DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFICATION OF OBJECT IN AN IMAGE, AND A TRANSPONDER

• US 20150235064A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ID Tag Technology Group
• Original Assignee: ID Tag Technology Group
• Inventors: Johannesen, Erik, Myhre, Brd, Holter, Bengt
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/48 the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A device and method for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device, wherein each of the at least one object is provided with a wireless tag, the device comprising at least one sensor for registering a wireless signal from the wireless tag and for registering at least one direction to the wireless tag. The wireless signal comprises information for identification of the object.

Claims

1-43. -43. (canceled)

44. A device for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device, where each of the at least one objects is provided with a wireless tag having stored thereon identification information related to the object, the device for identification comprising:

at least one transmitter operable for transmitting at least one interrogation signal;

at least two sensors operable for detecting wireless response signals from wireless tags responding to the at least one interrogation signal, wherein the wireless response signal from a wireless tag comprises identification information related to that object, wherein a direction to each of the wireless tags is estimated based on a phase difference of the wireless response signals detected by the at least two sensors.

45. Device according to claim 44, wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprises a radiation null.

46. Device according to claim 44, wherein the at least one transmitter is provided by at least one of the at least two sensors.

47. Device according to claim 44, wherein the device is operable for allowing detection only of the wireless response signals detected by the at least two sensors within a time window after transmission of the at least one interrogation signal.

48. Device according to claim 44, wherein the at least two sensors and the transmitter are antennas operable for receiving electromagnetic signals.

49. Device according to claim 44, wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter and the at least two sensors are radio frequency receivers, or the transmitter is an acoustic transmitter and the at least two sensors are acoustic receivers, or the transmitter is an infrared transmitter and the at least two sensors are infrared receivers, or the transmitter is operable to transmit visible light and the at least two sensors are operable to receive visible light.

50. Device according to claim 44, further comprising a processing device suitable for processing of the registered identification information from the wireless tags and the registered direction of the wireless tags together with image data for the image registered with the image registration device.

51. Device according to claim 50, where the processing device is suitable for performing processing in real time.

52. Device according to claim 44, where the wireless tag is an RFID-tag and the first sensor and the second sensor is provided by an RFID reader with at least two antennas.

53. Device according to claim 50, where the device is provided with a matrix of RFID antennas.

54. Device according to claim 50, where the RFID tag is an active RFID tag or a passive RFID tag.

55. Device according to claim 44, where the wireless tag is arranged in a terminal, in a cover of a terminal, or on an item to be worn by a person (e.g in a watch, on jewelry, a bracelet, in an ID card) or in a unit to be arranged on a building or commodity.

56. Device according to claim 44, where the image registration device is a camera or a film/video camera.

57. Device according to claim 44, where the device is integrated in a terminal, wherein the terminal is one of a mobile phone, a camera, a film/video camera, a PC or a tablet.

58. Device according to claim 44, where the device comprising a display device for displaying an image registered with the image registration device.

59. Device according to claim 44, where the sensor for registration of the wireless signal is arranged in an image registration sensor of the image registration device.

60. Device according to claim 44, where the device is arranged to be mounted on at least one of a mobile phone, a camera, a film/video camera, a PC or a tablet.

61. Device according to claim 44, where the at least one object is at least one of a building, an item/article, a person or an animal.

62. Device according to claim 44, where the information is at least one of text, audio, video, name, address, e-mail, link to information stored on the internet or reference to information stored on the internet.

63. Device according to claim 44 further comprising a memory unit operable for storing the information and position of the identified at least one object together with the image of the at least one object.

64. An imaging device comprising a device for identification of at least one object in an image according to claim 44.

80. System for identification of at least one object in an image, the system comprising:

at least one wireless transponder device suitable to be assigned to an object and providing a wireless tag for the object, the wireless transponder device comprising;

a storage device for storing information for identification of the object, and

a transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal as a response to an interrogation signal, wherein the wireless signal comprising the stored information for identification of the object; and

a device for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device according to claim 44.

81. System according to claim 80, further comprising a processing device suitable for processing of the registered identification information from the wireless tag and the registered direction of the wireless tag together with the image data of the image registered with the image registration device.

65. A method for identification of at least one object in an image, wherein each of the at least one object is provided with a wireless tag having stored thereon identification information related to the object, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one interrogation signal,

detecting by at least two sensors wireless signals from wireless tags responding to the at least one the interrogation signal, wherein the wireless signals comprise information for identification of the objects; and

estimating at least one direction of each of the wireless tags responding to the at least one interrogation signal based on a phase difference in the detected wireless signals.

66. Method according to claim 65, wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprising a radiation null.

67. Method according to claim 65, further comprising detecting only the wireless response signals arrived in a time window after transmission of the at least one interrogation signal.

68. Method according to claim 65, wherein the interrogation signal comprising a first radiation pattern with an intensity maximum.

69. Method according to claim 65, wherein the interrogation signal further comprising a second radiation pattern comprising a radiation null.

70. Method according to claim 65, further comprising scanning an angular range in a field of view of the imaging device by using a radiation pattern comprising a radiation null.

71. Method according to claim 65, further comprising scanning an angular range by processing the wireless response signals detected by the at least two sensors.

72. Method according to claim 65, further comprising position determination of the wireless tag.

73. Method according to claim 65, wherein the at least one interrogation signal and the wireless signals are electromagnetic signals or acoustic signals.

74. Method according to claim 73, wherein the electromagnetic signals are radio waves, infrared light or visible light.

75. Method according to claim 65, further comprising registering the image with an image registration device.

76. Method according to claim 65, further comprising processing of the registered identification information from the at least one wireless tags and the estimated directions of the at least one wireless tags together with the image data from the image registration device and displaying the image on a display device together with information assigned to each one of the at least one object.

77. Method according to claim 65, where at least one of registering, processing, and displaying are performed in real time.

78. Method according to claim 65, further comprising storing on a storage device the image together with information assigned to each one of the at least one object.

79. Computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code for performing the method for identification of at least one object according to claim 65.

82. A device for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device, wherein each of the at least one object is provided with a wireless tag, the device comprising at least one sensor for registering a wireless signal from the wireless tag and for registering at least one direction to the wireless tag, and where the wireless signal comprises information for identification of the object.

83. A device according to claim 82, further comprising

at least one transmitter operable for transmitting at least one interrogation signal,

wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprises a radiation null.