Calibration of tracking device
View Patent ↗A tracking device may be used to detect a position or movement of an object. The tracking device may include a housing that supports an emitter. The emitter may transmit a first signal. A measurement device within the housing may measure rotational movement of an object. Circuitry may receive a second signal in response to the first signal. The circuitry may reset an angle value to a predetermined value based on the second signal. The angle value may be determined by a measurement of the rotational movement of the object.
1. A method for calibrating a tracking device, the method comprising:
transmitting a first signal from a source mounted in a tracking device, the tracking device mounted on an object positioned in front of a receiving device such that the tracking device and the receiving device are aligned at a desired predetermined angle value;
receiving a second signal as a function of a position of the tracking device, the second signal being received from the receiving device; and
resetting at least one angle value maintained in circuitry in the tracking device to be the desired predetermined value as a function of the reception of the second signal,
where the tracking device determines rotational movement of an object using a measurement device, and where the determination includes a rotational measurement used to determine the at least one angle value relative to the predetermined value when the object rotates to rotate the tracking device angularly from the alignment between the tracking device and receiving device.
2. The method of claim 1 , the tracking device comprises an inertial head tracking device.
3. The method of claim 1 , where transmitting the first signal comprises transmitting an infrared signal, an ultraviolet signal, or a radio frequency signal.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encoding the first signal.
5. The method of claim 1 , where the receiving device comprises a display having a sensor that detects the first signal based on the position of the tracking device.
6. The method of claim 1 , where the second signal comprises a feedback signal transmitted to the tracking device in response to detection of the first signal.
7. The method of claim 1 , where the second signal comprises a reflected portion of the first signal.
8. The method of claim 1 , where transmitting the first signal comprises deflecting the first signal within a predetermined angular range.
9. The method of claim 8 , where deflecting the first signal comprises deflecting the first signal using a deflector supported by the tracking device.
10. The method of claim 9 , where the deflector comprises a fan-shaped deflector or a movable mirror.
11. The method of claim 1 , where resetting the at least one angle value comprises resetting an azimuthal angle value.
12. A tracking device for tracking rotational and translational movement of an object comprising:
a housing configured to support the tracking device on the object;
an emitter supported by the housing, the emitter configured to transmit a first signal when the object is positioned in front of a receiving device such that the tracking device and the receiving device are aligned at a desired predetermined angle value;
a measurement device within the housing, the measurement device configured to measure rotational movement of the object when the tracking device is mounted on the object; and
circuitry in communication with the measurement device, the circuitry operative to receive a second signal from the receiving device in response to the first signal,
where the circuitry is further operative to reset at least one angle value to the predetermined angle value as a function of the reception of the second signal, the at least one angle value determined by a measurement of the rotational movement of the object using the measurement device.
13. The tracking device of claim 12 , where the housing comprises part of a headphone device.
14. The tracking device of claim 12 , where the measurement device comprises an inertial measuring device operative to measure rotational movement of a head of a user.
15. The tracking device of claim 14 , where the inertial measuring device comprises a gyroscope.
16. The tracking device of claim 12 , further comprising an encoder in communication with the emitter, the encoder configured to encode the first signal.
17. The tracking device of claim 12 , further comprising a deflector supported by the housing, the deflector configured to deflect the first signal within a predetermined angular range.
18. The tracing device of claim 17 , where the deflector has a substantially fan shape.
19. The tracking device of claim 12 , where the first signal comprises an infrared signal, an ultraviolet signal, or a radio frequency signal.
20. The tracing device of claim 12 , where the second signal comprises a reflected portion of the first signal.
21. A tracking system with automatic calibration, the system comprising:
a tracking device configured to measure rotational movement of an object using a measurement device when the tracking device is mounted on the object, the tracking device further configured to transmit a first signal for calibration; and
a receiving device separate from the tracking device and aligned with the tracking device at a desired predetermined angle value, the receiving device operable to detect the first signal and provide a second signal to the tracking device in response to the first signal,
where the measured rotational movement is used to determine an at least one angle value relative to the desired predetermined value when the object rotates to rotate the tracking device angularly from an alignment between the tracking device and the receiving device, and
where detection of the first signal is based on a position of the tracking device, and where the tracking device is operative to reset the at least one angle value to the desired predetermined value as a function of the reception of the second signal.
22. The tracking system of claim 21 , where the object comprises a user, and where the tracking device is operative to be placed on a head of the user and measure rotation movement of the head of the user.
23. The tracking system of claim 21 , where the receiving device comprises a unitary part of a display.
24. The tracking system of claim 23 , where the display is located at a relatively fixed position within a vehicle.