System and method for tracking a shape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796304-B2
Application number	US-201917050010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2018
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product is provided for tracking the shape of a surface. The method includes generating a first plurality of surface models based on the surface, each surface model associated with surface parameter values and representing a different shape, determining an estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders on each surface model of the first plurality of surface models, communicating at least one activation signal to the plurality of RF transponders arranged on the surface, the surface comprising an unknown shape, receiving a plurality of response signals from at least a subset of the plurality of RF transponders, determining radio environment parameters for each surface model of the first plurality of surface models, and determining at least one selected surface model of the first plurality of surface models.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for tracking a shape of a surface, the surface comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transponders arranged thereon, the method comprising:
generating, with at least one processor, a first plurality of surface models based on the surface, each surface model comprising surface parameter values and representing a different shape;
determining, with at least one processor, an estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders on each surface model of the first plurality of surface models based on the surface model and a predetermined spatial arrangement of the plurality of RF transponders;
communicating, with an antenna of a reader device, at least one activation signal to the plurality of RF transponders arranged on the surface, the surface comprising an unknown shape;
receiving, with the antenna, a plurality of response signals from at least a subset of the plurality of RF transponders;
determining, with at least one processor, radio environment parameters for each surface model of the first plurality of surface models based on the surface parameter values, the estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders, and the plurality of response signals; and
determining, with at least one processor, at least one selected surface model of the first plurality of surface models based on the plurality of response signals and the radio environment parameters for the first plurality of surface models.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a second plurality of surface models based on the at least one selected surface model, each surface model of the second plurality of surface models comprising surface parameter values and representing a different shape;
determining, with at least one processor, an estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders on each surface model of the second plurality of surface models based on the surface model and the predetermined spatial arrangement of the plurality of RF transponders;
determining, with at least one processor, radio environment parameters for each surface model of the second plurality of surface models based on the surface parameter values, the estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders, and the plurality of response signals; and
determining, with at least one processor, at least one second selected surface model of the second plurality of surface models based on the plurality of response signals and the radio environment parameters for the plurality of surface models.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the surface parameter values for the second plurality of surface models are generated by mutating and/or crosslinking the at least one selected surface model.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising predicting a surface geometry of the unknown shape based on the at least one selected surface model or a subsequent selected surface model from a subsequent plurality of surface models.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising randomly generating the surface parameter values for the first plurality of surface models.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the surface parameter values for the first plurality of surface models are based on material properties of the surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each surface model is represented as a function of the surface parameter values and defines at least one curve.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio environment parameters comprise phase shift.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging the plurality of RF transponders on the surface as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array.

10. A system for tracking a shape, comprising:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transponders arranged on a surface adapted to be formed into a plurality of shapes;
a reader device in communication with an antenna; and
at least one processor in communication with the reader device, the at least one processor programmed and/or configured to:
generate a first plurality of surface models based on the surface, each surface model comprising surface parameter values and representing a different shape;
determine an estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders on each surface model of the first plurality of surface models based on the surface model and a predetermined spatial arrangement of the plurality of RF transponders;
communicate, with the antenna, at least one activation signal to each RF transponder of the plurality of transponders arranged on the surface, the surface comprising an unknown shape;
receive, with the antenna, a plurality of response signals from at least a subset of the plurality of RF transponders;
determine radio environment parameters for each surface model of the first plurality of surface models based on the surface parameter values, the estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders, and the plurality of response signals; and
determine at least one selected surface model of the first plurality of surface models based on the plurality of response signals and the radio environment parameters for the plurality of surface models.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to:
generate a second plurality of surface models based on the at least one selected surface model, each surface model of the second plurality of surface models comprising surface parameter values and representing a different shape;
determine an estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders on each surface model of the second plurality of surface models based on the surface model and the predetermined spatial arrangement of the plurality of RF transponders;
determine radio environment parameters for each surface model of the second plurality of surface models based on the surface parameter values, the estimated position of the plurality of RF transponders, and the plurality of response signals; and
determine at least one second selected surface model of the second plurality of surface models based on the plurality of response signals and the radio environment parameters for the plurality of surface models.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the surface parameter values for the second plurality of surface models are generated by mutating and/or crosslinking the at least one selected surface model.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to predict a surface geometry of the unknown shape based on the at least one selected surface model or a subsequent selected surface model from a subsequent plurality of surface models.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to randomly generate the surface parameter values for the first plurality of surface models.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the surface parameter values for the first plurality of surface models are based on material properties of the surface.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein each surface model is represented as a function of the surface parameter values and defines at least one curve.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the radio environment parameters comprise phase shift.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of RF transponders are arranged on the surface as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array.

19. A computer program product for tracking a shape, wherein a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transponders are arranged on a surface adapted to be formed into a plurality of sh

Assignees

• Univ Carnegie Mellon

Inventors

• Jin Haojian
• Wang Jingxian
• Kumar Swarun Kumar Suresh
• Hong Jason I

Classifications

• G01B7/287 Primary

  using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers (G01B7/293 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B7/16

  for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge · CPC title

• G01S13/75 Primary

  using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders {, or using passive reflectors} · CPC title

• G01S13/878

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title