Patent Document ID: 6078700
Application ID: 08816279
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for locating an object in physical space and manipulating said object based on an image of said object acquired in accordance with image space, said method comprising the steps of: preprocessing a model of said object by defining co-linear features of said model in accordance with model space, and identifying at least one model set of co-linear feature information; implementing an image feature finder to find a plurality of features, in image space in a captured image of said object, said plurality of features being substantially similar in character to co-linear features defined in said model during preprocessing; configuring a co-linear feature finder to receive from said image feature finder point information related to said plurality of features in said captured image and to test said plurality of features for co-linearity and frequency to form a hypothesized line comprised of a first plurality of features; testing remaining image point information, other than said point information related to said plurality of features forming said hypothesized line, for membership in said hypothesized line until full image line feature information is established; processing said full image line feature information and said at least one model set of co-linear feature information to generate at least one two dimensional transform mapping said full image line feature information in image space to said at least one model set of co-linear feature information in model space and providing a direct mapping of image space to model space; using said at least one two dimensional transform to form a hypothesized image including said full image line feature information and projected feature information solved with said direct mapping of image space to model space; and verifying said hypothesized image against said captured image to determine if each feature is in said captured image and in its proper location.