SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATING A NAVIGATION HEADING

• US 20150153182A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Brian Patrick, Tu, Laurent
• Application Number:
  US13/761,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20150153182A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

Systems and methods for calibrating a navigation heading are provided. A client device may display navigation information to a user. The client device may display a floor plan of a building with a navigation route superimposed on the floor plan. The client device may also display a video as received from a camera with the navigation route superimposed on the video. By displaying the route on the captured imagery, the client device may direct the user along the route without the user having knowledge of the direction in which they are facing when beginning the route. As the user travels along the route, the heading by which the client device directs the user may grow increasingly inaccurate. Therefore, the client device may include an interface to allow the user to recalibrate the heading (e.g., by straightening a displayed path) to ensure that an accurate navigation path is displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for calibrating a navigation heading, the method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more processors, a heading reading corresponding to an actual heading of a client device;

presenting, by the one or more processors using a display of the client device, navigation information to a user of the client device using the heading reading, the navigation information indicating a path along a particular direction relative to the heading reading;

receiving, by the one or more processors user input to update the heading reading via at least one human interface device coupled to the client device; and

updating, using the one or more processors, the heading reading according to the received user input by altering the heading reading with the received user input without altering the actual heading of the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a temporary set of navigation information corresponding to a temporary heading while the user input is received, the temporary set of navigation information identifying how the navigation information will be altered when the heading reading is updated.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein presenting the temporary set of navigation information is done by displaying the temporary set of navigation information as a dotted line on a display of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a confirmation input from the user after receiving user input indicating the updated heading reading but before updating the heading reading.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is provided by positioning a cursor along a slider bar of a displayed graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the slider bar is laterally adjustable to correct for a drift in the heading reading from the actual heading.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a confirmation dialogue in response to an attempt by the user to update the heading reading by greater than a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold value is determined based on a type of sensor used to provide the heading reading.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information is presented as a line superimposed on a video received from a camera coupled to the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the navigation information to be presented in the particular direction relative to the updated heading reading.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the heading reading comprises receiving the heading reading from at least one sensor coupled to the client device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for calibrating a navigation heading, the method comprising:

obtaining a heading reading corresponding to an actual heading of a client device;

presenting, on a display of the client device, navigation information to a user of the client device using the heading reading, the navigation information indicating a path along a particular direction relative to the heading reading;

receiving user input to update the heading reading via at least one human interface device coupled to the client device; and

updating the heading reading according to the received user input by altering the heading reading with the received user input without altering the actual heading of the client device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises presenting a temporary set of navigation information corresponding to a temporary heading while the user input is received, the temporary set of navigation information identifying how the navigation information will be altered when the heading reading is updated.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein obtaining the heading reading comprises receiving the heading reading from at least one sensor coupled to a client device.

15. A processing system for calibrating a navigation heading, the processing system comprising:

at least one sensor for determining a navigation heading;

at least one display;

at least one human interface device; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive an initial heading reading from the at least one sensor;

display navigation information on the at least one display, the navigation information indicating a path along a particular direction relative to the initial heading reading;

receive user input via the human interface device to update the initial heading reading by specifying a calibrated heading, the user input specifying the calibrated heading reading without altering an actual heading of the processing system; and

update the initial heading reading to the calibrated heading reading.

16. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the initial heading reading is updated to the calibrated heading reading in response to selection of a confirmation interface element.

17. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to update the navigation information to be displayed in the particular direction relative to the calibrated heading reading.

18. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to display a confirmation dialogue in response to an attempt by the user to update the heading reading by greater than a threshold value.

19. The processing system of claim 18, wherein the threshold value is determined based on a type of sensor used to provide the heading reading.

20. The processing system of claim 15, wherein:

the processing system further comprises a camera; and

the navigation information is displayed as a line superimposed on a video received from the camera.