Providing Location and Spatial Data about the Physical Environment

• US 20140040252A1
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jarvis, Matthew J.
• Application Number:
  US14/045,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5012 using the internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5064 Position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/10 Elderly or infirm
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted

Abstract

A method is provided for providing location and spatial data about the physical environment. The method includes: sensing a tag provided in the environment by a mobile device; receiving data from the tag at the mobile device, the data including location and spatial data relating to the physical environment of the tag; and representing the location and spatial data from the tag by the mobile device. In one embodiment, sensing a tag may include sensing a tag in the form of a machine-readable symbol; and receiving data from the tag receives data by processing an image of the machine-readable symbol by the mobile device. In another embodiment, sensing a tag includes sensing a tag in the form of a transmitter device; and receiving data from the tag receives data by receiving a signal by the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for providing location and spatial data about a physical environment, comprising:

sensing a tag provided in the environment by a mobile device;

receiving data from the tag at the mobile device, the data including location and spatial data relating to the physical environment of the tag; and

representing the location and spatial data from the tag by the mobile device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein sensing the tag includes sensing the tag in a form of a machine-readable symbol;

and receiving data from the tag receives data by processing an image of the machine-readable symbol by the mobile device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein sensing the tag in the form of a machine-readable symbol includes identifying the tag using video analytics.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein sensing the tag includes sensing the tag in a form of a transmitter device;

and receiving data from the tag receives data by receiving a signal by the mobile device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location data is in a form of Global Positioning System (GPS) data or Indoor Positioning System (IPS) data.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spatial data defines the dimensions of an object at the location.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

decoding data received from the tag to retrieve the location and spatial data.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the data received from the tag, the location of another tag.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein representing the location and spatial data from the tag by the mobile device includes representing the data by audio means.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein representing the location and spatial data from the tag by the mobile device includes representing the data by tactile means.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein representing the location and spatial data from the tag by the mobile device includes representing the data by augmented reality means.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

viewing a live video of a physical environment of a mobile device; and

wherein representing the location and spatial data from the tag by the mobile device includes representing the data by augmented realty over a view of the live video.