POSITION MARKING AND REFERENCE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE PRACTICE

• US 20130082876A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smid, G. Edzko
• Original Assignee: Smid, G. Edzko
• Inventors: Smid, G. Edzko
• Application Number:
  US13/632,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082876A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning

Abstract

A method and system are provided for position marking to register precise locations on a stationary objects in space, and to refer back to the locations that same precise location at a later time, while establishing a local coordinate system without consideration for the global location or orientation of the object, thereby ensuring the object does not need to be re-positioned or re-orientated before marking and referring to any object'"'"'s locations. The problem that a local coordinate reference system based on reference beacons is not correlated to the object'"'"'s reference frame is addressed through a novel calibration method. By eliminating consideration for coordinate setup and the need to physically move the object in the operating space, a more robust measurement is achieved that replaces such conventional steps with an easy to conduct calibration process that reduces the chance for human error.

Claims

1. A method for position marking of an object, said method comprising:

(a) calibrating position tracking information and direction on the object from global or local reference beacons to yield an object internal coordinate frame reference;

(b) obtaining local coordinates for two or more points (P₁, P₂ . . . P_N) on the object from the object internal coordinate frame reference to yield an obtained position location information for the object;

(c) determining a direction of orientation from the two or more points for the object to yield a determined direction of orientation of the object; and

(d) calculating a translation value of the object between the determined direction of orientation of said object and the obtained position location information for the position marking of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a minimum of two points of location on the object are needed to obtain calibration for a 2-dimensional object.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the object internal coordinate frame reference is generated without global location or orientation of the object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the object internal coordinate frame reference is generated without moving of the object.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the object internal coordinate frame reference is generated with said global or local reference beacons having line of sight to the object.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the position tracking information and direction is converted to the object internal coordinate reference frame using global positioning satellite (GPS) reference beacons.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the method steps of (a), (b), (c), and (d) at a later time to determine temporal movement of the object.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step (d) satisfies the expression

[x y z]_object=R_{Track Object}([x y z]_track−

[x₀ y₀ z₀]_object)

where R_{Track Object} is the position tracking information and direction of the object, [x₀ y₀ z₀]_object is an initial position of the object from the object internal coordinate frame reference, and [x y z]_track is the translation value.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising transferring [x y z] _object, or set of R_{Track Object}, [x y z]_track, [x₀ y₀ z₀]_object, or a combination thereof to a data storage device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the transferring step is wireless.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the transferring step is to a robotic device subsequently in proximity to the object.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a man-made structure.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is positioned in a crime scene or archaeological site.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a geologic feature.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is an anatomical feature.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more points relate to a center internal reference frame of the object.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the object in response to the position marking of the object.