Patent Document ID: 8548779
Application ID: 12740031
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for determining a position of a detection apparatus forming part of a navigation system, the method comprising: generating a computer simulation including: (a) a simulated version of the detection apparatus, (b) a simulated version of a robot having a plurality of first markers or a plurality of first distinctive sites, and (c) a simulated version of a three-dimensional object having a plurality of second markers or a plurality of second distinctive sites; simulating, with the computer simulation, various positions of at least one of the simulated version of the robot, the simulated version of the object, or the simulated version of the detection apparatus; automatically determining, with the simulated version of the detection apparatus and for the simulated positions, a quality characteristic indicative of detectability by the detection apparatus, of the plurality of first markers or the plurality of first distinctive sites of the robot, or of the plurality of second markers or second distinctive sites of the object; and outputting at least one of: (a) the determined quality characteristic and the simulated position of the detection apparatus associated therewith, or (b) the simulated position of the detection apparatus having a predetermined level of the quality characteristic.