IP Library Granted Patent US 10,636,170
Granted Patent B1
US 10,636,170 · App. 16/255,089 · Granted Apr 28, 2020

Pose tracking system with physical tracking enhancement tags

Inventors: Vikas M. Reddy (Boulder, CO); Jeffrey Roger Powers (San Francisco, CA); Paul Jakob Schroeder (Boulder, CO); Chris Slaughter (Boulder, CO); Ganesh Mallya (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Occipital, Inc.
G06T7/75G06F3/0425G06T19/006
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,636,170
App. No.
16/255,089
Granted
Apr 28, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A virtual environment or mixed reality environment system including a physical tracking enhancement tag that may be identified by the system to assist with localization of the system with respect to the physical environment. The tracking enhancement tags may be encoded or coded in a high frequency and low frequency that is readable by the system to provide different types of information related the environment. For example, the encoded information may include a unique identifier of the tag and a relative direction with regards to the physical environment.

Claims (57)

1. A method comprising:

generating a virtual scene map representative of a physical environment based at least in part on image data captured by an image device of a headset device and orientation data captured by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the headset device;

determining a six-degree of freedom (6DOF) pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map based at least in part on the orientation data and the image data, wherein the virtual scene map is generated and the 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map is determined using a simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) technique;

determining a 6DOF pose of a tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device based at least in part on the image data, the tracking enhancement tag within the physical environment;

determining a 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map based at least in part on the 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map and the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device; and

locating the tracking enhancement tag within the virtual scene map based at least in part on the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device is determined using object tracking.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map is determined by composing the 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map with the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

re-initializing the virtual scene map on the headset device;

capturing, by the image device, second image data of the physical environment, the second image data including data representative of the tracking enhancement tag; and

determining a second 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the scene map based at least in part on second image data and the 6DOF pose of the tracking enchantment tag relative to the virtual scene.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the scene map is determined by:

determining a 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device using object tracking; and

composing the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device with the 6DOF pose of the tracking enchantment tag relative to the virtual scene map.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tracking enhancement tag includes at least one of:

a retroreflective element;

an infrared coded element;

a frequency encoded element;

a patterned element; or

a light emitting element.

7. A system comprising:

one or more image components for capturing image data associated with a physical environment surrounding the user, the physical environment including a tracking enhancement tag;

one or more inertial measurement units (IMU) for capturing orientation data associated with the system;

one or more processors;

non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

accessing a virtual scene map representative of a physical environment including a tracking enhancement tag;

determining the identity of the tracking enhancement tag from image data including a representation of the tracking enhancement tag;

determining a position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map based at least in part on the identity;

determining a position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the system based at least in part on a six-degree of freedom (6DOF) pose of the system relative to the virtual scene map and the position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map;

determining a 6DOF pose of the system relative to the physical environment based at least in part on the position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the system;

re-initializing the virtual scene map;

capturing, by the one or more image components, second image data of the physical environment, the second image data including data representative of the tracking enhancement tag; and

determining a second 6DOF pose of the system relative to the scene map based at least in part on second image data and the position of the tracking enchantment tag relative to the virtual scene.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein determining the position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the system includes composing the 6DOF pose of the system relative to the virtual scene map and the position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:

generating a virtual scene map representative of a physical environment based at least in part on image data captured by an image device of a headset device and orientation data captured by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the headset device;

determining a six-degree of freedom (6DOF) pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map based at least in part on the orientation data and the image data;

determining a 6DOF pose of a tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device based at least in part on the image data, the tracking enhancement tag within the physical environment;

determining a 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map based at least in part on the 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map and the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device;

locating the tracking enhancement tag within the virtual scene map based at least in part on the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map;

re-initializing the virtual scene map on the headset device;

capturing, by the image device, second image data of the physical environment, the second image data including data representative of the tracking enhancement tag; and

determining a second 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the scene map based at least in part on second image data and the 6DOF pose of the tracking enchantment tag relative to the virtual scene.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the virtual scene map is generated and the 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map is determined using a simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) technique.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device is determined using object tracking.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map is determined by composing the 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the virtual scene map with the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the second 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the scene map is determined by:

determining a 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device using object tracking; and

composing the 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device with the 6DOF pose of the tracking enchantment tag relative to the virtual scene map.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the second 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the scene map is determined based at least in part on a visual indication on the tracking enhancement tag, the visual indication indicating an upright position with respect to the physical environment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 14 , wherein the visual indication is encoded in the infrared spectrum.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 14 , wherein the visual indication is the shape of the tracking enhancement tag.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the second 6DOF pose of the headset device relative to the scene map is determined based at least in part on an unique identifier associated with the tracking enhancement tag.

18. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the position of the tracking enhancement tag is a 6DOF pose of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the virtual scene map.

19. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the position of the tracking enhancement tag relative to the headset device is determined using object tracking.

20. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the second 6DOF pose of the system relative to the scene map is determined based at least in part on a visual indication on the tracking enhancement tag, the visual indication indicating an upright position with respect to the physical environment.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2026
From: XRPRO, LLC
To: DANLAW, INC.
Reel/Frame 075436/0662 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2022
From: OCCIPITAL, INC.
To: XRPRO, LLC
Reel/Frame 061296/0846 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2022
From: OCCIPITAL, INC.
To: XRPRO, LLC
Reel/Frame 061408/0869 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2019
From: REDDY, VIKAS M.; POWERS, JEFFREY ROGER; SCHROEDER, PAUL JAKOB; SLAUGHTER, CHRIS; MALLYA, GANESH
To: OCCIPITAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 048134/0648 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15918695 · Mar 12, 2018
Provisional Application 62470767 · Mar 13, 2017
Provisional Application 62620586 · Jan 23, 2018
Cited By (3)
US 12,430,791 US 12,437,438 US 12,567,157