Device for Assisting in the Navigation of a Person

• US 20100305845A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Alexandre, Jean-Marc, Gelin, Rodolphe, Lamy-Perbal, Sylvie
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• 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: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for assisting in the navigation of a person, both inside and outside a building. The device, being fitted to the person, comprises at least: a computer (41) comprising in memory a digitized map of the place (1) in which the path of the person is planned between a departure point and an arrival point, and a location software; a human-machine interface linked to the computer; a set of sensors (42) worn by the person and linked to the computer, the sensors delivering information about the movements of the person; the location software performing a processing of the signals originating from the sensors (42) and from the interface, and performing the fusion of the data provided by the digitized map and the information arising from the sensors and from the interface, and then calculating on the basis of these data the absolute location of the person on the map and correcting the position estimation errors.

Claims

1. A device for assisting in the navigation of a person, said device being fitted to the person, comprising:

a computer (41) comprising in memory a mapping of the place (1) in which a path of the person is planned between a departure point (A) and an arrival point (B), and a location software;

a human-machine interface (45) linked to the computer (41);

a set of sensors (42) worn by the person and linked to the computer, the sensors delivering information about movements of the person and his position in said mapping;

the location software (43) performing a processing of signals originating from the sensors (42) and from the human-machine interface (45), and performing a fusing of data provided by the mapping and the information arising from the sensors worn by the person and from the interface, and then calculating on the basis of these data the location of the person, the calculation of the path to be traveled is updated as a function of identified attained intermediate objectives of the path (A, B), these intermediate objectives being marked on said mapping.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a navigation software calculates a route to be traveled by the person on the path (A, B) on the basis of the calculated location and provides the information necessary for the navigation of the person with the aid of the human-machine interface.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein one sensor at least is an inertial unit.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the objective reached is identified by a movement characteristic of the person, detected by at least one sensor (42).

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detection of the movement is performed by means of the signature of a signal of the sensor, said signal identifying the characteristic movement of the person.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the objective reached is identified by an information cue provided to the interface (51) by the person.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it implements an iterative process as a function of the renewal of the intermediate objectives to be reached the whole way along the path,

the objective to be reached being defined (31);

in a first step (21) the estimation of the route as well as the correction, if any, of the trajectory are calculated;

in the following step (22), if the objective is reached a new objective to be reached is defined (31), if the objective is not reached a probabilistic estimation (32), on the basis of the history of the positions, of the position is performed and then a new objective to be reached is defined (31).

4. (canceled)