Device, system and method for identification of object in an image, and a transponder

• US 9,626,539 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ID Tag Technology Group
• Original Assignee: ID Tag Technology Group
• Inventors: Myhre, Bard, Johannesen, Erik, Holter, Bengt
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolourchi, Nader
• Application Number:
  US14/424,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/48 the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A device and method for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device, wherein each of the at least one object is provided with a wireless tag. The device includes at least one sensor for registering a wireless signal from the wireless tag and for registering at least one direction to the wireless tag, wherein the wireless signal includes identification for the object.

Claims

1. A device for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device, where each of the at least one objects is provided with a wireless tag having stored thereon identification information related to the at least one object, the device for identification comprising:

at least one transmitter operable for transmitting at least one interrogation signal;

at least two sensors operable for detecting wireless response signals from wireless tags responding to the at least one interrogation signal, wherein each wireless response signal from the wireless tag comprises identification information related to the at least one object, wherein a direction to each of the wireless tags is estimated based on a phase difference of the wireless response signals detected by the at least two sensors.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprises a radiation null.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter is provided by at least one of the at least two sensors.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is operable for allowing detection only of the wireless response signals detected by the at least two sensors within a time window after transmission of the at least one interrogation signal.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two sensors and the at least one transmitter are antennas operable for receiving electromagnetic signals.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter and the at least two sensors are radio frequency receivers, or the at least one transmitter is an acoustic transmitter and the at least two sensors are acoustic receivers, or the at least one transmitter is an infrared transmitter and the at least two sensors are infrared receivers, or the at least one transmitter is operable to transmit visible light and the at least two sensors are operable to receive visible light.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a processing device suitable for processing of registered identification information from the wireless tags and registered direction of the wireless tags together with image data for the image registered with the image registration device.

8. The device according to claim 7, where the processing device is suitable for performing processing in real time.

9. The device according to claim 1, where the wireless tag is an RFID-tag and the at least two sensors include a first sensor and a second sensor provided in an RFID reader with at least two antennas.

10. The device according to claim 7, where the device is provided with a matrix of RFID antennas.

11. The device according to claim 7, where the RFID tag is an active RFID tag or a passive RFID tag.

12. The device according to claim 1, where the wireless tag is arranged in a terminal, in a cover of a terminal, or on an item to be worn by a person (e.g., in a watch, on jewelry, a bracelet, in an ID card) or in a unit to be arranged on a building or commodity.

13. The device according to claim 1, where the image registration device is a camera or a film/video camera.

14. The device according to claim 1, where the device is integrated in a terminal, wherein the terminal is one of a mobile phone, a camera, a film/video camera, a PC or a tablet.

15. The device according to claim 1, where the device comprising a display device for displaying an image registered with the image registration device.

16. The device according to claim 1, where a sensor for registration of the wireless response signal is arranged in an image registration sensor of the image registration device.

17. The device according to claim 1, where the device is arranged to be mounted on at least one of a mobile phone, a camera, a film/video camera, a PC or a tablet.

18. The device according to claim 1, where the at least one object is at least one of a building, an item/article, a person or an animal.

19. The device according to claim 1, where the identification information is at least one of text, audio, video, name, address, e-mail, used to link to information stored on the internet or reference to information stored on the internet.

20. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a memory unit operable for storing the identification information and position of the identified at least one object together with the image of the at least one object.

21. An imaging device comprising the device for identification of the at least one object in the image according to claim 1.

37. A system for identification of at least one object in an image, the system comprising:

at least one wireless transponder device suitable to be assigned to an object and providing a wireless tag for the object, the wireless transponder device comprising;

a storage device for storing identification information for the object, and

a transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal as a response to an interrogation signal, wherein the wireless signal comprising the stored identification information for the object; and

the device for identification of the at least one object in the image registered with the image registration device according to claim 1.

38. The system according to claim 37, further comprising a processing device suitable for processing of the registered identification information from the wireless tag and the registered direction of the wireless tag together with the image data of the image registered with the image registration device.

22. A method for identification of at least one object in an image, wherein each of the at least one objects is provided with a wireless tag having stored thereon identification information related to each of the at least one objects, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one interrogation signal,

detecting by at least two sensors wireless signals from wireless tags responding to the at least one the interrogation signal, wherein the wireless signals comprise identification information for the at least one objects; and

estimating at least one direction of each of the wireless tags responding to the at least one interrogation signal based on a phase difference in the detected wireless signals.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprising a radiation null.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising detecting only the wireless response signals arrived in a time window after transmission of the at least one interrogation signal.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprises a first radiation pattern with an intensity maximum.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one interrogation signal further comprises a second radiation pattern comprising a radiation null.

27. The method according to claim 22, further comprising scanning an angular range in a field of view of the imaging device by using a radiation pattern comprising a radiation null.

28. The method according to claim 22, further comprising scanning an angular range by processing the wireless response signals detected by the at least two sensors.

29. The method according to claim 22, further comprising position determination of the wireless tag.

30. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least one interrogation signal and the wireless signals are electromagnetic signals or acoustic signals.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the electromagnetic signals are radio waves, infrared light or visible light.

32. The method according to claim 22, further comprising registering the image with an image registration device.

33. The method according to claim 22, further comprising processing of registered identification information from the at least one wireless tags and the estimated directions of the at least one wireless tags together with the image data from the image registration device and displaying the image on a display device together with information assigned to each one of the at least one object.

34. The method according to claim 22, where at least one of registering, processing, and displaying are performed in real time.

35. The method according to claim 22, further comprising storing on a storage device the image together with information assigned to each one of the at least one object.

36. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code for performing the method for identification of the at least one object according to claim 22.

39. A device for identification of at least one object in an image registered with an image registration device, wherein each of the at least one object is provided with a wireless tag, the device comprising at least one sensor for detecting and registering a wireless signal from the wireless tag and for registering at least one direction to the wireless tag based on a phase difference of wireless signals detected by the at least one sensor, and where the wireless signal comprises identification information for the object.

40. The device according to claim 39, further comprising

at least one transmitter operable for transmitting at least one interrogation signal,

wherein the at least one interrogation signal comprises a radiation null.