DIVER HOMING DISPLAY SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120029820A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• 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 8,326,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/500
• 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, such as an originating point. The trajectory may be continuously or periodically updated. Applications may include various displays presenting images, numbers, pointers, paths, vectors, or data by digital screens, watch faces, or other devices integrated with or remote from the processor calculating the vector back to the point of origin.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A homing display method comprising:

connecting to a user a portable, self-contained apparatus comprising a display, a processor executing relative positioning software, and an array of accelerometers operably connected to the processor and detecting acceleration of the user in at least two of transverse, longitudinal, and lateral directions;

moving the apparatus and user along an indirect path away from a fixed starting point;

providing, by the array, signal substantially continuously during the moving to the processor;

calculating, by the relative positioning software based exclusively on the signal, substantially continually during the moving a vector pointing to the fixed starting point;

displaying, by the display, substantially continually during the moving a sensible signal directing the user directly along the vector toward the fixed starting point.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the display is selected from a liquid crystal display, a video device, an analog device, and an audio device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the director is selected from a pointer on the liquid crystal display, a pointer on the video device, a needle on the analog device, and an audible signal from the audio device, designating a direction.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the apparatus further comprises a band.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the connecting comprises securing the band to the user.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the connecting further comprises securing the band around a wrist of the user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the processor executes a signal processing module.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising filtering, by the signal processing module, the signal.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising converting, by the signal processing module, the signal.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the converting comprises at least one of analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion.

31. A homing display method comprising:

selecting a self-contained apparatus comprising a processor and an array of accelerometers, the array of accelerometers detecting acceleration of the apparatus in at least two of transverse, longitudinal, and lateral directions;

moving the apparatus and user along an indirect path away from a fixed starting point;

providing, by the array, signal to the processor substantially continuously during the moving;

calculating, by the processor based exclusively on the signal, substantially continually during the moving a vector pointing to the fixed starting point;

communicating, by the apparatus, substantially continually during the moving a sensible signal directing the user directly along the vector toward the fixed starting point.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising securing the apparatus to the user.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the securing comprises securing the apparatus to a wrist of the user.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising filtering, by the processor, the signal.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising converting, by the processor, the signal.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the converting comprises at least one of analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion.