METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RFID-ASSISTED IMAGING

• US 20130228620A1
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Schoner, Bernd, Ahern, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,668,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• 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: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/178 Metadata, e.g. disparity information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document

Abstract

A method includes acquiring imaging data of a scene using an imaging tool. The method also includes extracting radio frequency identification (RFID) data stored in an RFID tag associated with the scene. The method further includes associating the RFID data with the imaging data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring imaging data of a scene using an imaging tool;

extracting radio frequency identification (RFID) data stored in an RFID tag associated with the scene; and

associating the RFID data with the imaging data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the RFID data and the imaging data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the RFID data is stored as metadata along with the imaging data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging data is associated with one or more objects in the scene and the RFID tag is associated with at least one of the one or more objects.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein extracting RFID data comprises detecting the RFID tag using an RFID reader.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring imaging data and detecting the RFID tag are performed concurrently.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the RFID data in relation to the imaging data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging data includes a point cloud representing the object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging tool comprises a laser scanner.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging tool comprises one or more cameras.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader is co-located with the imaging tool.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the imaging tool has a first field of view, and the RFID reader has a second field of view, and wherein the second field of view at least partially overlaps with the first field of view.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising varying the second field of view of the RFID reader, thereby facilitating a unique identification of the object.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second field of view of the RFID reader is varied statically or dynamically.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging tool and the RFID reader reside in a hand-held device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID data includes an identification of the object.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID data includes reference information about the object.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID data includes a reference to a computer-added design (CAD) model of the object.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is embedded in an optical marker, and the RFID data stored in the RFID tag include an identification of the optical marker.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the imaging data include two or more images of the object acquired from at least two different perspectives, each of the two or more images including the optical marker, and the method further comprises:

identifying the optical marker using the RFID data; and

creating a three-dimensional point cloud of the object from the two or more images using the optical marker as a reference point.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising, before identifying the optical marker:

determining a distance from the RFID reader to the optical marker using the RFID reader;

determining an angle of view of the optical marker with respect to the imaging tool using the imaging tool; and

determining a location of the optical marker based on the determined distance and the determined angle of view.

22. A system comprising:

an imaging tool operable to acquire imaging data of a scene; and

an RFID reader operable to extract RFID data stored in an RFID tag associated with the scene.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein one or more objects are present in the scene and the RFID tag is associated with at least one of the one or more objects.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID reader is further operable to detect the RFID tag.

25. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operable to;

associate the RFID data with the imaging data; and

store the RFID data as metadata along with the imaging data in the memory.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the processor is further operable to construct a 3D point cloud using the imaging data.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID data is associated with the imaging data and is retrievable via the association with the imaging data.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID data includes a metadata tag associated with the imaging data.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the imaging data include a point cloud representing the object.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the imaging tool comprises a laser scanner.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the imaging tool comprises one or more cameras.

32. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID reader and the imaging tool are co-located.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the imaging tool has a first field of view, and the RFID reader has a second field of view, and wherein the second field of view at least partially overlaps with the first field of view.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the second field of view of the RFID reader is statically or dynamically variable.

35. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID data include at least one of an identification or reference information of the object.

36. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID data include information related to a CAD model of the object.

37. The system of claim 22 wherein the RFID tag is embedded in an optical marker, and the RFID data stored in the RFID tag include an identification of the optical marker.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the imaging data include two or more images of the object acquired from at least two different perspectives, each image including the optical marker, and the processor is further configured to:

identify the optical marker using the RFID data; and

create a three-dimensional point cloud from the two or more images using the optical marker as a reference point.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location of the optical marker by:

determining a distance from the RFID reader to the optical marker;

determining an angle of view from the optical marker with respect to the imaging tool to the; and

determining a location of the optical marker based on the determined distance and the determined angle of view.

40. A method of collecting information comprising:

acquiring imaging data of a plurality of objects using an imaging tool; and

for at least one object of the plurality of objects;

extracting RFID data stored in an RFID tag;

creating an image representation of a scene including the at least one object from the imaging data; and

associating the RFID data with the image representation.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising storing the RFID data and the image representation.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising identifying the at least one object from the imaging data using the RFID data.

43. The method of claim 40 further comprising detecting the RFID tag associated with the respective object prior to extracting RFID data stored in the RFID tag.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the image representation for each object comprises a point cloud.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

receiving a search query related to a first object from the plurality of objects;

identifying a matching point cloud from the stored point clouds using the stored RFID data; and

displaying a visual representation of the matching point cloud.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the RFID data include at least one of an identification or reference information for the at least one object.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the search query includes an identification of the at least one object.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the search query comprises a link provided on a user interface.

49. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

displaying a visual representation of one or more stored image representations;

identifying one or more objects corresponding to the one or more image representations using the stored RFID data; and

displaying a list of the one or more identified objects along with the visual representation.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the one or more identified objects in the list; and

in response to receiving the user selection;

retrieving the RFID data associated with the selected object; and

displaying at least a portion of the retrieved RFID data.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the RFID data associated with the respective object include an identification of the respective object, and the method further comprises:

linking the stored image representations and the stored RFID data with a database, wherein the database includes reference information related to each object of the subset of the plurality of objects, and the reference information is retrievable based on the identification of each object.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the one or more identified objects in the list; and

in response to receiving the user selection;

retrieving the reference information from the database based on the identification of the selected object; and

displaying at least a portion of the retrieved reference information data.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the additional information includes lifecycle information of the selected object.

54. The method of claim 40 wherein the RFID data include a CAD model of the respective object, and the method further comprises:

displaying a visual representation of one of more image representations associated with one or more objects of the plurality of objects;

retrieving one or more CAD models corresponding to the one or more objects; and

overlaying the one or more CAD models on the displayed visual representation of the one or more image representations.

55. A method of constructing a 3D point cloud, the method comprising:

obtaining a first image including at least a scene from a first perspective, wherein the first image includes an optical marker;

receiving RFID data from an RFID tag associated with the optical marker;

identifying a physical location associated with the optical marker using the RFID data;

obtaining a second image including at least the scene from a second perspective, wherein the second image includes the optical marker; and

constructing the 3D point cloud using the first image and the second image.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein obtaining the first image and the second image comprises using an imaging tool and receiving RFID data comprises using an RFID tag reader integrated with imaging tool.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the scene comprises a plurality of assets.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein each of the plurality of assets are associated with an RFID tag including information related each of the plurality of assets.

59. The method of claim 55 wherein the optical marker comprises a reference point.

60. The method of claim 55 wherein the optical marker is co-located with the RFID tag.

61. The method of claim 55 wherein the optical marker is located a predetermined distance from the RFID tag and the RFID tag includes information related to the predetermined distance.