System and method for calibration and mapping of real-time location data

• US 8,727,225 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Zumsteg, Philip, Plocher, Tom, Putrevu, Sriharsha, Vargas, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US13/452,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20130277430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.08, 235/462.46, 235/472.02, 235/491, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method of mapping the location of at least one object in three dimensional space, relative to an initial point in three dimensional space by an EIR terminal which contains a microprocessor, memory, a scanning device, a motion sensing device, and a communication interface. The method includes scanning a signal of decodable indicia located at a pre-defined area of a physical object, locating the decodable indicia within this signal, decoding the decodable indicia into a decoded message. The decoded message is an identifier for said physical object, which is then displayed. After receiving an interface command, the EIR terminal is placed in mechanical contact with the pre-defined area of the physical object and a first spatial position is stored as a point of origin in the EIR terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a scanning device configured to scan a signal of decodable indicia on a pre-defined area of a physical object wherein decoding said decodable indicia results in a decoded message, that contains information describing said physical object;

a memory;

a motion sensing device;

wherein, responsive to making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object, a point of origin of said apparatus described by information in the decoded message at said pre-defined area of said physical object is stored into memory; and

wherein, responsive to the physical movement of said apparatus, a second spatial position of said apparatus is determined relative to said point of origin based on a plurality of values received from said motion sensing device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is further configured, to store in said memory a first orientation of said apparatus at said point of origin;

and wherein said apparatus is further configured to determine, responsive to the physical movement of said apparatus, based on a second plurality of values received from said motion sensing device, a second orientation of said apparatus relative to said first orientation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein responsive to moving said apparatus through three dimensional space relative to said physical object, said apparatus is further configured to receive values from said motion sensing device representing the orientation of said apparatus in three dimensional space relative to said first orientation, and

wherein said apparatus is further configured to retain said values.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said motion sensing device is provided by a 9 degree of freedom Inertial Measurement Unit, wherein said 9 degree of freedom Inertial Measurement Unit comprises a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis magnetometer, and a 3-axis gyroscope.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein responsive to moving said apparatus through three dimensional space relative to said physical object, said apparatus is further configured to receive values from said motion sensing device representing the movement of said apparatus in three dimensional space relative to said point of origin, and

wherein said EIR terminal is further configured to retain said values.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface configured to receive said decoded message, to display said information describing said physical object, and is further configured to utilize said decoded message to query a resource said communication interface further configured to receive a response from said resource wherein said response comprises additional information describing said physical object, said communication interface further configured to display said additional information describing said physical object, wherein said resource is provided by one or more of:

a memory, a client.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing device is provided by at least three accelerometers configured to measure proper acceleration values of said apparatus in at least three mutually-perpendicular directions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing device is provided by at least three accelerometers configured to measure proper acceleration values of said apparatus in at least three mutually-perpendicular directions,

wherein said apparatus is further configured to determine a change of a spatial position of said apparatus based on proper acceleration values received from said at least three accelerometer;

and

responsive to said EIR terminal making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object, said point of origin is represented by setting the value of the coordinate to zero n each of said three mutually-perpendicular directions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scanning device is provided by at least one of:

an optical scanner, a camera, an RFID reader.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising communication interface comprising a graphical user interface and a wireless network connection that are configured to receive said decoded message and to display said information describing said physical object.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said signal of decodable indicia is at least one of:

a 2D bar code, a 3D bar code, an EPC symbol, an RFID tag.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said physical object is a physical structure for inventory and wherein said information describing said physical object comprises at least one of:

the location of the signal of decodable indicia on the physical structure, the number of physical structure surfaces on said physical object, the number of stacks of inventory on each of said physical structure surfaces, the physical dimensions of said physical object.

13. A method of mapping a location of at least one object in three dimensional space, relative to an initial point in three dimensional space by an apparatus comprising memory, a scanning device, and a motion sensing device said method comprising:

scanning a signal of decodable indicia wherein said signal of decodable indicia is located on a pre-defined area of a physical object;

responsive to detecting a communication interface command, making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object;

responsive to making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object, storing in said memory a first location of said apparatus as a point of origin;

moving through three dimensional space relative to said physical object;

responsive to moving through three dimensional space relative to said physical object, receiving values from said motion sensing device representing a location of said apparatus in three dimensional space relative to said point of origin; and

retaining said location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing in said memory a first orientation of said apparatus at said point of origin; and

responsive to moving through three dimensional space relative to said physical object, receiving a second set of values from said motion sensing device representing a second orientation of said apparatus in three dimensional space relative to said first orientation; and

said retaining said second orientation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said motion sensing device is one of:

a 3-axis accelerometer package, a 9 degree of freedom Inertial Measurement Unit, wherein said 9 degree of freedom Inertial Measurement Unit comprises a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis magnetometer, and a 3-axis gyroscope.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

said displaying the path of said apparatus through three dimensional space with a first scan line in a communication interface.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

triggering an alert when said values received have reached a data noise threshold; and

triggering an alert when said threshold has been exceeded.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

responsive to decoding said decodable indicia into a decoded message, querying a client using said identifier; and

receiving a response from said client wherein said response comprises descriptive information about said physical object.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said motion sensing device is provided by at least three accelerometers configured to measure proper acceleration values of said apparatus in at least three mutually-perpendicular directions.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said scanning device is provided by at least one of:

an optical scanner, a camera, an RFID reader.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said signal of decodable indicia is at least one of:

a 2D bar code, a 3D bar code, an EPC symbol, an RFID tag.

22. A method of mapping a location of at least one object in three dimensional space, relative to an initial point in three dimensional space by an apparatus comprising memory, a scanning device, and a motion sensing device, said method comprising:

scanning a signal of decodable indicia wherein said signal of decodable indicia is located on a pre-defined area of a physical object;

responsive to detecting a communication interface command, making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object;

responsive to making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object, storing in said memory a first location of said apparatus as a point of origin;

storing in said memory a first orientation of said apparatus at said point of origin;

moving through three dimensional space relative to said physical object;

responsive to moving through three dimensional space relative to said physical object, receiving a first plurality of values from said motion sensing device representing a plurality of locations of said apparatus in three dimensional space relative to said point of origin;

retaining said first plurality of values;

responsive to moving through three dimensional space relative to said physical object, receiving a second plurality of values from said motion sensing device representing a plurality of orientations of said apparatus in three dimensional space relative to said point of origin;

retaining said second plurality of values; and

displaying the path of said apparatus through three dimensional space with a first scan line.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

recording a second position on said physical object;

querying whether said second location is represented in said first plurality of values;

receiving information that said second spatial position is not represented in said first plurality of values;

scanning said signal of decodable indicia;

responsive to scanning said signal of decodable indicia, locating said decodable indicia within said signal;

responsive to locating said decodable indicia within said signal, decoding said decodable indicia into a decoded message

wherein said decoded message comprises;

an identifier for said physical object;

displaying said identifier for said physical object;

responsive to detecting a second communication interface command, making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object;

responsive to making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object, storing in said memory a second location of said apparatus as a point of origin;

scanning said second spatial position;

determining, based on a second plurality of values received from said motion sensing device, a second position of said apparatus relative to said point of origin; and

displaying the path of said apparatus through three dimensional space to said second position with a second scan line.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

responsive to making mechanical contact with said pre-defined area of said physical object, storing in said memory a second orientation of said apparatus; and

determining, based on a third plurality of values received from said motion sensing device, a third orientation of said apparatus relative to said second orientation.