DETERMINING USER COMPASS ORIENTATION FROM A PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20110054834A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kunze, Kai, Partridge, Kurt E., Chu, Maurice K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/28 Electromagnetic compasses with north seeking magnetic elements and having electric pick-offs G01C17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for determining a person'"'"'s compass orientation from data generated by one or more sensors embedded within a portable device transported by the person. Such sensors may include an accelerometer, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a magnetometer (e.g., a compass), a barometer, etc. In some scenarios (e.g., when the person is walking), the person'"'"'s initial orientation is directly determined and is used to calculate an initial orientation delta describing a difference between the person'"'"'s initial orientation and an initial orientation of the device. In other scenarios, the person'"'"'s current orientation is calculated based on an initial orientation of the device and a known or assumed orientation delta. Later in time, the orientation delta can be applied to the device'"'"'s current orientation to determine the person'"'"'s current orientation. As events involving the person and/or the device are observed, an orientation delta may be updated.

Claims

1. A method of determining the orientation of a person from a portable device transported by the person, the method comprising:

determining a current orientation of the portable device; and

determining the current orientation of the person from the orientation of the portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the person comprises a compass orientation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the person comprises an orientation of the person'"'"'s torso.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current orientation of the portable device comprises analyzing data produced by an orientation sensor within the portable device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the current orientation of the person comprises:

gathering data from a location sensor operating within the device; and

analyzing the gathered data to identify a direction of movement of the person.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the current orientation of the person comprises:

gathering data from acceleration motion sensor operating within the device; and

analyzing the gathered data to identify a direction of movement of the person.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the current orientation of the person comprises:

applying to the current orientation of the portable device a current orientation delta identifying a difference in orientation between the portable device and the person.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said determining the current orientation of the portable device:

identifying an initial orientation of the portable device;

identifying an initial orientation of the person from movement of the portable device; and

calculating an initial orientation delta as a difference between the initial orientation of the portable device and the initial orientation of the person.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said identifying an initial orientation of the person comprises identifying a direction in which the person is moving.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said determining the current orientation of the portable device:

identifying an initial orientation of the portable device;

detecting a known status of the portable device; and

from the known event, identifying an initial orientation delta between the initial orientation of the portable device and the person.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said known event comprises activation of the device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said known event comprises use of the device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating a change in orientation of the portable device from the initial orientation of the portable device to said current orientation; and

calculating a current orientation delta from the initial orientation delta and said change in orientation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said determining the current orientation of the portable device comprises identifying a mode of movement of the person and the device; and

said determining the current orientation of the person comprises identifying a subset of sensors within the portable device that produce data from which an orientation delta describing a difference in orientation between the portable device and the person can be calculated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining the current orientation of the portable device further comprises identifying, from a sequence of locations of the portable device identified by the subset of sensors, a manner in which the portable is being transported.

16. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of determining the orientation of a person from a portable device transported by the person, the method comprising:

determining a current orientation of the portable device; and

determining the current orientation of the person from the orientation of the portable device.

17. A portable electronic device for determining a compass orientation of a person transporting the portable electronic device, the device comprising:

an orientation sensor;

a location sensor;

a motion sensor;

logic configured to analyze sensor data generated by the one or more of the orientation sensor, location sensor and movement sensor; and

a processor configured to execute the logic to determine the person'"'"'s compass orientation from the sensor data.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:

an air pressure sensor.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the sensor data toward an external computing device.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the person'"'"'s compass orientation toward an external computing device.