System for dynamic and automatic building mapping

• US 7,389,207 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tracker R & D LLC
• Original Assignee: Tracker R & D LLC
• Inventors: Saitta, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAIG, DWIN M
• Application Number:
  US11/135,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 701/214, 701/211, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 702/94, 702/95, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 3/00 Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings A62B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation

Abstract

The automatic building mapping system comprises a tracker module that can be carried by a user and an optional command module which operate to automatically map the rooms of a building as a user traverses the rooms of the building. The tracker module includes a transducer system that determines the present distance from the user to each of the walls of the room, the location of openings in the walls as well as an inertial guidance system that precisely locates the user with respect to a known reference point. The data produced by the tracker module of the automatic building mapping system can be transmitted to a centrally located command module so that multiple units can simultaneously be tracked and a mapping of the building effected from different perspectives to thereby create an accurate composite layout map. In addition, the user can receive a heads-up display to enable the user to visualize the layout of the building as the user traverses the various rooms of the building, and as concurrently mapped by other users in the building. Thus, an accurate virtual map can be created on demand by the users moving through the rooms of the building.

Claims

1. A system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building having a plurality of interconnected rooms, comprising:

means, transportable by said user, for generating data indicative of a distance between said user and walls of a room in which said user is presently located;

means for locating said position of said user in said building;

means for cumulatively mapping the extent of each room in which said user is located and said user'"'"'s position relative to said room to produce a map of said user'"'"'s position relative to said interior of said building;

means for transmitting said map to a tracking entity;

means for displaying said map to said tracking entity;

wherein said tracking entity can monitor said position of said user relative to said interior of said building; and

sensor means for measuring at least one of building and user parameters;

ambient temperature, presence of toxic gasses, oxygen level in a breathing tank, time to exhaustion of breathable air in the breathing tank, user breathing rate and heart rate sensors, user time in area, a user failure to move indicator, command and control alerts, text readout of messages from the command and control system, voice activation of the unit including the display, location of other users in the vicinity, warning indications.

2. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 1 wherein said means for generating data comprises:

means for transmitting a signal toward said walls of said room;

means for receiving components of said transmitted signal reflected off said walls of said room; and

means for determining a distance from said user to said walls as a function of the time difference between transmitting said signal and receipt of said reflected components of said transmitted signal.

3. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 2 wherein said means for generating data further comprises:

means for identifying a presence of an opening in said walls.

4. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 1 wherein said means for generating data comprises:

means for concurrently measuring a distance between said user and a plurality of walls of a room in which said user is presently located.

5. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 1 wherein said means for locating comprises:

inertial guidance means for dynamically measuring movement of said user as said user moves through said rooms of said building.

6. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 5 wherein said means for locating further comprises:

means for dynamically measuring movement of said user using at least one of movement sensors comprising;

gyroscope, accelerometer, rotation detector.

7. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 1 wherein said means for cumulatively mapping comprises:

means for creating a virtual map of said building using said generated distance data and said user location data for each room traversed by said user.

8. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 1 further comprising:

means for displaying said at least one of building and user parameters to said tracking entity.

9. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 1 wherein said tracking entity is selected from the group consisting of another user and a command module.

10. A method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building having a plurality of interconnected rooms, comprising the steps of:

generating, using apparatus transportable by said user, data indicative of a distance between said user and walls of a room in which said user is presently located;

locating said position of said user in said building;

cumulatively mapping the extent of each room in which said user is located and said user'"'"'s position relative to said room to produce a map of said user'"'"'s position relative to said interior of said building;

displaying said map to a tracking entity;

wherein said tracking entity can monitor said position of said user relative to said interior of said building; and

measuring at least one of building and user parameters;

ambient temperature, presence of toxic gasses, oxygen level in a breathing tank time to exhaustion of breathable air in the breathing tank, user breathing rate and heart rate sensors, user time in area, a user failure to move indicator, command and control alerts, text readout of messages from the command and control system, voice activation of the unit including the display, location of other users in the vicinity, warming indications.

11. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 10 wherein said step of generating data comprises:

transmitting a signal toward said walls of said room;

receiving components of said transmitted signal reflected off said walls of said room; and

determining a distance from said user to said walls as a function of the time difference between transmitting said signal and receipt of said reflected components of said transmitted signal.

12. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 11 wherein said step of generating data further comprises:

identifying a presence of an opening in said walls.

13. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 10 wherein said step of generating data comprises:

concurrently measuring a distance between said user and a plurality of walls of a room in which said user is presently located.

14. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 10 wherein said step of locating comprises:

dynamically measuring movement of said user via an inertial guidance apparatus as said user moves through said rooms of said building.

15. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 14 wherein said step of locating further comprises:

dynamically measuring movement of said user using at least one of movement sensors comprising;

gyroscope, accelerometer, rotation detector.

16. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 10 wherein said step of cumulatively mapping comprises:

creating a virtual map of said building using said generated distance data and said user location data for each room traversed by said user.

17. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying said at least one of building and user parameters to said tracking entity.

18. The method of automatic tracking an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 10 wherein said tracking entity is selected from the group consisting of another user and a command module.

19. A system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building having a plurality of interconnected rooms, comprising:

tracker module means, transportable by said user, comprising;

transducer means for generating data indicative of a distance between said user and walls of a room in which said user is presently located,

inertial guidance means for generating data indicative of a position of said user in said building;

command module means for cumulatively mapping the extent of each room in which said user is located and said user'"'"'s position relative to said room to produce a map of an interior of said building;

transmitter means for transmitting said map to a tracking entity;

end

display means for displaying said map to said tracking entity;

wherein said tracking entity can monitor said position of said user relative to said interior of said building; and

sensor means for measuring at least one of building and user parameters;

ambient temperature, presence of toxic gasses, oxygen level in a breathing tank, time to exhaustion of breathable air in the breathing tank user breathing rate and heart rate sensors, user time in area, a user failure to move indicator, command and control alerts, text readout of messages from the command and control system, voice activation of the unit including the display, location of other users in the vicinity, warning indications.

20. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said transducer means comprises:

transmitter means for transmitting a signal to said walls of said room,

receiver means for receiving components of said transmitted signal reflected off said walls of said room; and

computing means for determining a distance from said user to said walls as a function of the time difference between transmitting said signal and receipt of said reflected components of said transmitted signal.

21. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 20 wherein said transducer means further comprises:

doorway detecting means for identifying a presence of an opening in said walls.

22. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said transducer means comprises:

means for concurrently measuring a distance between said user and a plurality of walls of a room in which said user is presently located.

23. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said inertial guidance means comprises:

accelerometer means for dynamically measuring movement of said user as said user moves through said rooms of said building.

24. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said inertial guidance means comprises:

gyroscope means for dynamically measuring movement of said user as said user moves through said rooms of said building.

25. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said inertial guidance means comprises:

movement sensor means for dynamically measuring movement of said user using at least one of movement sensors comprising;

gyroscope, accelerometer, rotation detector.

26. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said command module means comprises:

mapping means for creating a virtual map of said building using said generated distance data and said user location data for each room traversed by said user.

27. The system for the automatic and dynamic tracking of an user'"'"'s position relative to an interior of a building of claim 19 wherein said tracking entity is selected from the group consisting of another user and a command module.