Method and system for determining position information utilizing a portable electronic device lacking global positioning system (GPS) reception capability

• US 6,542,824 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berstis, Viktors
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US09/240,926
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/220, 342/357.01, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 701/220
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation

Abstract

A portable electronic device that can obtain position information despite lacking GPS reception capability includes data storage that stores a reference position, a plurality of inertial motion sensors, and computational circuitry. The inertial motion sensors detect movement of the portable electronic device and output motion signals to the computation circuitry indicative of the sensed movement. In response to these motion signals and the stored reference position, the computational circuitry computes a position of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone, comprising:

data storage that stores a reference position;

at least one inertial motion sensor that detects movement of said mobile telephone and outputs at least one motion signal indicative of said movement;

computational circuitry coupled to said data storage and to said at least one inertial motion sensor, wherein said computational circuitry computes a position of said mobile telephone in response to said reference position and said at least one motion signal; and

at least one input device that receives user inputs and at least one output device that presents outputs.

2. A portable electronic device, comprising:

data storage that stores a reference position;

at least one input device that receives user inputs and a least one output device that presents outputs;

at least one inertial motion sensor that detects movement of said portable electronic device and outputs at least one motion signal indicative of said movement; and

computational circuitry coupled to said memory and to said at least one inertial motion sensor, wherein said computational circuitry computes a position of said portable electronic device in response to said reference position and said at least one motion signal, wherein said computational circuitry computes a distance between said computed position and an input position received via said user input device and a bearing from said computed position to said input position, and wherein said computational circuitry presents, via said output device an indication of said bearing.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

said output device is a display having a two-dimensional surface; and

said indication of said bearing comprises a graphical element indicating a three-dimensional direction of said input position as projected on said two-dimensional surface of said display.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein said computational circuitry comprises means for causing said display to present an indication of cardinal directions in conjunction with said graphical element.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein said at least one inertial motion sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein said at least one inertial motion sensor comprises a piezoelectric gyroscope.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein said computational circuitry computes both said position and an angular orientation of said portable electronic device in response to said reference position and said at least one motion signal.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein said computational circuitry logs a plurality of computed positions in said data storage.

9. A method for providing a portable electronic device with an indication of its position, said method comprising:

storing, within data storage of said portable electronic device, a reference position;

detecting movement of said portable electronic device utilizing at least one inertial motion sensor within said portable electronic device and outputting, from said at least one inertial motion sensor, at least one motion signal indicative of said movement;

utilizing computational circuitry within said portable electronic device, computing a position of said portable electronic device in response to said reference position and said at least one motion signal;

computing a distance between said computed position and an input position received via an user input device and computing a bearing from said computed position to said input position; and

presenting, via an output device of said portable electronic device, an indication of said bearing.

10. The method of claim 9, said method further comprising presenting said computed position utilizing said output device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said output device is a display having a two-dimensional surface, and wherein presenting an indication of said bearing comprises presenting a graphical element indicating a three-dimensional direction of said input position as projected on said two-dimensional surface of said display.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising presenting an indication of cardinal directions in conjunction with said graphical element.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting movement of said portable electronic device comprises detecting movement of said portable electronic device utilizing at least one accelerometer.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting movement of said portable electronic device comprises detecting movement of said portable electronic device utilizing at least one piezoelectric gyroscope.

15. The method of claim 9, and further comprising computing both said position and an angular orientation of said portable electronic device in response to said reference position and said at least one motion signal.

16. The method of claim 9, and further comprising logging a plurality of computed positions in said data storage.

17. A program product for providing a portable electronic device including data storage, and input device, an output device, and at least one inertial motion sensor with its position, said program product comprising:

a position program, including;

instruction means for computing a position of said portable electronic device in response to a reference position and at least one motion signal provided by said at least one inertial motion sensor;

instruction means for computing a distance between said computed position and an input position received via said user input device;

instruction means for computing a bearing from said computed position to said input position;

instruction means for presenting, via said output device, an indication of said bearing; and

a medium usable by said portable electronic device that encodes said position program.

18. The program product of claim 17, said position program further instruction means for presenting said computed position utilizing said output device.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein said output device is a display having a two-dimensional surface, and wherein said instruction means for presenting an indication of said bearing comprises instruction means for presenting a graphical element indicating a three-dimensional direction of said input position as projected on said two-dimensional surface of said display.

20. The program product of claim 19, and further comprising instruction means for presenting an indication of cardinal directions in conjunction with said graphical element.

21. The program product of claim 17, said position program further comprising instruction means for computing an angular orientation of said portable electronic device in response to said reference position and said at least one motion signal.

22. The program product of claim 17, said position program further comprising instruction means for logging a plurality of computed positions in the data storage of the portable electronic device.

23. A method for providing a portable electronic device with an indication of its position, said method comprising:

attaching said portable electronic device to a position initialization device and downloading from said position initialization device to said portable electronic device an initial current global position of said portable electronic device;

detaching said portable electronic device from said position initialization device;

thereafter, continually detecting movement of said portable electronic device utilizing at least one inertial motion sensor within said portable electronic device and outputting, from said at least one inertial motion sensor, at least one motion signal indicative of said movement; and

utilizing computational circuitry within said portable electronic device, continually computing a next current global position of said portable electronic device in response to said initial current global position and said at least one motion signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said attaching comprises attaching said portable electronic device to a global positioning satellite receiver.

25. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a data port adapted to be attached to and detached from a position initialization device;

data storage;

means for downloading an initial current global position of said portable electronic device from said position initialization device to said data storage;

at least one inertial motion sensor that detects movement of said portable electronic device and continuously outputs at least one motion signal indicative of said movement;

means for, while said portable electronic device is detached from said position initialization device, continually computing a next current global position of said portable electronic device in response to said initial current global position and said at least one motion signal; and

at least one output device that presents the next current global position of said portable electronic device.

26. The portable electronic device of claim 25, wherein said means for downloading comprises means for downloading the initial current global position of said portable electronic device from a global positioning satellite receiver.

27. A program product for providing a portable electronic device with an indication of its position, said program product comprising:

a position program, comprising;

instruction means for downloading, from a position initialization device attached to said portable electronic device, an initial current global position of said portable electronic device;

instruction means for, while said portable electronic device is detached from said position initialization device, continually computing a next current global position of said portable electronic device based upon said initial current global position and at least one motion signal indicative of movement produced by at least one inertial motion sensor; and

a medium usable by said portable electronic device that encodes said position program.

28. The program product of claim 27, wherein said instruction means for downloading comprises instruction means for downloading said initial current global position from a global positioning satellite receiver.