Interactive pedestrian routing system

• US 7,761,226 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas Mcdonnell, United States Secretary of the Navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Rashid, Fazal A.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US11/193,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 709/227, 709/225, 709/219, 726/15, 726/3, 726/27, 463/42
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/20 Destination assistance within a business structure or complex

Abstract

The present invention'"'"'s network-based directions-provision methodology typically features the establishment of two ranking schemes that reversely parallel each other. The “personal” ranking scheme ranks all permitted persons in terms of the degree of access permission with respect to the variously ranked regions of a facility; the lower the personal rank, the fewer the regional ranks to which the person is permitted access. The “regional” ranking scheme ranks all accessible regions in terms of the degree of access permission with respect thereto by the variously ranked permitted persons; the higher the regional rank, the fewer the personal ranks that are permitted access to the region. According to typical inventive practice, a permitted person logs in to request directions, within the facility, from an original location to a destination location; the directions given (textual and/or graphical) are the optimal directions that are consistent with the personal rank of the requestor.

Claims

1. A computer-networked system for giving directions for traveling between locations within a facility, said system comprising a plurality of clients and a server, said server being configured to:

establish two numerical scales, said numerical scales being an individual access permission status scale and a section access permissibility status scale, said scales pertaining to authorization of individuals to enter sections into which at least a portion of a facility is divided, said individual access permission status scale describing at least three individual access permission statuses that are assignable to said individuals, each said individual being assigned one said individual access permission status, said individual access permission statuses ranging from a numerically highest said individual access permission status P_n to a numerically lowest said individual access permission status P₁, said individual access permission statuses being P_n, P_n-1, . . . P₁, said section access permissibility status scale describing at least three section access permissibility statuses that are assignable to said sections, each said section being assigned one said section access permissibility status, said three section access permissibility statuses ranging from a numerically highest said section access permissibility status R_n to a numerically lowest said section access permissibility status R₁, said section access permit statuses being R_n, R_n-1, . . . R₁, wherein in parallel fashion said individual access permission statuses range between the highest said individual access permission status P_n and the lowest said individual access permission status P₁ and said section access permissibility statuses range between the highest said section access permissibility status R_n and the lowest said section access permissibility status R₁, the number n of said individual access permission statuses equaling the number n of said section access permissibility statuses, said individual access permission status being defined as authorizing access by said individual to every said section to which is assigned said section access permissibility status that is numerically equal to or numerically lower than said individual access permission status, said section access permissibility status being defined as authorizing access to said section by every said individual to which is assigned said individual access permission status that is numerically equal to or numerically higher than said section access permissibility status;

maintain two databases, said databases being an individual access permission status database and a section access permissibility status database, said individual access permission status database including identifications of said individuals and said individual access permission statuses that are assigned to said identified individuals, said section access permissibility status database including identifications of said sections and said section access permissibility statuses that are assigned to the identified said sections;

receive an inquiry from a said individual, using a said client, as to how to proceed from a first location of said facility to a second location of said facility; and

determine a route for the inquiring said individual from said first location of said facility to said second location of said facility, wherein said individual access permission status that is assigned to said inquiring individual is numerically equal to or numerically higher than said section access permissibility status that is assigned to each said section that said route at least partially traverses, said route avoiding every said section to which is assigned said section access permissibility status that is numerically higher than said individual access permission status that is assigned to said inquiring individual.

2. The computer-networked system for giving directions of claim 1, wherein said facility is a restricted access facility, and wherein said route is for pedestrian travel.

3. The computer-networked system for giving directions of claim 1, wherein:

said facility belongs to an organization having a plurality of organizational personnel;

each said client includes a computer workstation for use by at least one said individual who is among said organizational personnel.

4. The computer-networked system for giving directions of claim 1, wherein each said client includes a computer that is dedicated to use by a said individual for making a said inquiry, and wherein said dedicated computers are selectively arranged in said facility for facilitating the making of said inquiries by said individuals.

5. The computer-networked system for giving directions of claim 1, wherein each said client includes a computer selected from the group consisting of desktop computer and dedicated computer, said desktop computer being for workstation use by a said individual who is a member of an organization that uses said facility, said dedicated computer being for specialized use by a said individual for making a said inquiry.

6. The computer-networked system for giving directions of claim 1, wherein:

each said client is configured to communicate said inquiry to said server and to communicate the determined said route to the inquiring said individual;

said identifications of said sections included in said section access permissibility status database convey the three-dimensional positions of said sections;

the communication of the determined said route includes indication of said identification of each said section that said route at least partially traverses.

7. The computer-networked system for giving directions of claim 1, wherein said determination of said route includes:

ascertainment of at least two preliminary said routes; and

selection of the preliminary said route representing the best mathematical fit with respect to said individual access permission status that is assigned to said inquiring individual.

8. A computer-networked system for determining a route in a facility, said system comprising a plurality of clients and a server, said server being configured to:

maintain a database having a progressive classification scheme associated with plural persons and plural regions, said progressive classification scheme including two numerical hierarchies, said numerical hierarchies being a personal clearance hierarchy and a regional clearance hierarchy and being applicable to said persons that are permitted to occupy a facility and said regions that are accessible in said facility, wherein in said database each said person is characterized by a personal clearance rank in said personal clearance hierarchy and each said region is characterized by a regional clearance rank in said regional clearance hierarchy, there being plural personal clearance ranks corresponding to plural regional clearance ranks, the total number of personal clearance ranks equaling the total number of regional clearance ranks, said personal clearance hierarchy and said regional clearance hierarchy being reversely related to each other in terms of permission of said persons to access said regions according to said personal clearance hierarchy versus permission of said regions to be accessed by said persons according to said regional clearance hierarchy, each said regional clearance rank representing the minimum said personal clearance rank that is permitted access to said region characterized by said regional clearance rank, each said personal clearance rank representing the maximum said regional clearance rank to which is permitted access said person characterized by said personal clearance rank, wherein no said person is permitted to enter any region characterized by said regional clearance rank that is higher than said person'"'"'s personal clearance rank, and no said region is permitted to be entered by any person characterized by said personal clearance level that is lower than said region'"'"'s regional clearance rank;

determine a path for a said person using a said client, said path being from a first location of said facility to a second location of said facility, wherein characterizing every said region that said path at least partially intersects is said regional clearance rank that is no higher than said personal clearance rank characterizing said person for whom said path is determined, said path avoiding any said region characterized by said regional clearance rank that is higher than said personal clearance rank characterizing said person for whom said path is determined.

9. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 8, wherein said facility is a restricted access facility, and wherein said path is for pedestrian travel.

10. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 8, wherein said facility is a restricted access facility, and wherein said path is for at least one of pedestrian travel and vehicular travel.

11. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 8, wherein said determination of a path for a said person includes:

finding of plural said paths; and

selection, among said plural found paths, of said found path that represents the best mathematical conformity with respect to said personal clearance rank characterizing said person.

12. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 11, wherein said selection of said found path that represents the best said mathematical conformity includes estimation of the average said regional clearance rank that characterizes each said found path.

13. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 12, wherein said selection of the found said path that represents the best said mathematical conformity includes selection of the found said path that is characterized by the average said regional clearance rank that is closest to said personal clearance rank characterizing said person.

14. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 8, wherein each said client is configured to communicate the determined said path for said person using said client.

15. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 14, wherein:

in said database each said region is attributed with a regional designation that is informative of the spatial position of said region in said facility in three dimensions;

the determined and communicated said path includes the regional said designation of every said region that said path at least partially intersects.

16. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 15, wherein said determination of said path for said person includes:

finding of plural said paths; and

selection, among said plural found paths, of said found path that represents the best mathematical conformity with respect to said personal clearance rank characterizing said person.

17. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 16, wherein said selection of the found said path that represents the best said mathematical conformity includes estimation of the average said regional clearance rank that characterizes each found said path.

18. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 17, wherein said selection of the found said path that represents the best said mathematical conformity includes selection of the found said path that is characterized by the average said regional clearance rank that is closest to said personal clearance rank characterizing said person.

19. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 15, wherein:

said facility is a marine vessel characterized by a longitudinal centerline and plural horizontal decks;

each said regional designation is informative of said spatial position of the corresponding said region in a horizontal dimension along the longitudinal centerline, in a horizontal dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline, and in a vertical dimension indicative of one of said horizontal decks.

20. The computer-networked system for determining a route of claim 19, wherein each said regional designation is further informative as to the utilization of the corresponding said region.