Method and apparatus for indoor navigation

• US 8,155,872 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kjeldsen, Frederik C., Levas, Anthony, Pingali, Gopal S., Pinhanez, Claudio S., Podlaseck, Mark E., Sukavitiya, Piyawadee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/668,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 353 11- 14, 348/832, 348/837, 365 63- 64, 365/66, 365/52, 365/55, 701/200, 701208-209, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/006 using LCD's

Abstract

Techniques are provided for providing physical routes to target locations. The techniques include obtaining at least one target location from at least one user; determining at least one physical route to said at least one target location; and displaying said at least one determined physical route through a sequence of at least one sign display, wherein each sign display are configured to display a plurality of physical routes.

Claims

1. A method of providing physical routes to target locations, comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least one target location from at least one user;

determining at least one physical route to said at least one target location; and

displaying said at least one determined physical route through a sequence of at least one sign display, wherein each sign display is configured to simultaneously display a plurality of said determined physical routes, wherein at least two of said plurality of determined physical routes are each associated with a different user, and wherein one or more of said steps are performed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining step comprises said at least one user indicating said at least one target location to at least one search display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one search display comprises at least one of a television monitor, a liquid crystal display (LCD) flat screen, a plasma flat screen, a light emitting diode (LED) display, and an electronic paper (e-paper) display.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one search display is configured to obtain inputs from at least one of a mouse, a keyboard and a touch screen.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one search display and said at least one sign display are implemented with at least one projector.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said at least one search display is associated with at least one search display projected surface and configured with a search display input device mounted on said search display projected surface; and

said at least one sign display is associated with at least one sign display projected surface and configured with a sign display input device mounted on said sign display projected surface.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one search display and said at least one sign display are implemented with at least one steerable projected display system.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one search display is configured to be accessed by said at least one user through a personal portable device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said indicating step is implemented at least via speech recognition.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said indicating step is implemented at least via combining speech with a keyed interactive device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said route is pre-stored and said determining step comprises recalling said at least one pre-stored physical route to said at least one target location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises computing said at least one physical route to said at least one target location based on available information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each sign display comprises at least one of a television monitor, a liquid crystal display (LCD) flat screen, a plasma flat screen, a light emitting diode (LED) display, and an electronic paper (e-paper) display.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional steps of:

tracking a location of said at least one user; and

updating display of said determined physical route based on said location of the at least one user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of displaying advertising on said at least one sign display during a time when physical route display is not required.

16. An apparatus for providing physical routes to target locations, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to said memory and operative to;

obtain at least one target location from at least one user;

determine at least one physical route to said at least one target location; and

display said at least one determined physical route through a sequence of at least one sign display, wherein each sign display is configured to simultaneously display a plurality of said determined physical routes and wherein at least two of said plurality of determined physical routes are each associated with a different user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said processor is operative to obtain said at least one target location from said at least one user via obtaining an indication of said at least one user indicating said at least one target location to at least one search display.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to:

track a location of said at least one user; and

update display of said determined physical route based on said location of the at least one user.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer useable program code for providing physical routes to target locations, said computer program product including:

computer useable program code for obtaining at least one target location from at least one user;

computer useable program code for determining at least one physical route to said at least one target location; and

computer useable program code for displaying said at least one determined physical route through a sequence of at least one sign display, wherein each sign display is configured to simultaneously display a plurality of said determined physical routes and, wherein at least two of said plurality of determined physical routes are each associated with a different user.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

said computer usable program code for obtaining said at least one target location from said at least one user comprises computer usable program code for obtaining an indication of said at least one user indicating said at least one target location to at least one search display.