Patent ID: 6131296
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method of determining positions of objects (OB.sub.1 -OB.sub.n, OSB) in equipment to determine the position or orientation of a transducer with the aid of a set of objects (OB.sub.1 -OB.sub.n, M.sub.1 -M.sub.n, OSA, OSB), which are arranged to emit signals that propagate linearly between the objects and the transducer, said equipment having the transducer (G) designed to receive signals being emitted by objects in said set, means arranged to produce direction-defining signals that define directions in relation to the transducer, of the sight lines from the transducer to the objects, and calculation means arranged, on the basis of the signals that define the direction to a number of objects (M.sub.1 -M.sub.n, OSA) with known positions in relation to each other, to generate information defining the position or orientation of the transducer, the method comprisingdetermining for each of the objects (OB.sub.1 -OB.sub.n, OSB) to be positionally determined, the directions of the sight lines to the object with the aid of the transducer (G) from at least two separate transducer locations (P.sub.1, P.sub.2) known in relation to each other,determining at least certain transducer locations (P.sub.1, P.sub.2) with the aid of a plurality of reference objects (M.sub.1 -M.sub.n, OSA) with known positions in relation to each other, wherein the transducer locations are calculated from the positions of the reference objects and from the directions sensed by the transducer of the sight lines from the transducer to the reference objects,calculating, for the objects to be positionally determined, a measurement of the position (v.sub.i) or orientation of the object from the said transducer locations (P.sub.1, P.sub.2) and from the directions (k.sub.ij) to the object determined with the aid of the transducer.