Marker-Based Navigation Stick Positioning Without Infrared Trackers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional surgical navigation systems require a host, tracker, and a tracking tool with an infrared emitting apparatus and stereo camera, limiting flexibility and increasing costs, while existing methods using visual markers and free-moving cameras are complex and need external tools.

Innovation Solution

A spatial positioning system utilizing a navigation stick and a terminal, where marker points on the stick's surface are recognized by a camera, allowing for spatial transformation calculations to determine the stick's position in three-dimensional space, enabling flexible movement and reduced device count.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional spatial positioning method using tracker and navigation stick is used, then spatial positioning accuracy is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial positioning accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the tracker component from the conventional positioning system. By removing the tracker and using only a navigation stick with marker points that can be directly captured by a camera, the system reduces device complexity while maintaining spatial positioning accuracy through alternative computational methods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses visual marker points on the navigation stick as substitutes for the physical tracker infrastructure. These marker points create a virtual representation that enables spatial positioning through image processing, replacing the need for complex physical tracking hardware

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If conventional spatial positioning method is used, then positioning accuracy is achieved, but movement flexibility is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidmovement flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables dynamic movement of the navigation stick within the camera's field of view without requiring it to return to a predefined starting position or follow fixed trajectories. The system continuously tracks marker points and computes spatial transformation relationships, allowing flexible real-time positioning adjustments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The navigation stick serves multiple functions: it acts as both the positioning tool and carries the marker points for tracking. The camera can capture the navigation stick at any position and orientation within its range, making the system universally applicable to various surgical navigation scenarios without requiring specialized tracking infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If tracker and navigation stick system is used, then spatial positioning is achieved, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial positioning accuracyVSAvoidsystem cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive tracker hardware with inexpensive visual marker points that can be printed or displayed on the navigation stick. These marker points serve the same positioning function but at a fraction of the cost, making the system more economically viable for widespread surgical navigation applications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP4169471B1Spatial positioning method, related apparatus and navigation stick
Publication Date: 2025.07.30 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO LTD
  • EP4169471B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4169471B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4169471B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A spatial positioning method, a related apparatus and a navigation stick (20), which belong to the technical field of artificial intelligence. The method comprises: acquiring an image obtained by means of a camera photographing a target scene (701); according to mark point information in the image, determining the three-dimensional position coordinates, in a three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a navigation stick (20), of a mark point which is included in the image (702); according to the two-dimensional position coordinates, corresponding to the image, of the mark point, and the three-dimensional position coordinates thereof, determining position information, in the three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the navigation stick (20), of the camera (703); on the basis of the position information, in the three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the navigation stick (20), of the camera, determining a spatial transformation relationship between the three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the navigation stick (20) and a three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the camera (704); and on the basis of the three-dimensional position coordinates, in the three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the navigation stick (20), of a position to be detected of the navigation stick (20), and the spatial transformation relationship, determining spatial position information of said position of the navigation stick (20) (705). Therefore, the spatial positioning range is expanded, the flexibility of spatial positioning is improved, and the cost of spatial positioning is reduced.