Navigation system

• US 6,278,944 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Brunel University
• Inventors: Lui, Langtao, Balachandran, Wamadeva
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/230,472
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 701/215, 340/825.19, 434/365, 342/450
• US Class Current: 701/215
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]

Abstract

A navigation system, used for example to navigate visually handicapped people, uses a satellite system such as the GPS system to locate the user via a user held receiver (14). A two-way communication system such as a digital telephone (18) communicates with a central service center (10) at which the user'"'"'s exact location and navigational information can be determined. There is preferably provided a human-to-human information interface (30). The use of a two-way communication system (18) enables some of the components (20-30) to be kept at a remote and stationary base station (10).

Claims

1. A navigation system including:

a. GPS receivers for receiving positional information from a satellite system;

b. at least one differential correction unit for determining a differential correction related to the received positional information;

c. a digital map for providing navigational information,

d. a user interface for indicating the positional and/or directional information to the user, the user interface including a human-to-human interface; and

e. a portable two-way communication system;

wherein at least one of the differential correction unit, the digital map and the user interface are loadable remote from the user and in communication with the user by means of the two-way communication system.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of the differential correction unit, the digital map and the user interface are locatable remote from the user.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the part or parts which are carriable by the user are housed in a hand-held or pocket sized unit.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is designed to operate via a cellular network.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the two-way communication system includes a mobile telephone.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the telephone is a digital telephone.

7. A system according to claim 2, wherein the part or parts which are carriable by the user are housed in a hand-held or pocket sized unit.

8. A system according to claim 2, wherein the communication system is designed to operate via a cellular network.

9. A system according to claim 3, wherein the communication system is designed to operate via a cellular network.

10. A system according to claim 2, wherein the two-way communication system includes a mobile telephone.

11. A system according to claim 3, wherein the two-way communication system includes a mobile telephone.

12. A method of navigating a person including the steps of:

a. receiving positional information of the person from a satellite system;

b. determining a differential correction related to the received positional information;

c. providing positional and directional information;

d. providing a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a human-to-human interface; and

e. indicating the positional and/or directional information to the person;

wherein at least one of the steps of determining a differential correction, providing positional and directional information and providing a user interface are carried out remote from the person.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of determining a differential correction is carried out at a DGPS reference station.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein communication is carried out over a cellular network.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of determining a differential correction is carried out before the step of receiving positional information.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein communication is carried out over a cellular network.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein communication is carried out over a cellular network.

18. A navigation system including;

a. GPS receivers which receive positional information from a satellite system;

b. at least one differential correction unit which determines a differential correction related to the received positional information;

c. a digital map containing navigational information,

d. a user interface for indicating the positional and/or directional information to the user; and

e. a portable two-way communication system;

wherein the differential correction unit is loadable remote from the user and in communication with the user by means of the two-way communication system.

19. The navigation system of claim 18 wherein the user interface includes a human-to-human interface.

20. The navigation system of claim 18 wherein the user interface includes a synthetic voice-to-human interface.

21. The navigation system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the digital map and the user interface is also loadable remote from the user and in communication with the user by means of the two-way communication system.