Camera-based heading-hold navigation
First Claim
1. A visual navigation system for navigating toward a heading direction, the system comprising:
- a compass providing compass measurements configured to orient a user in the heading direction;
an image sensor, in communication with the compass, the image sensor configured to capture a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction oriented by the compass measurements, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers;
data storage memory configured to store the series of successive navigation images;
a navigation processor, coupled to the data storage memory, configured to;
(a) identify at least one principal marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one principal marker positioned within a principal angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from a position of the image sensor;
(b) identify at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from the position of the image sensor, the ancillary angle greater than the principal angle; and
(c) determine heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or a position of the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, such that the position of the at least one principal marker and/or the position of the at least one ancillary marker correct errors in the heading direction based on the compass measurements; and
a user interface, coupled to the navigation processor, configured to provide the heading direction information to the user.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A visual navigation system includes a compass configured to orient a user in a heading direction, an image sensor configured to capture a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers, data storage memory configured to store the series of successive navigation images, a navigation processor configured to identify at least one principal marker and at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the principal marker positioned within a principal angle and the ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle, which is greater than the principal angle, and to determine heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, and a user interface configured to provide the heading direction information to the user.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A visual navigation system for navigating toward a heading direction, the system comprising:
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a compass providing compass measurements configured to orient a user in the heading direction; an image sensor, in communication with the compass, the image sensor configured to capture a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction oriented by the compass measurements, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers; data storage memory configured to store the series of successive navigation images; a navigation processor, coupled to the data storage memory, configured to; (a) identify at least one principal marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one principal marker positioned within a principal angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from a position of the image sensor; (b) identify at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from the position of the image sensor, the ancillary angle greater than the principal angle; and (c) determine heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or a position of the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, such that the position of the at least one principal marker and/or the position of the at least one ancillary marker correct errors in the heading direction based on the compass measurements; and a user interface, coupled to the navigation processor, configured to provide the heading direction information to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for navigating toward a heading direction, the method comprising:
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providing a compass having compass measurements configured to orient a user in the heading direction; capturing a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction oriented by the compass measurements using an image sensor, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers; storing the series of successive navigation images in a data storage memory; identifying at least one principal marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one principal marker positioned within a principal angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from a position of the image sensor; identifying at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from the position of the image sensor, the ancillary angle greater than the principal angle; determining heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or a position of the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, such that the position of the at least one principal marker and/or the position of the at least one ancillary marker correct errors in the heading direction based on the compass measurements; and providing the heading direction information to a user interface. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer program product including non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer code thereon for navigating toward a heading direction, the computer code comprising:
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program code for providing compass measurements from a compass, the compass measurements configured to orient a user in the heading direction; program code for capturing a series of successive navigation images in the heading direction oriented by the compass measurements using an image sensor, one or more of the navigation images having at least two reference markers; program code for storing the series of successive navigation images in a data storage memory; program code for identifying at least one principal marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one principal marker positioned within a principal angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from a position of the image sensor; program code for identifying at least one ancillary marker from the at least two reference markers, the at least one ancillary marker positioned within an ancillary angle relative to the heading direction, oriented by the compass measurements, from the position of the image sensor, the ancillary angle greater than the principal angle; program code for determining heading direction information based on a position of the at least one principal marker and/or a position of the at least one ancillary marker in the successive navigation images, such that the position of the at least one principal marker and/or the position of the at least one ancillary marker correct errors in the heading direction based on the compass measurements; and program code for providing the heading direction information to a user interface. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification