Method and apparatus for determining location and orientation of objects
First Claim
1. A method of determining spatial information about an object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:
- providing at least three identifiable collinear target points which lie on a single line projection, and in which said target points are in fixed relationship to said object;
obtaining image points on an image plane corresponding to said three collinear target points projected thereon;
determining position coordinates of said image points on said image plane; and
determining a direction vector in alignment with said collinear target points from said position coordinates of said image points.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A target plane in fixed relationship to an object provides a first triad of three collinear target points which lie on a first line projection and a second triad of target points which lie on a second line projection which is in nonalignment with the first triad. A photo detector image plane obtains images of the target points projected on the image plane through a lens located a fixed distance from the image plane. Simple algebraic manipulation of image plane position coordinates of the images corresponding to the target points provides for the establishment of vector replicas of the position of the target points. The vector replicas, in turn, are sufficient data to provide spatial information about the object including position and oriention information with full six-degrees-of-freedom.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of determining spatial information about an object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:
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providing at least three identifiable collinear target points which lie on a single line projection, and in which said target points are in fixed relationship to said object; obtaining image points on an image plane corresponding to said three collinear target points projected thereon; determining position coordinates of said image points on said image plane; and determining a direction vector in alignment with said collinear target points from said position coordinates of said image points. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of determining spatial information about an object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:
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providing a first triad of collinear target points lying on a single line projection including at least first and second identifiable target points thereof, and a second triad of collinear target points including at least first and second identifiable target points thereof, said first and second triads each being in fixed relationship to said object and each having different direction vectors so as to define a target plane; determining position coordinates of image points on an image plane, said image points corresponding to projections of said first and second triad of target points onto said image plane; and determining the orientation of said target plane relative to said reference coordinate frame from said position coordinates of said image points. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for obtaining spatial information about an object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:
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at least first, second, and third collinear target spots, each having a median target point defining substantially collinear first, second, and third target points, respectively, and in which said first, second, and third target points lie on a single line projection, and in which said target points are, fixed in relation to said object; imaging means having a field of view including said target spots, said imaging means including an image plane for obtaining first, second, and third image spots corresponding to projections thereon of said target spots; first means for determining position coordinates of median image points of each image spot; and second means for determining a direction vector in alignment with said collinear target points from signals representative of said position coordinates of said image points. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for obtaining spatial information about an object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:
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at least first, second, third, and fourth coplanar target spots, each having a median target point defining first, second, third and fourth target points, respectively, and in which said target points are fixed in relation to said object, said first and second target points lying along a projection of a first line passing therethrough, and said third and fourth target points lying along a projection of a second line passing therethrough and intersecting said first line; imaging means having a field of view including said target spots, said imaging means including an image plane for obtaining first, second, third, and fourth image spots thereon corresponding to projections thereon of said target spots; first means for determining position coordinates of first, second, third, and fourth median image points corresponding to said first, second, third, and fourth target points, respectively; second means for, determining a first direction vector in alignment with said first line and a second direction vector in alignment with said second line from signals representative of said position coordinates of said image points, and determining the orientation of said object relative to said reference coordinate frame from said first and second direction vectors. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of determining spatial information about an object relative to a reference coordinate frame comprising:
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providing first, second, third, and fourth coplanar target points, said target points each being fixed in relationship to said object, said first and second target points defining a first line projection having associated therewith a direction vector, and said third and fourth target points defining a second line projection having a different direction vector, and wherein said first and second line projections intersect at a common point; determining position coordinates of image points on an image plane, said image points corresponding to projections of said image points onto said image plane; and determining the orientation of said target plane relative to said reference coordinate frame from said position coordinates of said image points. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification