Electronic visitor guidance system

• US 6,418,372 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Technology-To-Business Center LLC (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Technology-To-Business Center LLC (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Ingmar Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/519,674
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/209, 342/357, 342/457, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/74 Systems using reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/781 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface

Abstract

A low-cost guidance system for guiding a user to a selected one of multiple locations in a defined area. The system includes a portable device per user and multiple indicators. The portable device includes an infrared transceiver and an input to receive information corresponding to a selected location in the defined area. An indicator includes an indicator infrared transceiver, direction signs, and directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from the indicator to each of the locations. The portable device directly communicates the information corresponding to the selected location via the device infrared transceiver to the indicator infrared transceiver of the indicator to cause the indicator to access the directional information and activate the appropriate direction sign to guide the user toward the selected location. Thus, the low cost, easy-to-use system helps people find their way around big public or private places including trade shows, warehouses, airports, libraries, museums, and shopping malls.

Claims

1. An infrared guidance system for guiding a user to a selected one of a plurality of locations in a defined area, said system comprising:

a portable device including a device infrared transceiver and an input to receive information corresponding to a selected location in said defined area, said information being selectable by said user; and

an indicator, said indicator being physically separate from said portable device and including an indicator infrared transceiver, direction signs, and stored directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to each of said locations;

wherein said portable device directly communicates said information corresponding to said selected location via said device infrared transceiver to said indicator infrared transceiver of said indicator, and wherein portable device communicating said information corresponding to said selected location to said indicator causes said indicator to access said stored directional information and also causes said indicator to activate the appropriate direction sign to visually guide said user toward said selected location, and wherein said indicator accessing said stored directional information is done without consulting at that time any external computer for directional information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator has the capability to calculate said path based on a selected characteristic that optimizes said path, said path including at least one selected location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said indicator is one of a plurality of similar indicators, each of said indicators including a respective indicator infrared transceiver, respective direction signs, and respective stored directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said respective indicator to each of said locations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator includes a lookup table with said stored directional information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said indicator includes an interface whereby said directional information is downloadable to said lookup table from an external computer generating said directional information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said interface comprises a PC interface.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said interface comprises said indicator infrared transceiver and said external computer downloads said stored directional information via infrared transmission prior to said user selecting said location and prior to said indicator being placed into active service at said defined area.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator includes a location routing algorithm that generates said stored directional information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said information corresponding to said selected location in said defined area comprises binary coded information comprising ASCII code or IrDA or other protocol message.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device continuously communicates said information via said device infrared transceiver to said indicator infrared transceiver of any indicator in reception range.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device periodically communicates said information via said device infrared transceiver to said indicator infrared transceiver of said indicator.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator infrared transceiver transmits a periodic infrared beacon signal that triggers said portable device to communicate said information via said device infrared transceiver to said indicator infrared transceiver of said indicator only after said portable device has come into the range of said infrared beacon signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator is mountable to the floor, a wall, or any surface.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device is part of a pen-like instrument.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device comprises a card or badge.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said indicator includes a baffle to restrict infrared communication to a narrow vertical angle.

17. A guidance system for guiding a user to a selected one of a plurality of locations in a defined area, said system comprising;

a portable device including an infrared device transceiver, an input to receive from said user information corresponding to a selected location in said defined area, and stored directional information;

an indicator, said indicator being physically separate from said portable device and including an indicator infrared transceiver, direction signs, and indicator location information corresponding to location of said indicator;

wherein said indicator directly communicates said indicator location information via said indicator infrared transceiver to said device infrared transceiver;

wherein said communication of said indicator location information causes said portable device to access said stored directional information, said directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to said selected location, and wherein said communication of said indicator location information also causes said portable device to send said indicator a signal to activate the appropriate visual direction sign of said indicator corresponding to said relative direction, and wherein said portable device accessing said stored directional information is performed without consulting at that time any external computer.

18. A method for guiding a user to a selected one of a plurality of locations in a defined area, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at said portable device input information corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of locations, said selected one being selectable by said user;

sending an infrared transmission corresponding to said input information, from said portable device to an indicator which is physically separate from said portable device, said indicator including an indicator infrared transceiver, direction signs, and stored directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to each of said plurality of locations;

receiving said infrared transmission corresponding to said input information at said indicator when said infrared transmission is within range of said indicator infrared transceiver;

accessing from within said indicator said stored directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to said selected one of said plurality of locations, said accessing step occurring without consulting at that time any external computer for directional information; and

activating the appropriate direction sign of said indicator to visually guide said user toward said selected location;

and wherein said infrared transmission receiving step causes said accessing and said activating steps to occur.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

sending an infrared beacon signal, said infrared beacon signal being sent from said indicator infrared transceiver;

wherein said infrared beacon signal sending step causes said infrared transmission sending step when said portable device comes into range of said indicator infrared transceiver.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said infrared transmission sending step comprises sending a periodic infrared transmission.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said infrared transmission sending step comprises sending a continuous infrared transmission.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

generating said directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to each of said plurality of locations; and

downloading into said indicator said directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to each of said plurality of locations, wherein said downloading step occurs prior to said user selecting a location and prior to said indicator being placed into active service in said defined area.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said generating step is performed by a computer running software that generates said directional information prior to said indicator being placed into active service in said defined area and prior to said user selecting a location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said downloading occurs from said computer via a computer interface of said indicator.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said downloading occurs from said computer via said indicator infrared transceiver.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said generating step is performed by said indicator.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of mounting said indicator to a floor, wall or any surface.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said directional information is in a lookup table of said indicator.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein said directional information is generated from a location routing algorithm in said indicator.

30. A guidance system for guiding a user to a selected one of a plurality of locations in a defined area, said system comprising;

a portable device including a device transceiver and an input to receive information corresponding to a selected location in said defined area, said information selectable by said user;

an indicator, said indicator being physically separate from said portable device and including an indicator transceiver, direction signs, and stored directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to each of said locations;

wherein said portable device directly communicates said information corresponding to said selected location via said device transceiver to said indicator transceiver of said indicator, wherein communication of said information causes said indicator to access said stored directional information and also causes said indicator to activate the appropriate direction sign to visually guide said user toward said selected location, wherein said indicator accessing said stored directional information is performed without consulting at that time any external computer.

31. A guidance system for guiding a user to a selected one of a plurality of locations in a defined area, said system comprising;

a portable device including an infrared device transceiver, an input to receive from said user information corresponding to a selected location in said defined area, and stored directional information;

an indicator, said indicator being physically separate from said portable device and including an indicator infrared transceiver, direction signs, and indicator location information corresponding to location of said indicator;

wherein said indicator directly communicates said indicator location information via said indicator infrared transceiver to said device infrared transceiver;

wherein said communication of said indicator location information causes said portable device to access said stored directional information, said directional information corresponding to the relative direction in a path from said indicator to said selected location, and wherein said communication of said indicator location information also causes said portable device to send said indicator a signal to activate the appropriate visual direction sign of said indicator corresponding to said relative direction, and wherein said portable device accessing said stored directional information is performed without consulting at that time any external computer.