Noncontact position and orientation measurement system and method
First Claim
1. A noncontact position and orientation measurement system comprising:
- at least four beacons disposed on a first object, each beacon operable to generate an optical signal;
a beacon controller operable to activate and deactivate each of the beacons;
an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object and operable to generate an output signal for each optical signal received from the beacons; and
a signal controller coupled to the electro-optical sensor and operable to determine a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor, the signal controller further operable to, in response to a received optical signal, adaptively control a sequence of beacon activation and deactivation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A noncontact position and orientation measurement system includes at least four beacons disposed on a first object. Each beacon is operable to generate an optical signal. The system also includes a beacon controller operable to sequentially activate and deactivate each of the beacons. The system also includes an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object. The electro-optical sensor is operable to generate an output signal for each optical signal received from the beacons. The system further includes a signal con-roller coupled to the electro-optical sensor. The signal controller is operable to determine a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor.
140 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A noncontact position and orientation measurement system comprising:
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at least four beacons disposed on a first object, each beacon operable to generate an optical signal;
a beacon controller operable to activate and deactivate each of the beacons;
an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object and operable to generate an output signal for each optical signal received from the beacons; and
a signal controller coupled to the electro-optical sensor and operable to determine a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor, the signal controller further operable to, in response to a received optical signal, adaptively control a sequence of beacon activation and deactivation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for noncontact position and orientation measurement comprising:
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activating and deactivating each of at least four beacons disposed on a first object, each beacon operable to generate an optical signal;
receiving the optical signals generated by each of the beacons at an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object;
determining a sequence of beacon activation and deactivation in response to the optical signals received at the electro-optical sensor;
generating an output signal corresponding to each optical signal received from each beacon using the electro-optical sensor; and
determining a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
determining a current level of the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor; and
regulating an amplitude of the beacons to optimize the current level of the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor.
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16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the optical signals generated by the beacons through a lens disposed between the beacons and the electro-optical sensor to focus the optical signals on the electro-optical sensor.
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17. The method of claim 11, further comprising passing the optical signals through a diffuser disposed between the beacons and the electro-optical sensor to diffuse the optical signals.
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18. The method of claim 11, further comprising modulating an amplitude of a next optical signal generated by one of the at least four beacons in response to a received optical signal at the electro-optical sensor.
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19. The method of claim 18, further comprising modulating a frequency of the next optical signal generated by one of the at least four beacons in response to the received optical signal at the electro-optical sensor.
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20. A noncontact position measurement system comprising:
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a plurality of beacons disposed on a first object, each beacon operable to generate an optical signal;
a beacon controller coupled to the plurality of beacons operable to activate and deactivate each beacon;
an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object and operable to generate an output signal for each optical signal received from each beacon; and
a signal controller coupled to the electro-optical sensor and operable to transmit a beacon control signal to the beacon controller to control a sequence of beacon activation and deactivation in response to an output signal generated by the electro-optical sensor. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A noncontact position and orientation measurement system comprising:
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a first set of beacons disposed on a first object;
a second set of beacons disposed on the first object, each beacon of the first and second beacon sets operable to generate an optical signal;
a beacon controller operable to activate and deactivate each of the beacons of the first and second beacon sets;
an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object and operable to generate an output signal for each optical signal received from the beacons of the first and second beacon sets; and
a signal controller coupled to the electro-optical sensor and operable to determine a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor, the position and the orientation determined using the optical signals generated by the first beacon set at a first distance between the second object and the first object, the position and the orientation determined using the optical signals generated by the second beacon set at a second distance between the second object and the first object, the second distance different than the first distance. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A noncontact position and orientation measurement system comprising:
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at least four beacons disposed on a first object, each beacon operable to generate an optical signal;
a beacon controller operable to activate and deactivate each of the beacons;
an electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object and operable to generate an output signal for each optical signal received from the beacons; and
a signal controller coupled to the electro-optical sensor and operable to determine a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor, the signal controller further operable to, in response to a received optical signal, adaptively modify a characteristic of a subsequent optical signal generated by one of the at least four beacons. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for noncontact position and orientation measurement comprising:
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receiving an optical signal from each of at least four beacons at an electro-optical sensor, the beacons disposed on a first object, the electro-optical sensor disposed on a second object;
in response to receiving an optical signal from one of the beacons, modifying a characteristic of a subsequent optical signal generated by another one of the beacons;
generating an output signal corresponding to each optical signal received from each beacon using the electro-optical sensor; and
determining a position and an orientation of the second object relative to the first object using the output signals generated by the electro-optical sensor. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification