Local navigation system

• US 10,598,496 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Huotari, Tommi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiltey, Nicholas K
• Application Number:
  US15/492,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20170219352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/685 using pulse modulation, e.g. pulse frequency modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A local navigation system includes: a plurality of beacons located in a local environment and being configured to send signals specified to different routes in said local environment; a plurality of mobile devices, each of them including a client controller; and a wireless communication link configured to receive the signals sent by the beacons; an output means configured to display/emit navigation guide data. In the local navigation system, the client controller is configured to process the signals received via the wireless communication link and to process this data into navigation guide data outputted on an output of the mobile device. Each route included in the local environment is assigned a unitary ID and each beacon is located in one specific location of the local environment along at least one of said routes. Each beacon is configured to send the IDs of all the routes passing along its specific location. The client controller obtains the route ID to a chosen destination from a destination input device of the local navigation system and/or of the mobile device. The client controller is configured to provide the navigation guide data in interaction with the beacons sending said route IDs of the chosen location. This system allows anonymous navigation in the local environment, possibly in a decentralized system without centralized or wired system components.

Claims

1. A local navigation system comprising:

a plurality of beacons located in a local environment and being configured to send signals representing different routes in said local environment;

a plurality of mobile devices, each comprising;

a client control means,

a wireless communication link configured to receive the signals sent by the beacons;

an output means configured to display/emit navigation guide data;

wherein the client control means is configured to process the signals received via the wireless communication link and to process the signals into navigation guide data outputted on output means of the mobile device,

wherein;

each route comprised in the local environment is assigned with a unitary route ID,

each beacon is located in one specific location of the local environment along at least one of said routes, and is configured to send the route IDs of all the routes passing along said one specific location, and

the client control means is configured to;

correlate one of the route IDs of all routes in the local environment to a chosen destination from a destination input device of the local navigation system and/or of the mobile device,

discriminate received signals from the plurality of beacons to only consider those beacons whose sent signals include said route ID correlated to the chosen destination, and

provide said navigation guide data in interaction with the only considered beacons, and

wherein each beacon is configured as a stand-alone unit comprising its own power supply, and the navigation guide data is generated without a central control of the plurality of beacons.

2. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply is an accumulator.

3. The Local navigation system according to claim 2, wherein each beacon is configured to send a status signal of its power supply.

4. The local navigation system according to claim 2, wherein each beacon is configured to send a beacon ID additionally to the route ID, which beacon ID is processed to indicate a certain position of a user on the route to the chosen destination in the displayed navigation guide data.

5. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein each beacon is configured to send a status signal of its power supply.

6. The local navigation system according to claim 5, wherein each beacon is configured to send a beacon ID additionally to the route ID, which beacon ID is processed to indicate a certain position of a user on the route to the chosen destination in the displayed navigation guide data.

7. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein each beacon is configured to send a beacon ID additionally to the route ID, which beacon ID is processed to indicate a certain position of a user on the route to the chosen destination in the displayed navigation guide data.

8. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the beacons are configured to send guide data correlated to each route ID, which guide data is processed in the mobile device to navigation guide data displayed on the mobile device'"'"'s output means.

9. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the client control means or a destination control system of the local environment comprises a list of the destinations available in the local environment and a list of corresponding routes to said destinations, and the client control means of the mobile device is configured to display as navigation guide data at least a part of said route leading to the chosen destination based on the signals obtained from the beacons, whereby the signal of the beacons for said route is processed by the client control means to indicate the current location of the user on said route.

10. The local navigation system according to claim 1, comprising a navigation system control means located in the local environment being connected with a destination control system which handles destination points to be chosen by users of the local environment and corresponding routes in said local environment.

11. The local navigation system according to claim 10, whereby a control communication link is provided between the navigation system control means and the beacons and wherein the navigation system control means is configured to activate only those beacons to send a route ID which are located on a route to the chosen destination point (x).

12. The local navigation system according to claim 11, wherein at least a part of said beacons are bidirectional transmitters and are configured to sense the arrival of one of the plurality of mobile devices at the chosen destination point and to transmit a signal regarding the arrival to the navigation system control means.

13. The local navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the activated beacons are configured to stop sending the corresponding route ID'"'"'s after a preset time if no arrival of the mobile device at the chosen destination point is detected.

14. The local navigation system according to claim 1, comprising a data exchange link between the local navigation system and the client control means of the mobile device.

15. The local navigation system according to claim 14, wherein the data exchange link is a local area network.

16. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein each beacon has a memory for the IDs of the routes passing said specific location of the beacon.

17. The local navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link is based on infrared or Bluetooth.