Relative positioning system

• US 20060047428A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phillip M. Adams
• Original Assignee: Phillip M. Adams
• Inventors: Adams, Phillip M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/00 Navigational aids and use thereof, not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/02 Divers' equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems

Abstract

A relative positioning system enabling a user to return to a starting position or some other point on the user'"'"'s path. The system may include an array of accelerometers. The output from the accelerometers may be integrated to quantify movement of the array. The various movements of the array may be reconstructed to determine a net two or three dimensional translation. The current location of the array may be compared to a reference point to derive at trajectory directing the user to the reference point. The trajectory may be continuously or periodically updated. Another application may include an accelerometer array secured at various positions on a ski to monitor distortion of the ski and the skier'"'"'s movements. Reconstructing the skier'"'"'s movements may be accomplished by integrating the accelerometer output and transforming the integrated output into a two or three dimensional path or location.

Claims

1. A method for determining relative position, the method comprising

providing an array comprising a plurality of accelerometers to detect acceleration in at least two of transverse, longitudinal and lateral directions;

integrating outputs from the array to obtain translational data

reconstructing a path from a starting point to a current position based on an interpretation of the translational data

calculating a trajectory from the current position to an objective point lying on the path;

displaying the trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the objective point is automatically selected to be the starting point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the array further comprises accelerometers detecting rotational acceleration about mutually orthogonal axes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the array is secured to a user'"'"'s person.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the trajectory comprises displaying a vector representing a direction of recommended travel as an arrow on a display device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the trajectory comprises displaying an indicator imposed on a coordinate display screen.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating reference points by marking a plurality of successive current positions; and

selecting the objective point from among the reference points.

8. An apparatus determining relative position, the apparatus comprising:

an array comprising a plurality of accelerometers, the array configured to produce an output corresponding to the acceleration of the array in at least two mutually orthogonal directions; and

an electronic device for processing the output and performing mathematical operations thereon, the electronic device comprising

an integration module configured to process the output of the array to produce translational data,

a reconstruction module configured to interpret the translational data to model an at least two dimensional path having a starting point and ending point, the ending point corresponding to a current position of the array,

a trajectory module configured to calculate a trajectory from the current position to an objective point, the objective point lying on the path, and

a display module configured to visually communicate the trajectory to a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the objective point is a starting point of a user.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a reference point management module configured to select the objective point from a plurality of reference points lying on the path.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the array further comprises accelerometers detecting rotational acceleration about at least two mutually independent axes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the array is secured to a user'"'"'s person.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the display module is coupled to a display device for displaying graphical information, the display module further configured to display a graphical representation of the trajectory to a user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the graphical representation of the trajectory is at least one arrow pointing to the objective point.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reference point management module is further configured to selectively mark successive current positions of the array as reference points.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reference point management module is further configured to receive an input from a user to designate a reference point as the objective point.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the integration module is an analog circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reconstruction module and trajectory module are embodied as executable code executed by the electronic device.