Wearable Reference Nodes for Body Orientation Tracking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional body tracking techniques are inaccurate, prone to interference, and require costly, complex setups involving multiple sensors and cameras, limiting their accessibility to non-professional users due to the need for controlled environments.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses reference nodes worn on the body to communicate with a processing system, providing body positioning data for tracking orientation without the need for an off-body beacon or controlled environment, utilizing sensors like accelerometers and gyros to determine ranging and angular positions relative to a reference plane.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional body tracking techniques use multiple sensors and cameras in a controlled environment, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebody tracking accuracyVSAvoidsystem setup complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the body tracking function into distributed reference nodes worn on body parts, each performing local measurements. This eliminates the need for a single complex centralized system with multiple cameras and sensors, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining tracking precision through distributed computation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/optical system of multiple cameras and motion capture sensors with a wireless communication system using reference nodes that transmit body positioning data. This substitution eliminates the need for controlled environments and complex hardware setups, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If conventional body tracking techniques require controlled environments and fixed locations, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability to different environments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorientation tracking accuracyVSAvoidenvironmental adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static controlled environments to dynamic unrestricted environments by using wearable reference nodes that move with the user. The processing system dynamically calculates body positioning data based on relative positions between reference nodes, enabling accurate tracking in any environment without requiring controlled setups.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The reference nodes perform self-contained measurements of their own positions and communicate this data to the processing system. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external controlled environments, allowing the system to adapt to any location while maintaining orientation tracking accuracy through autonomous local measurements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If conventional body tracking techniques use multiple off-body beacons and cameras, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complex setup requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improve3-Dimensional orientation accuracyVSAvoidsetup ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the tracking functionality from fixed off-body beacons and cameras and integrates it into wearable reference nodes on the user's body. This extraction eliminates the need for complex setup procedures and controlled environments, making the system easy to operate while maintaining 3-Dimensional orientation accuracy through body-mounted sensors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the user interact with a complex system of cameras and beacons, the system is inverted to have the user wear simple reference nodes that automatically perform tracking. This inversion dramatically improves ease of operation by eliminating setup requirements while maintaining measurement precision through the reversed approach of having sensors on the body rather than observing from outside.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9436286B2Method and apparatus for tracking orientation of a user

Publication Date: 2016.09.06 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

An apparatus for data processing, according to one or more aspects of the disclosure, includes a processing system configured to communicate with at least one of a plurality of reference nodes worn on body parts to obtain body positioning data relating to relative position between the body parts, and provide body tracking based on the body positioning data. The body positioning data relates to ranging and/or angular position between each of the reference nodes and a reference plane defined by one or more of the reference nodes.