HAPTIC BASED PERSONAL NAVIGATION

• US 20120116672A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Oliveira, Louis Dominic
• Granted Patent: US 9,335,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass

Abstract

A mobile platform includes one or more haptic feedback elements that are positioned in regions of the mobile platform that are proximate to a facial region of a user while the user holds the mobile platform to an ear. By way of example, the haptic feedback elements may be electric force elements that overlay a display or vibrating or thermal elements. The mobile platform is capable of determining a current location and receiving a desired location, which may be, e.g., a location provided by the user, a location with superior signal strength or of another mobile platform. The mobile platform determines directions from the present location to the current location and translates the direction in to control signals. Haptic signals are produced to the facial region of the user by the haptic feedback elements in response to the control signals, thereby providing the directions to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a present location of a mobile platform;

receiving a desired location for the mobile platform;

determining directions from the present location to the desired location;

translating the directions into control signals provided to one or more haptic feedback elements positioned in one or more regions of the mobile platform that are proximate to a facial region of a user while the user holds the mobile platform to an ear; and

producing haptic signals to the facial region of the user by the one or more haptic feedback elements in response to the control signals to provide the directions from present location to the desired location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the directions into control signals provided to the one or more haptic feedback elements comprises producing control signals to the one or more haptic feedback elements in separate regions to provide different directions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the directions into control signals provided to the one or more haptic feedback elements comprises producing control signal that differ in at least one of length, frequency, and pattern to provide different directions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein producing haptic signals comprises producing a first haptic signal in a first region of the mobile platform to indicate turn a first direction and a second haptic signal in a second region of the mobile platform to indicate turn a second direction that is different than the first direction, the first region being different than the second region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein producing haptic signals comprises producing a first haptic signal in a first region of the mobile platform, a second haptic signal in a second region of the mobile platform, and a third haptic signal in a third region of the mobile platform, the first region, the second region and the third region being different.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first haptic signal, the second haptic signal, and the third haptic signal are provided sequentially in a clockwise order to indicate turn a first direction and a counter-clockwise order to indicate turn a second direction that is different than the first direction.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first haptic signal, the second haptic signal, and the third haptic signal are provided simultaneously with at least one of different lengths, frequency and pattern to provide the directions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring areas of a touch screen display that are in contact with the facial region of the user and wherein producing haptic signals to the facial region of the user comprises producing haptic signals by one or more haptic feedback elements that are in regions adjacent to but not coincident with areas of the touch screen display that are in contact with the facial region of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic signals are produced by interaction of the facial region of the user with a localized electric field produced by the one or more haptic feedback elements on a display of the mobile platform.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic signals are at least one of vibration and thermal signals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic signals are produced while the user is using the mobile platform as a cellular telephone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired location for the mobile platform comprises a location with a signal strength that is better than the signal strength of the present location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the desired location is a function of a current velocity of the mobile platform.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired location for the mobile platform comprises a location of a second mobile platform.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the location of the second mobile platform is one of a current location or a future location of the second mobile platform.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating with a server by providing the present location of the mobile platform and in response receiving the desired location based on the present location of the mobile platform and a present location of a second mobile platform.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a new desired location from the server based on at least one of a change in the present location of the mobile platform or the second mobile platform and a present location of a third mobile platform.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining directions from the present location to the desired location comprises:

determining that the mobile platform is traveling;

determining a direction of travel of the mobile platform; and

using the direction of travel as a basis for a first direction from the present location to the desired location.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein determining directions from the present location to the desired location comprises:

determining that the mobile platform is not traveling;

determining an orientation of the mobile platform; and

using the orientation of the mobile platform as a basis for a first direction from the present location to the desired location.

20. A mobile platform comprising:

at least one haptic feedback element positioned in one or more regions of the mobile platform that are proximate to a facial region of a user while the user holds the mobile platform to an ear;

a wireless transceiver;

a position determination receiver;

a processor connected to the at least one haptic feedback element, the wireless transceiver, and the position determination receiver;

memory connected to the processor; and

software held in the memory and run in the processor to determine a present location of the mobile platform using data from the position determination receiver, to receive a desired location of the mobile platform, to determine directions from the present location to the desired location of the mobile platform, to translate the directions into control signals to be provided to the at least one haptic feedback element; and

to activate the at least one haptic feedback element while the at least one haptic feedback element is proximate to a facial region of a user to provide the directions from the present location to the desired location to the user.

21. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein there are a plurality of haptic feedback elements in separate regions of the mobile platform, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to translate the directions into control signals for haptic feedback elements in separate regions to provide different directions.

22. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to translate the directions into control signals that differ in at least one of length, frequency, and pattern to provide different directions.

23. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein there are a plurality of haptic feedback elements in separate regions of the mobile platform, and the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to activate a first haptic feedback element in a first region of the mobile platform to indicate turn a first direction and to activate a second haptic feedback element in a second region of the mobile platform to indicate turn a second direction that is different than the first direction, the first region being different than the second region.

24. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein there are a plurality of haptic feedback elements in separate regions of the mobile platform, and the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to activate a first haptic feedback element in a first region of the mobile platform, a second haptic feedback element in a second region of the mobile platform, and a third haptic feedback element in a third region of the mobile platform, the first region, the second region and the third region being different.

25. The mobile platform of claim 24, wherein the first haptic feedback element, the second haptic feedback element, and the third haptic feedback element are activated sequentially in a clockwise order to indicate turn a first direction and a counter-clockwise order to indicate turn a second direction that is different than the first direction.

26. The mobile platform of claim 24, wherein the first haptic feedback element, the second haptic feedback element, and the third haptic feedback element are activated simultaneously with at least one of different lengths, frequency and pattern to provide the directions.

27. The mobile platform of claim 20, further comprising a touch screen display coupled to the processor, the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to monitor areas of the touch screen display that are in contact with the facial region of the user, and to activate the at least one haptic feedback element by activating one or more haptic feedback elements that are in regions adjacent to but not coincident with the areas of the touch screen display that are in contact with the facial region of the user.

28. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the at least one haptic feedback element comprises a plurality of electric force elements.

29. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the at least one haptic feedback elements comprises at least one of a vibrating element and a thermal element.

30. The mobile platform of claim 20, further comprising a signal strength detector, wherein the desired location for the mobile platform comprises a location with a signal strength that is better than the signal strength of the present location.

31. The mobile platform of claim 30, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to determine a current velocity of the mobile platform and to determine the desired location as a function of the current velocity.

32. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the desired location for the mobile platform comprises a location of a second mobile platform as received by the wireless transceiver.

33. The mobile platform of claim 32, wherein the location of the second mobile platform is one of a current location or a future location of the second mobile platform.

34. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to cause the wireless transceiver to provide the present location to a server, and in response to receive the desired location based on the present location of the mobile platform and a present location of a second mobile platform.

35. The mobile platform of claim 34, wherein the wireless transceiver receives a new desired location from the server based on at least one of a change in the present location of the mobile platform or the second mobile platform and a present location of a third mobile platform.

36. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to determine that the mobile platform is traveling, determine a direction of travel of the mobile platform, and to use the direction of travel as a basis for a first direction from the present location to the desired location.

37. The mobile platform of claim 20, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor causes the processor to determine that the mobile platform is not traveling, determine an orientation of the mobile platform, and to use the orientation of the mobile platform as a basis for a first direction from the present location to the desired location.

38. A system comprising:

means for determining a present location of a mobile platform;

means for receiving a desired location for the mobile platform;

means for determining directions from the present location to the desired location; and

means for producing haptic signals to a facial region of a user to provide the directions from present location to the desired location.

39. A computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to determine a present location of a mobile platform;

program code to determine a desired location of the mobile platform;

program code to determine directions from the present location to the desired location;

program code to translate the directions into control signals; and

program code to provide the control signals to activate at least one haptic feedback element while the at least one haptic feedback element is proximate to a facial region of a user to provide the directions from the present location to the desired location.

40. A method comprising:

receiving a first present location from a first mobile platform;

receiving a second present location from a second mobile platform;

determining a central location for the first present location and the second present location; and

providing the central location to the first mobile platform and the second mobile platform.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising receiving a third present location from a third mobile platform, wherein the central location is determined for the first present location, the second present location, and the third present location, and the central location is provided to the third mobile platform.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein determining a central location comprises computing a centroid between the first present location and the second present location.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the centroid is weighted towards the second present location.

44. An apparatus comprising:

an external interface for receiving a first present location from a first mobile platform and a second present location from a second mobile platform;

a processor connected to the external interface;

memory connected to the processor; and

software held in the memory and run in the processor to determine a central location for the first present location and the second present location and to cause the external interface to provide the central location to the first mobile platform and the second mobile platform.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor to determine a central location for the first present location, the second present location, and a third present location from a third mobile platform received by the external interface and to cause the external interface to provide the central location to the first mobile platform, the second mobile platform, and the third mobile platform.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor determines the central location as a centroid between the first present location and the second present location.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the centroid is weighted towards the second present location.

48. A system comprising:

means for receiving a first present location from a first mobile platform and a second present location from a second mobile platform;

means for determining a central location for the first present location and the second present location; and

means for providing the central location to the first mobile platform and the second mobile platform.

49. A computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to determine a central location for a first present location of a first mobile platform and a second present location of a second mobile platform; and

program code to cause an external interface to provide the central location to the first mobile platform and the second mobile platform.