Precision position tracking system

• US 9,541,634 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Worldviz LLC
• Original Assignee: Worldviz LLC
• Inventors: Beall, Andrew C., Pusch, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/823,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Embodiment of a lightweight and compact wireless precision position tracking device and a precision position tracking motion capture system are described. Optionally, the wireless precision position tracking device is configured to be worn by a user. The wireless precision position tracking device may be configured to emit optical light from two or more respective markers, where the light from one of the markers is distinguishable from light from another of the markers.

Claims

1. A precision positioning tracking system, comprising:

a computing device;

a precision tracking device, comprising;

a first infrared Light-Emitting Diode (LED) configured to emit a first repetitive pattern of infrared light pulses;

a second infrared LED configured to emit a second repetitive pattern of infrared light pulses;

one or more tracking cameras;

non-transitory media storing instructions readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to;

receive image data from the one or more tracking cameras, the received image data comprising image data corresponding to infrared light pulses emitted from the precision tracking device;

based at least in part on the received image data, detect a first pattern of infrared LED light pulses;

identify from the first pattern of detected infrared light pulses the presence of the first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED and the second repetitive pattern emitted by the second infrared LED; and

calculate a first orientation of the precision tracking device based at least in part on the identified presence of the first repetitive pattern and the second repetitive pattern in the first pattern of infrared light pulses, wherein the first orientation is defined using five degrees of freedom.

2. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the received image data comprises multiple frames.

3. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the detected first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED or the second infrared LED occurs over multiple frames.

4. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, the precision positioning tracking system is configured to:

subsequent to the detection of the first pattern of infrared light pulses, detect a second pattern of infrared LED light pulses;

identify from the second pattern of detected infrared light pulses the presence of the first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED and the second repetitive pattern emitted by the second infrared LED; and

calculate a second orientation of the precision tracking device based at least in part on the identified presence of the first repetitive pattern and the second repetitive pattern in the second pattern of infrared light pulses, wherein the second orientation is defined using five degrees of freedom.

5. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the precision tracking device is user configurable to generate a plurality of distinguishable infrared light pulses patterns.

6. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the first repetitive pattern of infrared light pulses comprise light intensity state transitions.

7. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the precision tracking device is attached to a user to provide a corresponding orientation of the user.

8. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the calculated first orientation is calculated using a weighted pixel averaging method.

9. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 1, wherein the first infrared LED and/or the second infrared LED comprise an LED cluster.

10. A precision positioning tracking system, comprising:

a computing device;

a first infrared Light-Emitting Diode (LED) configured to emit a first repetitive pattern of infrared light pulses;

a second infrared LED configured to emit a second repetitive pattern of infrared light pulses;

one or more tracking cameras;

non-transitory media storing instructions readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to;

receive image data from the one or more tracking cameras, the received image data comprising image data corresponding to infrared light pulses emitted from the first infrared LED and second infrared LED;

based at least in part on the received image data, detect a presence of a first pattern of infrared light pulses;

identify from the first pattern of detected infrared light pulses the presence of the first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED and the second repetitive pattern emitted by the second infrared LED; and

calculate a first position based at least in part on the identified presence of the first repetitive pattern and the second repetitive pattern, wherein the first position is defined using five degrees of freedom.

11. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the received image data comprises multiple frames.

12. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the detected first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED occurs over multiple frames.

13. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, the precision positioning tracking system is configured to:

subsequent to the detection of the first pattern of infrared light pulses, detect a second pattern of infrared pulses;

identify from the second pattern of detected infrared light pulses the presence of the first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED and the second repetitive pattern emitted by the second infrared LED; and

calculate a second position based at least in part on the identified presence of the first repetitive pattern and the second repetitive pattern in the second pattern of infrared pulses, wherein the second position is defined using five degrees of freedom.

14. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the first infrared LED and/or the second infrared LED are user configurable to remotely program distinguishable infrared light pulse patterns.

15. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the second repetitive pattern of infrared light pulses comprise light intensity state transitions.

16. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the first infrared LED and/or the second infrared LED comprise an LED cluster.

17. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the first infrared LED and the second infrared LED are attached to a user to provide a corresponding position of the user.

18. The precision positioning tracking system of claim 10, wherein the calculated first position is calculated using a weighted pixel averaging method.

19. Non-transitory media that stores instructions readable by a computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receive image data from one or more tracking cameras, the received image data comprising image data corresponding to infrared light pulses emitted from a first infrared LED and a second infrared LED;

based at least in part on the received image data, detect a presence of a first pattern of infrared light pulses;

identify from the first pattern of detected infrared light pulses the presence of the first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED and the second repetitive pattern emitted by the second infrared LED; and

calculate a first position based at least in part on the identified presence of the first repetitive pattern and the second repetitive pattern, wherein the first position is defined using five degrees of freedom.

20. The non-transitory media of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed by the computing device, are configured to cause the computing device to further perform operations comprising:

subsequent to the detection of the first pattern of infrared light pulses, detect a second pattern of infrared pulses;

identify from the second pattern of detected infrared light pulses the presence of the first repetitive pattern emitted by the first infrared LED and the second repetitive pattern emitted by the second infrared LED; and

calculate a second position based at least in part on the identified presence of the first repetitive pattern and the second repetitive pattern in the second pattern of infrared pulses, wherein the second position is defined using five degrees of freedom.