CAMERA ENABLED HEADSET FOR NAVIGATION

• US 20120252483A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Farmer, Dominic Gerard, Gunderson, Linda G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method for providing location determination includes generating digital images using an imaging device in a headset configured to provide hands-free communication with a mobile device where the digital images are indicative of at least a scene in a direction of a user'"'"'s gaze. The digital images are filtered and transmitted to the mobile device. The mobile device processes the filtered digital images to generate location information associated with the user'"'"'s gaze. The headset may be a wired or wireless headset.

Claims

1. A method for providing location determination, comprising:

receiving digital image information at a mobile device, the digital image information obtained using an imaging device in a headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

processing the digital image information; and

generating location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating audio navigation information based on the location information; and

transmitting the audio navigation information to the headset.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating visual navigation information based on the location information, and displaying navigation images based on the visual navigation information on a display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital images at the mobile device through a wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional digital image information at the mobile device, the additional digital image information indicative of a different scene in a direction different than the forward direction;

processing the different digital image information indicative of the different scene; and

generating updated location information associated with one or more features in the different scene based on the processing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein filtering the digital images comprises filtering the digital images to a level suitable for a wireless bandwidth for wireless transmission to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining motion and directional information of the user based on signals from one or more motion sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing satellite positioning information indicative of the position of the mobile device with a first uncertainty; and

refining the satellite positioning information indicative of the position of the mobile device using the location information associated one or more features in the scene to generate a location of the mobile device with a second uncertainty less than the first uncertainty.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the digital image information comprises comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and wherein generating location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing comprises accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the digital image information comprises recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

circuitry to receive digital image information from a wireless headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

a processor to process the digital image information and to generate location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate audio navigation information based on the location information;

and

circuitry to transmit the audio navigation information to the headset.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate visual navigation information based on the location information, and wherein the mobile device further comprises a display to display navigation images using the visual navigation information.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital image information.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising one or motion sensors.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a position of the mobile device using the location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing, to access information from the one or more motion sensors, and to update the position of the mobile device using the information from the one or more motion sensors.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine motion and directional information of the user based on the information from the one or more motion sensors.

18. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein processor is configured to process the digital image information by comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and to generate the location information associated with one or more features in the scene by accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

19. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to process the digital image information comprises by recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving digital image information from a wireless headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

means for processing the digital image information and for generating location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, further comprising:

means for generating audio navigation information based on the location information; and

means for transmitting the audio navigation information to the headset.

22. The mobile device of claim 20, further comprising:

means for generating visual navigation information based on the location information; and

means for displaying navigation images using the visual navigation information.

23. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital image information.

24. The mobile device of claim 20, further comprising means for sensing motion of the mobile device.

25. The mobile device of claim 24, further comprising:

means for generating a position of the mobile device using the location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing;

means for accessing information from the means for sensing motion; and

means for updating the position of the mobile device using the information from the means for sensing motion.

26. The mobile device of claim 24, further comprising means for generating motion and directional information of the user based on the means for sensing motion.

27. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the means for processing the digital image information comprises means for comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and wherein the means for generating the location information associated with one or more features in the scene comprises means for accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

28. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the means for processing the digital image information comprises means for recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

29. A machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

receiving digital image information from a wireless headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

processing the digital image information; and

generating location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing.

30. The machine readable medium of claim 29, the operations further comprising:

generating audio navigation information based on the location information; and

transmitting the audio navigation information to the headset.

31. The machine readable medium of claim 29, the operations further comprising:

generating visual navigation information based on the location information; and

displaying navigation images using the visual navigation information.

32. The machine readable medium of claim 29, wherein the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital image information.

33. The machine readable medium of claim 29, the operations further comprising accessing motion sensing information obtained by one or more motion sensors.

34. The machine readable medium of claim 33, the operations further comprising:

generating a position of the mobile device using the location information associated one or more features in the scene based on the processing;

accessing the motion sensing information; and

updating the position of the mobile device using the motion sensing information.

35. The machine readable medium of claim 33, the operations further comprising generating motion and directional information of the user based on the motion sensing information.

36. The machine readable medium of claim 29, wherein processing the digital image information comprises comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and wherein generating the location information associated with one or more features in the scene comprises accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

37. The machine readable medium of claim 29, wherein processing the digital image information comprises recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

38. A wearable wireless communication device comprising:

a first camera positioned on the wireless communication device to obtain image information in a forward direction;

a second camera positioned on the wireless communication device to obtain image information in a transverse direction; and

a processor configured to initiate acquisition of forward image data from the first camera and to initiate acquisition of transverse image data from the second camera; and

a transmitter to transmit the forward image data and the transverse image data.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the processor is configured to initiate acquisition of forward image data at a first rate and to initiate acquisition of transverse image data at a second different rate.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the device further includes a receiver to receive information from a mobile device, wherein the information from the mobile device includes information indicative of the first rate and the second rate.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the transmitter and the receiver comprise a transceiver.