Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Dimensional determination
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-26
2001-10-09
Assouad, Patrick (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Dimensional determination
C702S159000, C250S559220, C356S002000, C356S004010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301549
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed, in general, to object mapping and time and motion study and, more specifically, to an object boundary and motion determination device that operates in three dimensions and a method of operating the same to gather data concerning a behavioral pattern of an object.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Physical performance training is highly effective when a student can observe an instructor or human subject matter expert model a desired behavioral pattern. Stimuli are most rich when the instructor is able to demonstrate the behavioral pattern such that the student can observe from many different angles. Physical tasks, such as manual labor tasks (e.g., firefighting), sports (e.g., baseball), delicate dexterity-based tasks (e.g., neurosurgery, obstetrics), self-defense techniques (e.g., martial arts), dance (e.g., ballet, folk dancing), manual manipulation of genetic material, and manual manipulation of atoms (using a scanning tunneling microscope), typically require one-on-one contact with the instructor. The instructor may assess the student's performance of the physical task and provide the feedback necessary for the student to master the physical task.
Assessment of physical behaviors for psychological research, performance appraisal, or physical training course evaluation is typically time consuming, laborious, and highly obtrusive. One threat to the validity of most experimentally-designed psychology studies is the inevitability of demand characteristics, a change in a subject's behavior brought about by the subject's awareness of the study. The characteristics of the study setting, in effect, demands a different sort of behavior than would have been elicited naturally. Additionally, collecting behavioral data is labor intensive, often requiring a person to tally and/or to interpret the behavior. Social science research, therefore, is often limited in scope to situations that are relatively convenient. For example, research assistants typically conduct behavioral analysis for no longer than eight hours at a time. An automated approach to physical behavior studies capable of running continuously for a number of days or weeks may be desirable to improve the scope of the study. Additionally, studies that do not involve the subject's proximal awareness, or at least avoid constant reminders that the subject's behavior is under examination may potentially eliminate the demand characteristics.
Modern workplaces may contain many assessment and training situations where either non-reactive measures are desired, physical labor cannot be avoided, behaviors may need to be highly refined, or where behavioral errors may be very costly. Organizations that rely heavily on physical abilities (e.g., professional sports, law enforcement, medical practices) may desire such an automated approach.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a device for examining an object to determine its behavioral pattern, employable in assessment and training situations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a device for determining at least a portion of a convex boundary of an object and a method of operating the same to determine the convex boundary or motion thereof. In one embodiment, the device includes: (1) first, second and third sensors, locatable about the object, that scan the object in corresponding first, second and third dimensions and produce signals indicating boundary sections in corresponding first, second and third planes and (2) a boundary integrator, coupled to the first, second and third sensors, that combines the signals to develop therefrom the convex boundary.
The present invention therefore introduces the broad concept of determining the position of an object by determining its convex boundary. Once determined, the object's position can be used to study its motion or, at a higher level of abstraction, its behavior. If the object is a human being, its behavior can be employed to train and assess skills and/or task performance.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first, second and third sensors gather energy transmitted past the object. In this embodiment, energy (such as light) emitters (e.g., lasers) scan the object. The object blocks energy that attempts to pass through it and passes any energy that falls outside its convex boundary. Sensors gather the energy, which takes the form of a shadow, indicating the convex boundary. Shadows in different dimensions can then be combined to yield an indication of the object's overall convex boundary.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first, second and third sensors gather energy reflected from the object, the device capable of detecting concavities in the convex boundary. Those skilled in the art are familiar with rangefinders that operate on reflected energy (such as laser rangefinders). The present invention can advantageously operate with such rangefinders. In addition to determining an object's convex boundary, rangefinders can determine concavities, yielding a more complete indication of the object's overall position.
In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first, second and third sensors comprises a grid of sensing elements. Alternatively, each of the first, second and third sensors may comprise individual translatable sensing elements that move as required to gather the necessary boundary data.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the boundary integrator repeatedly combines the signals to determine changes in the convex boundary over time, the device capable of determining motion of the object. Thus, the present invention can operate in four dimensions to yield motion and, as stated previously, behavior.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes: (1) a memory device that contains stored convex boundary data and (2) a boundary correlator that correlates the convex boundary with the stored convex boundary data. In an embodiment to be illustrated and described; correlation of the convex boundary with the stored convex boundary data can yield valuable information concerning compliance and skill, improving training time.
In a more specific embodiment, the device further includes a display device that displays a correlation between the convex boundary and the stored convex boundary data. The display device may be a conventional screen or a virtual reality headset, as a particular application may find advantageous.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, preferred and alternative features of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
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Assouad Patrick
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
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