Homing display system and method

• US 8,326,534 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phillip M. Adams
• Original Assignee: Phillip M. Adams
• Inventors: Adams, Phillip M.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/218,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 701/500, 731/78, 702/141, 114/315, 332/78, 367/141, 342/106, 342/107
• US Class Current: 701/500
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/00 Navigational aids and use thereof, not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/02 Divers' equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems

Abstract

A relative positioning system enabling a user to return to a starting position or some other point on the user'"'"'s path. The system may include an array of accelerometers. The output from the accelerometers may be integrated to quantify movement of the array. The various movements of the array may be reconstructed to determine a net two or three dimensional translation. The current location of the array may be compared to a reference point to derive at trajectory directing the user to the reference point, such as an originating point. The trajectory may be continuously or periodically updated. Applications may include various displays presenting images, numbers, pointers, paths, vectors, or data by digital screens, watch faces, or other devices integrated with or remote from the processor calculating the vector back to the point of origin.

Claims

1. A homing display method comprising:

connecting to a user a portable, self-contained apparatus comprising a display, a processor executing relative positioning software, and an array of accelerometers operably connected to the processor and detecting acceleration of the user in at least two of transverse, longitudinal, and lateral directions;

moving the apparatus and user along an indirect path away from a fixed starting point;

providing, by the array, a signal to the processor substantially continuously during substantially all the moving, while the processor is operating;

calculating, by the relative positioning software based exclusively on the signal, substantially continually during the substantially all of the moving, a vector pointing to the fixed starting point;

displaying, by the display, substantially continually during the moving a sensible signal directing the user directly along the vector toward the fixed starting point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is selected from a liquid crystal display, a video device, an analog device, and an audio device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the director is selected from a pointer on the liquid crystal display, a pointer on the video device, a needle on the analog device, and an audible signal from the audio device, designating a direction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the apparatus further comprises a band.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the connecting comprises securing the band to the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the connecting further comprises securing the band around a wrist of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processor executes a signal processing module.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising filtering, by the signal processing module, the signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising converting, by the signal processing module, the signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the converting comprises at least one of analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion.

11. A homing display method comprising:

selecting a self-contained apparatus comprising a processor and an array of accelerometers, the array of accelerometers detecting acceleration of the apparatus in at least two of transverse, longitudinal, and lateral directions;

moving the apparatus and user along an indirect path away from a fixed starting point;

providing, by the array, signal to the processor substantially continuously during substantially all of the moving while the processor is operating;

calculating, by the processor based exclusively on the signal, substantially continually during substantially all of the moving while the processor is operating, a vector pointing to the fixed starting point;

communicating, by the apparatus, substantially continually during the moving a sensible signal directing the user directly along the vector toward the fixed starting point.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising securing the apparatus to the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the securing comprises securing the apparatus to a wrist of the user.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising filtering, by the processor, the signal.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising converting, by the processor, the signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the converting comprises at least one of analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion.

17. A method comprising:

providing a self-contained apparatus comprising a processor, a display, and an array of inertial sensors, all operably connected;

connecting the apparatus to a user;

moving the apparatus and user along an indirect path away from a fixed starting point;

providing, by the array, signal to the processor substantially continuously during the moving substantially all the time that the processor is operating and moving;

executing, by the processor, an executable comprising a relative positioning system calculating substantially continuously during the moving a current position of the user relative to the fixed staring point based exclusively on the signal; and

communicating, by the display, to the user substantially continuously during the moving a direction back to the fixed staring point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the connecting comprises securing the apparatus to a wrist of the user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the communicating comprises displaying an arrow pointing back to the fixed starting point.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the moving comprises moving the apparatus and user within an underwater environment.