GPS-Based Location and Messaging System and Method

• US 20120176411A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spatial Reality LLC
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Huston
• Inventors: Huston, Charles D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for viewing a target in a background from a user'"'"'s perspective. In one form, the views are selectable by the user on, for example, a GPS equipped cell phone, to include a view from the participant'"'"'s position, zoom, pan, and tilt views, or views from another geographic location, giving increased situational awareness and identification of the target. Other information can be conveyed, such as messages or advertisements, on a billboard, which may be a geo-referenced area on or near the target. Preferably, an orientation mechanism shows when the device is correctly pointed to a target.

Claims

1. A method for observing a target in a background environment comprising:

equipping a user with a device having a graphics display and a GPS receiver for determining the position of the device;

communicating the target position to the user'"'"'s device;

viewing on the graphics display of the user'"'"'s device a perspective view of the target in the background environment; and

viewing, with the orientation of the device in the approximate direction from the device to the target position, a geo-referenced billboard on an object in the background environment and displayed on the graphics display to convey information to the user, wherein said billboard remains in the same geo-referenced location on said object from different user-perspective views.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said device includes a digital compass for determining the orientation of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geo-referenced billboard is on the target and displays information relevant to the target on the graphics display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said user position is transmitted to a server, wherein said user'"'"'s device communicates with said server, and wherein said server communicates geo-referenced billboard information to the user'"'"'s device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said billboard comprises an augmented reality overlay.

6. The method of claim 1, including determining the orientation of the device.

7. A system for displaying information to a user in an environment comprising:

a server having a radio for transmitting information for display on a billboard to said user; and

a portable device adapted to accompany a user, the handheld device including a radio for receiving said billboard information from said server, a GPS receiver for determining the position of the portable device and a graphics display where one view is a graphical depiction of the environment background in perspective from said user'"'"'s position with said billboard information displayed and fixed in geo-reference to an object in said environment background.

8. The system of claim 7, including a direction indicator for indicating when the portable device is oriented approximately to the bearing from the position of the handheld device to the position of the billboard.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said user portable device comprises a cell phone which include a GPS receiver for determining the cell phone position and publishes said position and identity to the cellular network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said user portable device comprises a glasses worn by the user which include a GPS receiver for determining the device position.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the direction indicator includes an orientation mechanism.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the orientation mechanism is a compass.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein said billboard information includes a message relevant to a target.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein said billboard information is an advertisement.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein said billboard information includes a message relevant to the user.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein when the user'"'"'s position changes, the billboard information remains fixed in geo-reference to an object in said environment background.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein said environment is a video image and said billboard information comprises augmented reality.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said billboard information comprises augmented reality displayed on said glasses.