Object tracking apparatus and method, and sensor position designating method

• US 9,013,282 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: People and Technology
• Original Assignee: Pusan National University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: Li, Ki Joune, Kang, Hye Young, Kim, Joon Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US13/512,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.58, 701/208, 701/410, 370/236, 455/62, 707/100, 379/201.07, 340/905, 340/10.6, 709/221
• US Class Current: 340/12.51
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions

Abstract

The apparatus for tracking an object and the method thereof and the method for locating a sensor are described. The subject object tracking apparatus comprises an interface receiving sensor information and object information from a sensor communicated with an object; a first storing part successively storing sensor information in chronological order; a second storing part storing a neighborhood graph displaying an object space; and a location determining part determining a location of an object using sensor information and a neighborhood graph. According to the present invention, an accessibility graph corresponding to a space is generated and a location of a sensor is determined on an accessibility graph, thereby effectively locating a sensor and tracking an object.

Claims

1. An object tracking apparatus, which is provided to track a location of an object by communicating with a plurality of sensors, the apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive sensor information and object information from sensors communicated with the object;

a first storing part configured to successively store the sensor information, the sensor information comprising moving path in a space of one or more tags of objects identified by a plurality of sensors;

a second storing part configured to store a neighborhood graph displaying an object space information, the object space information comprising a white node, a black node, and a link, the black node neighboring to the white node; and

a location determining part configured to determine real-time location of the object using the sensor information and the neighborhood graph, wherein

in response to detection of the sensor information detected by the one or more sensors, the location determining part is caused by a processor to determine the white node corresponding to a detecting sensor transmitting the sensor information, and

to determine, using the neighboring graph, a subspace corresponding to a black node neighboring to the white node as a location of the object, if not receiving the sensor information from the plurality of sensors.

2. The object tracking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the neighborhood graph comprises a black node corresponding to a subspace of the space, a link corresponding to a passage connecting subspaces, a white node corresponding to a coverage area of the detecting sensor.

3. The object tracking apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the neighborhood graph, the black node neighboring to the white node.

4. The object tracking apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the neighborhood graph, a neighbor node of the black node is the white node.

5. The object tracking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location determining part is further configured to determine whether the object is in the coverage area in response to detection of the sensor information and the object information transmitted a detecting sensor of the plurality of sensors.

6. The object tracking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location determining part is configured to read newly stored sensor information associated with the first storing part, to determine the white node based on the neighborhood graph, and to determine a subspace corresponding to the black node neighboring to the white node as a location of the objects.

7. A method for tracking an object, the method comprising:

receiving sensor information and object information from a sensor communicated with objects, the sensor information comprising moving path in a space of one or more tags of objects identified by a plurality of sensors;

determining, by a processor, real-time location of the object using the sensor information and the neighborhood graph, the neighborhood graph displaying an object space information, the object space information comprising a white node, a black node, and a link, the black node neighboring to the white node,

in response detection of the sensor information detected by the one or more sensors, determining the white node corresponding to a detecting sensor transmitting the sensor information, and

determining a subspace corresponding to a black node neighboring to the white node as a location of the object, if not receiving the sensor information from the plurality of sensors.

8. The method for tracking an object as claimed in claim 7, wherein the accessibility graph comprises a black node corresponding a subspace of the space, a link corresponding to a passage connecting subspaces, and a white note corresponding a coverage area of the detecting sensor.

9. The method for tracking an object as claimed in claim 8, wherein in the accessibility graph, the black node neighboring to the white node.

10. The method for tracking an object as claimed in claim 8, wherein in the accessibility graph, a neighbor node of the black node is the white node.

11. A method for allocating a sensor associated with placing nodes for tracking a location of an object, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of black nodes corresponding to a plurality of subspaces in a space and a link corresponding to a passage connecting each subspace of the plurality of subspaces; and

adding a white node corresponding to sensors having the sensor information comprising moving path in a space of one or more tags of objects identified by a plurality of sensors;

determining whether a number of the black node neighboring the white node is more than two;

displacing a white node between the white node neighboring the black node; and

outputting an accessibility graph to allocate the sensors based on the determination.

12. The method for allocating a sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the white node is added to the accessibility graph, wherein a number of the black node neighboring to the white node is one.

13. The method for allocating a sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the white node is added to the accessibility graph, wherein a neighbor node of the black node is a white node.

14. The method for allocating a sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the white node is added between different black nodes of the plurality of black nodes.