LOCAL POSITIONING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090086014A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Georgeson, Gary E., Hansen, Jeffrey, Lea, Scott, Smith, Matthew W., Troy, James, Richards, Charles, Matsen, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,044,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

A local positioning system which includes a video camera, a computer communicating with the video camera and a target object sighted by the video camera and having a target object coordinate system. The computer is adapted to define a relative position and orientation of the video camera with respect to the target object, determine a position and orientation of the video camera in the target object coordinate system, and determine the position of a point of interest in the target object coordinate system. The system can also be used to aim the camera at a previously recorded point of interest on the target object. Contact with, or close proximity to, the target object is not required. A local positioning method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A local positioning system, comprising:

a support;

a pan-tilt mechanism carried by said support;

a video camera carried by said pan-tilt mechanism;

said pan-tilt mechanism is adapted to pan and tilt said video camera;

a computer communicating with said video camera and said pan-tilt mechanism;

a target object sighted by said video camera and having a point of interest to be measured and a target object coordinate system; and

said computer is adapted to define a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object, determine a position and orientation of said video camera in said target object coordinate system, and determine a position of said point of interest in said target object coordinate system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein a localization application is programmed into firmware on an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or FPGA (field programmable gate array) in place of software from said computer.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one laser pointer provided on said video camera.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer is adapted to retrieve a three-dimensional model of said target object and display said target object coordinate system and said point of interest on said three-dimensional model of said target object.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said computer is adapted to indicate locations of previously recorded points of interest comprising previous repair locations of said target object on said three-dimensional model of said target object.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said computer is adapted to save digital photographs of said previous repairs of said target object with said three--dimensional model of said target object.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of an image capture or display components of said system comprises a crosshair generator.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein an optical sighting instrument comprising a telescope is used in place of the video camera.

8. A local positioning system, comprising:

a support;

a pan-tilt mechanism carried by said support;

a video camera carried by said pan-tilt mechanism and having a camera coordinate system;

said pan-tilt mechanism is adapted to move said video camera at selected angles with respect to an azimuth axis and at a selected angle of rotation along an elevation axis;

a computer communicating with said video camera and said pan-tilt mechanism;

a target object sighted by said video camera and having a point of interest and a target object coordinate system;

said video camera is adapted to image a plurality of calibration points of known location on said target object; and

said computer is adapted to define a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object based on said plurality of calibration points, generate a camera pose transformation matrix based on said relative position and orientation, convert position vectors defined in said camera coordinate system into said target object coordinate system, determine a precise position and orientation of said video camera in said target object coordinate system, and determine a position of said point of interest in said target object coordinate system by performing coordinate system transformations using said camera pose transformation matrix.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a localization application is programmed into firmware on an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or FPGA (field programmable gate array) in place of software from said computer.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising at least one laser pointer provided on said video camera.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said computer is adapted to retrieve a three-dimensional model of said target object and display said target object coordinate system and said point of interest on said three-dimensional model of said target object.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said computer is adapted to indicate locations of previous repairs of said target object on said three-dimensional model of said target object.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said computer is adapted to save digital photographs of said previous repairs of said target object with said three-dimensional model of said target object.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein one of an image capture or display components of said system comprises a crosshair generator.

24. The system of claim 8 wherein an optical sighting instrument comprising a telescope is used in place of the video camera.

15. A local positioning method, comprising:

providing a video camera having a camera coordinate system;

said video camera is adapted to pan at selected angles with respect to an azimuth axis and tilt at a selected angle of rotation along an elevation axis;

providing a target object having a target object coordinate system and a plurality of calibration points of known location and a point of interest on said target object;

sighting said video camera on said plurality of calibration points on said target object;

defining a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object based on said plurality of calibration points;

generating a camera pose transformation matrix based on said relative position and orientation;

converting position vectors defined in said camera coordinate system into said target object coordinate system;

determining a precise position and orientation of said video camera in said target object coordinate system;

sighting said video camera on said point of interest on said target object; and

determining a position of said point of interest in said target object coordinate system by performing coordinate system transformations using said camera pose transformation matrix.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of defining a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object comprises utilizing at least three of said calibration points on said target object to define said position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of defining a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object comprises utilizing five of said calibration points lying on a common plane on said target object to define said position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of defining a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object comprises utilizing seven of said calibration points on said target object to define said position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of defining a relative position and orientation of said video camera with respect to said target object comprises providing a laser and utilizing a distance measurement from said laser to said target object to estimate a distance from said video camera to said calibration points on said target object.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of providing a three-dimensional model of said target object and displaying said target object coordinate system and said point of interest on said three-dimensional model of said target object.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of indicating locations of previous repairs of said target object on said three-dimensional model of said target object.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising the step of saving digital photographs of said previous repairs of said target object with said three-dimensional model of said target object.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein an optical sighting instrument comprising a telescope is used in place of the video camera.