RETRACING STEPS

• US 20100318293A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobs, Andrew W., Brush, Alice Jane, Karlson, Amy, Bond, Barry C., Hunt, Galen C., Murillo, Oscar E., Scott, James W., Sarin, Raman K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,408,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

Techniques for creating breadcrumbs for a trail of activity are described. The trail of activity may be created by recording movement information based on inferred actions of walking, not walking, or changing floor levels. The movement information may be recorded with an accelerometer and a pressure sensor. A representation of a list of breadcrumbs may be visually displayed on a user interface of a mobile device, in a reverse order to retrace steps. In some implementations, a compass may additionally or alternatively be used to collect directional information relative to the earth'"'"'s magnetic poles.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least partially by a mobile device, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface on a display of the mobile device, the user interface usable to access a trail of activity breadcrumbs stored in memory of the mobile device;

collecting sensor data for movement information from an accelerometer and a pressure sensor to create breadcrumbs for a trail;

computing the movement information based on;

accelerometer data to determine whether a user of the mobile device is walking or not walking and if walking to count the number of steps.

a change in barometric pressure to determine whether the user is changing floor levels;

analyzing the movement information to designate whether to add to an existing breadcrumb or to create a new breadcrumb for the trail;

recording the movement information based on collected sensor data; and

visually presenting a representation of the trail on the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the movement information comprises determining whether the user is changing floor levels when a barometric pressure change occurs at a predetermined rate during a time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the movement information comprises at least one of activating a start function manually on the user interface or automatically recording by determining the mobile device is no longer moving at a travelling vehicle speed based on no engine noise, detecting a user is walking versus riding in a vehicle, detecting a wireless personal area network device or a global positioning system (GPS) signal is no longer in range of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing recording the movement information automatically when the mobile device has been stationary for a period of time, when a change in temperature reading is detected for a predetermined time interval, when a global positioning system (GPS) signal is detected, when a wireless signal is detected, when a signal from a Wi-Fi access point is detected, or when a broadcast radio signal is detected.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping breadcrumbs into logical groups that define the trail;

reversing an order for the logical groups by initially presenting the movement information that was recorded last; and

visually displaying the logical groups on the user interface of the mobile device, the user interface usable to select a logical group of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the trail as a file in a memory of the mobile device;

receiving a selection of a saved file; and

attaching or embedding the saved file in a communication to transmit to another mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the movement information further comprises augmenting the movement information for the trail with data from at least one of:

a compass, a magnetometer, a camera, a wireless local area network module, audio data, an global positioning system (GPS) module, a cellular radio module, an amplitude modulated (AM) radio frequency, or a frequency modulated (FM) radio module.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording directional information using a compass for the trail;

associating the movement information with the directional information for the trail;

grouping the movement information and the directional information recorded for breadcrumbs into logical groups that define the trail;

audibly or visually presenting the trail in a reverse order; and

audibly or visually presenting a number of steps to walk towards a direction or a number of floor levels.

9. One or more computer-readable media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, perform acts comprising:

automatically collecting sensor data for creating breadcrumbs of a trail of activity by computing;

a magnitude of accelerometer data to determine whether a user of the mobile device is walking or not walking and if walking, to count a number of steps for walking, and

a change in barometric pressure to determine whether the user is changing floor levels;

recording the collecting sensor data as movement information for the breadcrumbs of the trail of activity;

analyzing collected sensor data to designate whether to add the collected sensor data to an existing breadcrumb or to create a new breadcrumb with the collected sensor data; and

grouping the breadcrumbs into logical groups for the trail of activity.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, further comprising:

presenting a representation of the breadcrumbs of the trail of activity on a user interface; and

presenting a number of steps to walk or a change in floor levels.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, further comprising:

presenting a representation of a breadcrumb selected from the trail of activity on a user interface;

presenting a representation of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates on a map corresponding to the trail of activity on the user interface; and

presenting a representation of an image of an environment corresponding to the breadcrumb selected.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, further comprising:

collecting new sensor data of current location of a mobile device with a wireless local area network module or a global positioning system (GPS) module; and

determining a probability whether the new sensor data matches the breadcrumb that has been recorded and saved for the trail of activity.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, the acts further comprising:

recording directional information from a compass;

associating the directional information with the movement information;

converting the movement information and the directional information from a text description to a audible content; and

audibly or visually presenting the movement information and the directional information in a reverse order of what was being recorded for the trail of activity.

14. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform acts comprising:

presenting, on a display of the mobile device, a user interface usable to collect accelerometer data and pressure sensor data from an initial starting position to an end position, the data to represent breadcrumbs of a trail of activity; and

visually presenting a representation of the breadcrumbs of the trail of activity on the user interface, in a reverse order starting with the end position to the initial starting position for the breadcrumbs.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, the user interface further comprising presenting a representation of a breadcrumb as:

a number of steps to walk;

a number of floor levels to walk up or down stairs;

a number of floor levels to ride in an elevator;

or

a vehicle.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, the user interface further comprising presenting an amount of time in minutes and seconds and a number of approximate steps for travelling the trail of activity from the end position to the initial starting position following the breadcrumbs.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, the user interface further comprising presenting a representation of a breadcrumb with directional information of north, east, south, or west combined with a number of walking steps.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, the user interface further comprising

presenting a representation of a breadcrumb selected in the trail of activity;

presenting a representation of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates on a map, the GPS coordinates corresponding to the breadcrumbs in the trail of activity when a GPS signal is available; and

presenting a representation of an image of an environment corresponding to the breadcrumb selected in the trail of activity.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, the user interface further comprising:

presenting a user interface usable to start recording a new breadcrumb for a new trail; and

presenting a user interface usable to select a trail from the list of trails saved.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, the user interface further comprising:

presenting a representation of the trail of activity for browsing; and

presenting a probability whether a user'"'"'s current location of new sensor information that is being collected with a WiFi signal or a GPS signal matches previously recorded sensor information of a breadcrumb.