SYSTEM AND METHOD TO IDENTIFY AND TRACK OBJECTS ON A SURFACE

• US 20140340523A1
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tilt Five, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Castar, Inc.
• Inventors: Ellsworth, Jeri J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,555,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/169
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A system is provided by which objects with RFID tags can communicate with a surface containing exciting and sensing antennas so as to actuate optical emission from those objects. That light emission can then be used for fine position and orientation sensing by an array of cameras placed around the surface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a surface with one or more embedded loop antennas, said antennas connected to RFID type electronic exciting and sensing circuitry;

one or more movable objects placed on said surface, said objects having RFID tag circuitry compatible with said exciting and sensing circuitry;

one or more optical emitters mounted in or on said objects, wherein said emitters are under the control of command signals received by said objects through said RFID tags;

one or more cameras, said cameras arrayed around said surface wherein the light from said emitters may be received by said cameras;

one or more control computers communicating with said exciting and sensing circuitry and said cameras, wherein said computers execute algorithms to derive the existence, identity, position and orientation of said objects, with respect to said surface.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more actuation means, in or on, one or more said objects, wherein said computers may control said actuation means through communications sent by said exciting and sensing circuitry.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein switching circuitry under the control of said computers is able to change the effective region of excitation and sensing of said antenna loops.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna loops are arrayed in overlapping planes, said planes oriented in orthogonal directions with regard to each other.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more said objects have means of sensing environmental conditions and communicating information received through said sensors to said computers through said RFID tags and said excitation and sensing circuitry.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more said objects have means of sensing environmental conditions and communicating information received through said sensors to said computers through modulation of said light emission.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said actuation means controls animatronic or display actions of said objects.

10. A method for determining the placement and orientation of objects on a surface comprising the steps:

a. providing a surface containing RFID excitation and sensing means;

b. providing objects with attached or embedded RFID tags compatible with said excitation and sensing means;

c. providing light emitting means in, or attached to said objects, wherein commands received by said RFID tags control said light emission;

d. providing one or more cameras, wherein said cameras are arrayed about said surface so as to receive said light emission;

e. providing one or more computers, wherein said computers control said excitation and sensing circuitry and wherein said computers receive images from said cameras;

f. switching through a pattern of activation of said RFID antennas so as to roughly locate said objects on said surface by RFID reply from said RFID tags;

g. sending commands to said roughly located objects activating said light emission from said objects;

h. analyzing images of said light emission returned to said computers from said cameras to extract the fine position and orientation of said objects.

11. A method for actuation of objects placed on a surface comprising the steps:

a. providing a surface containing RFID excitation and sensing means;

b. providing objects with attached or embedded RFID tags compatible with said excitation and sensing means;

c. providing actuation means in, or attached to said objects, wherein commands received by said RFID tags control said actuation;

d. providing one or more computers, wherein said computers control said excitation and sensing circuitry;

e. communicating through activation of said RFID antennas so as to identify said objects on said surface by RFID reply from said RFID tags;

f. sending commands to said objects activating said actuation means in or on said objects.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said actuation means facilitates animatronics or other display behavior of said objects.

13. A method for gathering of data from objects placed on a surface comprising the steps:

a. providing a surface containing RFID excitation and sensing means;

b. providing objects with attached or embedded RFID tags compatible with said excitation and sensing means;

c. providing sensing means in, or attached to said objects, wherein commands received by said RFID tags control said sensing means for the purpose of returning data;

d. providing one or more computers, wherein said computers control said excitation and sensing circuitry;

e. communicating through activation of said RFID antennas so as to identify said objects on said surface by RFID reply from said RFID tags;

f. sending commands to said objects activating said sensing means, said means provided in or on said objects;

g. receiving said sensor data at said computers through said RFID communication means.

14. A method for gathering of data from objects placed on a surface comprising the steps:

a. providing a surface containing RFID excitation and sensing means;

b. providing objects with attached or embedded RFID tags compatible with said excitation and sensing means;

c. providing sensing means in, or attached to said objects, wherein commands received by said RFID tags control said sensing means;

d. providing said objects with light emission means, wherein said means transmits the data from said sensors a modulated light emission;

e. providing one or more cameras or optical signal receivers, wherein said cameras or receivers are arrayed about said surface so as to receive said light emission;

f. providing one or more computers, wherein said computers control said excitation and sensing circuitry;

g. communicating through activation of said RFID antennas so as to identify said objects on said surface by RFID reply from said RFID tags;

h. sending commands to said objects activating said sensing means provided in or on said objects;

i. receiving said sensor data at said computers through analysis of images or demodulated light reception by said cameras or optical signal receivers.