Location system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for determining whether interaction may occur between objects, at least some of which include a position indicator, said method comprising the steps of:
- associating a predefined area with each of said objects; and
repetitively determining whether a predetermined relationship between the areas of said objects is fulfilled, wherein this step of determining comprises repeatedly executing the sub-steps of;
(a) determining location of each of the objects that has said position indicator;
(b) determining location of the area associated with each object whose location is determined in step (a), from location of its associated object;
(c) storing the area data for each object whose area is determined in step (b); and
(d) evaluating the predetermined relationship between the areas associated with each object, using the stored associated area data, to determine whether or not interaction may occur.
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Abstract
A location system for objects having location devices (16) as a means for repeatedly interrogating the location devices on each object to provide position signals. A means (18) to detect the position signals are provided. The position of each object and the area associated with each object are determined from the position signals and stored. The system is then able to determine the relative locations of the thus determined objects and associated areas.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for determining whether interaction may occur between objects, at least some of which include a position indicator, said method comprising the steps of:
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associating a predefined area with each of said objects; and
repetitively determining whether a predetermined relationship between the areas of said objects is fulfilled, wherein this step of determining comprises repeatedly executing the sub-steps of;
(a) determining location of each of the objects that has said position indicator;
(b) determining location of the area associated with each object whose location is determined in step (a), from location of its associated object;
(c) storing the area data for each object whose area is determined in step (b); and
(d) evaluating the predetermined relationship between the areas associated with each object, using the stored associated area data, to determine whether or not interaction may occur. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method executed in a computer comprising the steps of:
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(a) for a first object of a plurality of objects, obtaining an interaction space, within a base space, that is associated with said first object, the interaction space defined as a set of squares in a hierarchical tree of squares;
(b) for a second object of said plurality of objects, computing an interaction space within said base space that is associated with said second object and which follows movement of said second object, the interaction space defined as a set of squares in a hierarchical tree of squares;
(c) determining a spatial relationship between said first object and said second object by comparing said interaction space of said first object with said interaction space of said second object, and assessing whether said interaction space of said first object overlaps contains, or is contained by said interaction space of said second object, which corresponds to a non-null logical intersection between said interaction space of said first object and said interaction space of said second object with a goal of establishing a non-null working relationship between said first object and said second object; and
(d) repeating steps (b) arid (c). - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining static information about objects in a location;
(b) receiving information relating to position of said objects and interrogating said objects by pinging said objects with an active signal from a set of signals that includes ultrasound;
(c) calculating maximum cover for at least some of said objects to obtain a set of quadtree cells for each of said objects;
(d) ascertaining containment/overlapping index for each of said sets of quadtree cells; and
(e) updating a memory with said ascertained indices. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification