inertial sensor, wherein the local computer decodes image data from the image camera, computes the orientation and position of the wearer of the data acquisition and display device from the orientation and position information captured by the active beacon detection device and the inertial sensor, and provides information and instructions to be displayed in the see-through display about at least one of the items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A tracking system, comprising:
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a source of energy;
one or more passive beacons proximately located on one or more items, said passive beacons reactive to the source of energy;
two or more fixed detectors that are each capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon; and
a passive beacon location tracking computer in communication with the two or more fixed detectors, wherein the passive beacon location tracking computer knows the location of each fixed detector relative to the other fixed detectors and the passive beacon location tracking computer is able to compute the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the item changes. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An item processing system, comprising:
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a data acquisition and display device, the data acquisition and display device further comprised of;
an information gathering device to capture data about one or more item;
an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
a see-through display to display information and instructions about the one or more items, said information and instructions appearing proximately superimposed on the item; and
a local computer in communication with the information gathering device, active beacon detection device, and see-through display, wherein the local computer decodes data from the information gathering device, computes the orientation and position of the wearer of the data acquisition and display device from the orientation and position information captured by the active beacon detection device, and provides information and instructions to be displayed in the see-through display about one or more items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device; and
a tracking system, the tracking system further comprised of;
a source of energy;
a passive beacon proximately located on the item, said passive beacon is reactive to the source of energy;
two or more fixed detectors each capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon; and
a passive beacon location tracking computer in communication with the two or more fixed detectors, wherein the passive beacon location tracking computer knows the location of each fixed detector relative to the other fixed detectors and the passive beacon location tracking computer is able to compute the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the one or more items change; and
two or more unique active beacons having known locations that provide orientation and position signals to the active beacon detection device, wherein information about one or more items'"'"' location is provided to the local computer from the tracking system so that the local computer can determine what items are in the data acquisition and display device'"'"'s field of view and information about those items can be displayed in the see-through display such that the instructions and information appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of processing an item, comprising:
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viewing one or more items while wearing a data acquisition and display device having a see-through display;
displaying processing instructions on the see-through display, wherein said processing instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items; and
processing the one or more items in accordance with the processing instructions. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of processing an item, comprising:
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tracking one or more items with a tracking system as the one or more items'"'"' locations changes;
determining the orientation and position of a wearer of a data acquisition and display device having a see-through display;
determining which of the one or more items are in the field of view of the see-through display of the data acquisition and display device;
viewing at least one of the one or more items through the see-through display of the data acquisition and display device;
displaying processing instructions relevant to at least one of the one or more items on the see-through display, wherein said processing instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items; and
processing the one or more items in accordance with the processing instructions. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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51. A method of displaying information about one or more items in a see-through display of a data acquisition and display device, comprising:
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capturing orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
determining a field of view of the see-through display from the captured orientation and position information; and
displaying information on the see-through display about the one or more items in the field of view of the see-through display such that said information appears proximately superimposed on the one or more items when the one or more items are viewed through the see-through display. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. A method of displaying information in a see-through display of a data acquisition and display device, comprising:
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capturing data about one or more items;
determining information and instructions about the one or more items from the captured data;
capturing orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device;
determining a field of view of the see-through display from the captured orientation and position information; and
displaying information and instructions on the see-through display about at least one of the one or more items in the field of view of see-through display such that said information and instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items when the one or more items are viewed through the see-through display. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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56. A method of tracking one or more items, comprising:
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providing a source of energy;
locating a passive beacon proximately on an item, said passive beacon is reactive to the source of energy;
providing two or more fixed detectors having known fixed locations relative to one another, each fixed detector capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon; and
computing the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the one or more items changes. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A method of tracking one or more items, comprising:
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providing a source of energy;
locating a passive beacon proximately on the one or more items, said passive beacon reactive to the source of energy;
providing two or more fixed detectors having known fixed locations relative to one another, each fixed detector capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon;
computing the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the location of the one or more items changes;
providing a data acquisition and display device having a see-through display, an information gathering device, a local computer, and a beacon detection device;
capturing data about the one or more items with the information gathering device;
determining information about the one or more items from the captured data with the local computer;
capturing orientation and position information about the data acquisition and display device with the beacon detection device;
determining a field of view of the see-through display from the captured orientation and position information;
determining if at least one of the one or more items are in the field of view of the see-through display from the location of the passive beacon; and
displaying information and instructions on the see-through display about at least one of the one or more items if the one or more items are in the field of view of see-through display such that said information and instructions appear proximately superimposed on the one or more items when the one or more items are viewed through the see-through display. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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63. A method of tracking items, comprising:
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providing a data acquisition and display device having an information gathering device to capture data about an item, an active beacon detection device to capture orientation and position information about a wearer of the data acquisition and display device, a see-through display to display information and instructions about the item, and a local computer in communication with the information gathering device, active beacon detection device, and see-through display, wherein the local computer decodes data from the information gathering device, computes the orientation and position of the wearer of the data acquisition and display device from the orientation and position information captured by the active beacon detection device, and provides information and instructions to be displayed in the see-through display about at least one of the items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device; and
providing a tracking system having a source of energy, a passive beacon located on the item that is reactive to the source of energy, two or more fixed detectors that are each capable of detecting energy transmitted or reflected from the passive beacon, and a passive beacon location tracking computer in communication with the two or more fixed detectors, wherein the passive beacon location tracking computer knows the location of each fixed detector relative to the other fixed detectors and the passive beacon location tracking computer is able to compute the location of the passive beacon from the energy received by the two or more fixed detectors from the passive beacon as the locations of the items change;
providing information about the one or more items'"'"' location to the local computer from the tracking system so that the local computer can determine what items are in the data acquisition and display device'"'"'s field of view;
displaying information about at least one of the items in the field of view of the data acquisition and display device in the see-through display such that the instructions and information appear proximately superimposed on the item.
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64. A method of computing the orientation and position of a wearer of a data acquisition and display device, comprising:
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providing two or more unique active beacons having known locations relative to one another;
providing a data acquisition and display device having a beacon detection device with a defined field of view;
sensing two or more unique active beacons within the beacon detection device'"'"'s field of view; and
determining the location of the data acquisition and display device relative to the known location of the two or more unique active beacons within the field of view of the beacon detection device. - View Dependent Claims (65)
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66. A method of calibrating a fixed camera of an optical tracking system, comprising:
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A) placing the optical tracking system in calibration mode for the selected uncalibrated fixed camera;
B) placing a reflective passive beacon within the field of view of two or more fixed cameras, at least one of which is the selected uncalibrated fixed camera;
C) providing an energy source that will reflect from the reflective passive beacon and can be detected by the two or more fixed cameras;
D) covering and uncovering the reflective passive beacon thus causing the reflective passive beacon to “
wink”
at the two or more fixed cameras, one of which is the selected uncalibrated fixed camera;
E) computing the possible locations of the two or more fixed cameras, one of which is the selected uncalibrated fixed camera, relative to one another;
E) repositioning the reflective passive beacon within the field of view of the two or more fixed cameras, one of which is the selected uncalibrated fixed camera; and
F) repeating steps D through E until a location for each uncalibrated fixed camera of the two or more fixed cameras is determined. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68)
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69. A system for processing items, comprising:
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a tracking system, configured to provide location information for each of a plurality of items on a surface; and
a display device for viewing characteristic information for each of the plurality of items at their respective locations. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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Specification