BUILDING MAP GENERATION USING LOCATION AND TRACKING DATA
First Claim
1. A method for dynamically producing a model of a building, comprising:
- retrieving incomplete building data from a predetermined static map;
incorporating the incomplete building data into the model;
receiving additional building data generated from a housing affixed to a user walking through the building; and
incorporating the additional building data into the model as the user walks through the building;
forming a visual representation of the building from the model; and
displaying the visual representation of the building.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are presented for producing a model of the interior of a building. The model is capable of receiving and dynamically incorporating input from various sources including, for example, existing static map data, data such as annotations and updates provided by persons on the scene but outside the building, and real-time data from sensors located on mobile persons or assets that are dynamically moving inside the building. In some cases, the moving persons or assets inside the building may carry a unit that emits sound or electromagnetic pulses, which reflect off the immediate surroundings in a particular room or portion of the building, and sense the reflected pulses. The reflections from relatively close features may arrive at the sensor more quickly than those from relatively distant features, so that temporal analysis of the reflected pulse may provide information about features in the building as a function of their distance away from the unit. Pulses may be emitted and received at multiple locations in a room or portion of the building. The reflected pulses may be analyzed, using specific time shifts that correspond to round-trip travel times in particular directions, so that the actual locations of features may be identified. By walking from room-to-room throughout the interior of a building and performing such analysis, much or all of the interior of a building may be mapped.
29 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for dynamically producing a model of a building, comprising:
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retrieving incomplete building data from a predetermined static map; incorporating the incomplete building data into the model; receiving additional building data generated from a housing affixed to a user walking through the building; and incorporating the additional building data into the model as the user walks through the building; forming a visual representation of the building from the model; and displaying the visual representation of the building. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for dynamically producing a model of a building, comprising:
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retrieving incomplete building data from a predetermined static map; incorporating the incomplete building data into the model; receiving in real time additional building data generated in real time from a plurality of housings, each housing being affixed to a respective user walking through the building; incorporating the additional building data into the model in real time; forming a visual representation of the building from the model in real time; and displaying the visual representation of the building in real time to each user, each display dynamically mimicking a point of view of the respective user.
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13. A device for dynamically producing a model of a building, comprising:
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a portable unit capable of being affixed to a user that walks throughout an interior of the building, the portable unit emitting signals that reflect off interior features of the building, the portable unit receiving the reflected signals; a remote unit remaining exterior to the building and in wireless communication with the portable unit, the remote unit having an incomplete map of the interior features of the building, the remote unit dynamically adding to the map of the interior features of the building based on information received via the wireless communication with the portable unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification