Multi-sensor wayfinding device

• US 20070018890A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Utah State University
• Original Assignee: Utah State University
• Inventors: Kulyukin, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/490,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018890A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.310
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map

Abstract

A multi-sensor device and a method for indoor and outdoor navigation are presented. The objective is a ubiquitous localization and tracking methodology that relies on multiple sensors to localize and track a navigator in a given environment. The method is based on fusing information from multiple sensors. Sensor fusion is based on the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. The wearable version of the device fuses data from a GPS receiver, a wireless signal detector, a pedometer, and a digital compass. The version of the device that can be mounted on a robotic base fuses data from a laser range finder and a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. The indoor localization is done by using wireless signals already available in many indoor environments due to the ubiquitous use of wireless IEEE Wi-Fi networks. One advantage of this approach is that it does not require any modification of the environment. The outdoor GPS-based localization overcomes the problem of signal drift by computing standard deviation ellipses of signal coordinates collected at pre-selected landmarks.

Claims

1. A wayfinding device comprising in combination;

at least two sensors,

a computer processing unit connected to said sensors,

a database of sensor outputs correlated to known positions,

a software means operating on said computer to calculate position from the

output of said sensors when combined with the said database, and

a means to output calculated position information.

2. The wayfinding device of claim 1 further comprising;

a means to input data or requests to the computer.

3. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

one of the said sensors is a GPS sensor.

4. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

one of the said sensors is a RFID reader.

5. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

one of the said sensors is a Wi-Fi wireless network sensor.

6. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

one of the said sensors is a digital compass.

7. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

the device is wearable by the user.

8. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

the device is wearable on a guide dog.

9. The wayfinding device of claim 1 wherein;

the device is wearable in part on the user and in part on a guide dog.

10. The wayfinding device of claim 1 further comprising;

a robotic self propelled platform.

11. The wayfinding device of claim 1 further comprising;

a sensor to determine proximity of objects or people.

12. A wayfinding device comprising in combination;

a GPS sensor,

a Wi-Fi wireless network sensor,

a central processing unit connected to said GPS sensor and to said Wi-Fi wireless network sensor,

a database of said GPS sensor outputs correlated to known positions connected to said central processing unit,

a database of said Wi-Fi wireless network sensor outputs correlated to known positions connected to said central processing unit,

a software means operating on said central processing unit to calculate position information from the output of said sensors when combined with the said databases, and

an audio output device connected to said central processing unit.

13. The wayfinding device of claim 12 wherein;

the said central processing unit comprises multiple digital processing units.

14. A method for locating position which comprises;

measuring signals from at least two sensors,

processing said signal measurements to determine position using a database of

sensor outputs correlated to known positions, and

outputting said position information.

15. The method of claim 14 which further comprises;

inputting a desired destination,

computing a path to said destination, and

outputting instructions to navigate to said destination.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein;

one of the said input data sources is a GPS sensor.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein;

one of the said input data sources is a RFID reader.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein;

one of the said input data sources is a Wi-Fi wireless network sensor.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein;

one of the said input data sources is a digital compass.

20. The method of claim 14 which further comprises;

an input data source to determine proximity of objects or people.