Hybrid tracker
First Claim
1. Apparatus for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one reference frame transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said moving reference frame;
at least one object transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said selected object, said at least one object transceiver assembly communicating with said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly using magnetic fields;
an inertial measurement unit (IMU), firmly attached to said selected object, said IMU producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of said selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame;
an inertial navigation system (INS), firmly attached to said moving reference frame, said INS producing INS inertial measurements of motion of said moving reference frame with respect to said inertially fixed reference frame; and
a tracking processor, coupled with said at least one object transceiver assembly, said IMU and said INS, said tracking processor receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication between said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly and said at least one object transceiver assembly, said tracking processor determining the position of said selected object relative to said moving reference frame by using said IMU inertial measurements and said INS inertial measurements to optimize said electromagnetic measurements;
wherein said tracking processor includes a position estimator, a relative angular velocity estimator, an electromagnetic angular velocity estimator coupled with said position estimator, an angular velocity optimizer coupled with said relative angular velocity estimator and with said electromagnetic angular velocity estimator, and a filter module coupled with said position estimator, with said angular velocity optimizer, and with said relative angular velocity estimator,wherein said position estimator estimates the position of said at least one object transceiver assembly using electromagnetic tracking;
wherein said electromagnetic angular velocity estimator estimates at least the angular velocity of said at least one object transceiver assembly based on said received electromagnetic measurements;
wherein said relative angular velocity estimator estimates at least the relative angular velocity between said IMU and said INS;
wherein said angular velocity optimizer receives an electromagnetic based angular velocity from said electromagnetic angular velocity estimator, and receives an inertial based angular velocity from said relative angular velocity estimator, and further optimally combines said electromagnetic based angular velocity and said inertial based angular velocity to obtain a final relative angular velocity; and
wherein said filter module receives said final relative angular velocity from said angular velocity optimizer, and further determines at least the orientation of said selected object relative to a moving reference frame using said final relative angular velocity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the apparatus including at least one reference frame transceiver assembly firmly attached to the moving reference frame, at least one object transceiver assembly firmly attached to the selected object, an inertial measurement unit firmly attached to the selected object, an inertial navigation system firmly attached to the moving reference frame, and a tracking processor coupled with the object transceiver assembly, with the inertial measurement unit and with the inertial navigation system, the object transceiver assembly communicating with the reference frame transceiver assembly using magnetic fields, the inertial measurement unit producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of the selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame, the inertial navigation system producing INS inertial measurements of motion of the moving reference frame with respect to the inertially fixed reference frame, the tracking processor receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication between the reference frame transceiver assembly and the object transceiver assembly, the tracking processor determining the position of the selected object relative to the moving reference frame by using the IMU inertial measurements and the INS inertial measurements to optimize the electromagnetic measurements.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. Apparatus for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one reference frame transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said moving reference frame; at least one object transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said selected object, said at least one object transceiver assembly communicating with said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly using magnetic fields; an inertial measurement unit (IMU), firmly attached to said selected object, said IMU producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of said selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame; an inertial navigation system (INS), firmly attached to said moving reference frame, said INS producing INS inertial measurements of motion of said moving reference frame with respect to said inertially fixed reference frame; and a tracking processor, coupled with said at least one object transceiver assembly, said IMU and said INS, said tracking processor receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication between said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly and said at least one object transceiver assembly, said tracking processor determining the position of said selected object relative to said moving reference frame by using said IMU inertial measurements and said INS inertial measurements to optimize said electromagnetic measurements; wherein said tracking processor includes a position estimator, a relative angular velocity estimator, an electromagnetic angular velocity estimator coupled with said position estimator, an angular velocity optimizer coupled with said relative angular velocity estimator and with said electromagnetic angular velocity estimator, and a filter module coupled with said position estimator, with said angular velocity optimizer, and with said relative angular velocity estimator, wherein said position estimator estimates the position of said at least one object transceiver assembly using electromagnetic tracking; wherein said electromagnetic angular velocity estimator estimates at least the angular velocity of said at least one object transceiver assembly based on said received electromagnetic measurements; wherein said relative angular velocity estimator estimates at least the relative angular velocity between said IMU and said INS; wherein said angular velocity optimizer receives an electromagnetic based angular velocity from said electromagnetic angular velocity estimator, and receives an inertial based angular velocity from said relative angular velocity estimator, and further optimally combines said electromagnetic based angular velocity and said inertial based angular velocity to obtain a final relative angular velocity; and wherein said filter module receives said final relative angular velocity from said angular velocity optimizer, and further determines at least the orientation of said selected object relative to a moving reference frame using said final relative angular velocity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 17)
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4. Apparatus for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one reference frame transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said moving reference frame; at least one object transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said selected object, said at least one object transceiver assembly communicating with said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly using magnetic fields; an inertial measurement unit (IMU), firmly attached to said selected object, said IMU producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of said selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame; an inertial navigation system (INS), firmly attached to said moving reference frame, said INS producing INS inertial measurements of motion of said moving reference frame with respect to said inertially fixed reference frame, and a tracking processor, coupled with said at least one object transceiver assembly, said IMU and said INS, said tracking processor receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication between said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly and said at least one object transceiver assembly, said tracking processor determining the position of said selected object relative to said moving reference frame by using said IMU inertial measurements and said INS inertial measurements to optimize said electromagnetic measurements, wherein said tracking processor includes a position estimator, a relative angular velocity estimator, and a filter module coupled with said position estimator and with said relative angular velocity estimator, wherein said position estimator estimates the position of said at least one object transceiver assembly using electromagnetic tracking; wherein said relative angular velocity estimator estimates at least the relative angular velocity between said IMU and said INS; and wherein said filter module integrates said relative angular velocity to obtain an inertial based orientation estimate, further receives an electromagnetic based orientation estimate from said position estimator, and further determines at least the orientation of said selected object relative to a moving reference frame from said electromagnetic based orientation estimate and said inertial based orientation estimate. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 18)
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8. Apparatus for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one reference frame transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said moving reference frame; at least one object transceiver assembly, firmly attached to said selected object, said at least one object transceiver assembly communicating with said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly using magnetic fields; an inertial measurement unit (IMU), firmly attached to said selected object, said IMU producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of said selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame; an inertial navigation system (INS), firmly attached to said moving reference frame, said INS producing INS inertial measurements of motion of said moving reference frame with respect to said inertially fixed reference frame; and a tracking processor, coupled with said at least one object transceiver assembly, said IMU and said INS, said tracking processor receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication between said at least one reference frame transceiver assembly and said at least one object transceiver assembly, said tracking processor determining the position of said selected object relative to said moving reference frame by using said IMU inertial measurements and said INS inertial measurements to optimize said electromagnetic measurements, wherein said tracking processor includes a position optimizer unit, wherein said position optimizer unit receives said electromagnetic measurements and said inertial measurements, and determines the position of said selected object relative to a moving reference frame by minimizing a general cost function, said general cost function combining said electromagnetic measurements, said IMU inertial measurements and said INS inertial measurements in a single step. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. Method for determining the position of a selected object relative to a moving reference frame, the method comprising the procedures of:
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communicating using magnetic fields; producing IMU inertial measurements of motion of said selected object with respect to an inertially fixed reference frame; producing INS inertial measurements of motion of said moving reference frame with respect to said inertially fixed reference frame; receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication; determining the position of said selected object relative to said moving reference frame by using said IMU inertial measurements and said INS inertial measurements to optimize said electromagnetic measurements; wherein said procedure of receiving electromagnetic measurements resulting from the magnetic communication involves estimating the position of said selected object using electromagnetic tracking; and wherein said procedure of determining the position of said selected object involves; estimating at least the relative angular velocity of said selected object with respect to said moving platform; integrating the relative angular velocity estimate to obtain an inertial based orientation estimate of said selected object with respect to said moving platform; receiving an electromagnetic based orientation estimate; and determining at least an orientation of said selected object relative to a moving reference frame from said electromagnetic based orientation estimate and said inertial based orientation estimate. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification