Ranging Sensor Tracking Using Polar Coordinates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively track moving surfaces within a three-dimensional environment using ranging sensors, particularly in distinguishing between static and moving surfaces and identifying moving subjects like humans, due to limitations in processing sensor data as polar coordinates.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising processors communicating with ranging sensors to receive and process sensor output as polar coordinates, enabling identification of static and moving surfaces, and tracking moving subjects by determining changes in polar coordinates over time, and using specific characteristics like size and shape to differentiate human subjects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensor data is processed using traditional methods, then the system can detect surfaces, but it fails to effectively distinguish between static and moving surfaces and identify moving subjects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the representation of surface data by converting Cartesian coordinates to polar coordinates (range and orientation). This parameter transformation enables more effective discrimination between static and moving surfaces by organizing data in a coordinate system that naturally separates spatial position from angular orientation, making it easier to identify changes in range over time as motion events.
2Reliability
If the system tracks all moving surfaces, then it can detect human subjects, but computational efforts increase significantly in crowded environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates specific characteristics of moving surfaces that are indicative of human subjects, such as size, shape, and motion patterns. By focusing computational resources on these extracted features rather than processing all surface data equally, the system can identify human subjects reliably while reducing overall computational energy consumption, especially in crowded environments with many moving surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing strategies to different types of surfaces based on their local characteristics. Moving surfaces that exhibit human-like size and shape characteristics receive more detailed analysis, while other moving surfaces are processed with simpler methods. This localized quality adjustment optimizes the balance between identification accuracy and computational energy usage.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for tracking subjects within a three-dimensional physical environment are presented herein. A ranging sensor is mounted at a sensor location in the environment. The ranging sensor generates sensor output. The sensor output includes detected ranges of surfaces present in the environment as a function of orientations of the ranging sensor. Characteristics of the surface are determined using the detected ranges and orientations as polar coordinates of the surfaces.