Apparatus and method for portable tracking

• US 8,456,298 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timo Valtonen
• Original Assignee: Timo Valtonen
• Inventors: Valtonen, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/917,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20120105225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.31, 340/5.3, 340/8.1, 340/10.41, 340/568.1, 340/573.1, 340/686.6, 340/693.5
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A method for tracking movements in a portable tracking apparatus includes a movement sensor. Virtual object position information is generated and local movement instructions for a user of the portable tracking apparatus is determined based on the generated virtual object position information. The local movement instructions are presented only non-visually to the user and movement of the portable tracking apparatus is determined using the movement sensor. A non-visual feedback is presented to the user of the portable tracking apparatus based on the determined movement of the portable tracking apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for tracking movements in a portable tracking apparatus including a movement sensor, the method comprising:

generating virtual object position information;

determining local movement instructions for a user of the portable tracking apparatus based on the generated virtual object position information;

presenting only non-visually the local movement instructions to the user;

determining movement of the portable tracking apparatus using the movement sensor;

presenting a non-visual feedback to the user of the portable tracking apparatus determining a position of the portable tracking apparatus using at least one of the following;

global positioning system, cellular positioning system, non-cellular positioning system and motion sensor;

determining a starting position of the user in a game application based on the determined position of the portable tracking apparatus;

determining a virtual game object position based on the generated virtual object position information; and

generating audio tones for the user based on the determined local non-visual movement instructions and feedback based on the determined movement of the portable tracking apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual object position information being at least one of the following:

a virtual object of a game application;

a virtual route for the user to follow; and

a virtual waypoint of the virtual route.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual object position information being generated by a remote apparatus connected remotely to the portable tracking apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the determined movement of the portable tracking apparatus comprises at least one of the following:

determining an angle of the movement;

determining a speed of the movement;

determining a length of the movement;

determining time lapsed for the movement;

determining timing of the movement;

determining trajectory of the movement; and

determining a position after the movement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-visual feedback to the user is further based on at least one of the following:

deviation of the user from the virtual route or from the virtual waypoint;

time lapsed;

direction of the user on the virtual route;

a relation of the determined movement to the virtual object position information of a game application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the relation of the determined movement to the virtual object position information of a game application is based on at least one of the following:

timing of the determined movement; and

direction of the movement.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the local movement instructions and feedback using audio tones.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the local movement instructions and feedback using tactile feedback.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement sensor is an accelometer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement sensor is a gyro.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a starting position of the user for a virtual route comprising at least one waypoint in a security application based on the determined position of the portable tracking apparatus;

determining virtual route waypoint position based on the generated virtual object position information;

generating audio tones for the user based on the determined local non-visual movement instructions and feedback;

determining a deviation of the user position compared to the virtual route and updating the determined local non-visual feedback if the deviation exceeds a threshold set by the security application; and

determining a target time for the user to reach the determined waypoint and calculating time spent for the user; and

updating the determined local non-visual feedback if the time spent exceeds the target time.

12. A portable tracking apparatus comprising:

a loudspeaker configured to present non-visual movement instructions and feedback to a user of the portable tracking apparatus;

a movement sensor operative to detect a movement of the portable tracking apparatus at least one of global positioning system, cellular positioning system, non-cellular positioning system operative to detect a position of the portable tracking apparatus;

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

generate virtual object position information;

determine local movement instructions for the user based on the generated virtual object position information;

present only non-visually the local movement instructions to the user;

determine movement of the portable tracking apparatus using the movement sensor;

present a non-visual feedback to the user of the portable tracking apparatus based on the determined movement of the portable tracking apparatus determining a starting position of the user in a game application based on the determined position of the portable tracking apparatus;

determining a virtual game object position based on the generated virtual object position information; and

generating audio tones for the user based on the determined local non-visual movement instructions and feedback.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the movement sensor is at least one of an accelometer or a gyroscope.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a vibrator operative to provide the non-visual feedback to the user using tactile feedback.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a tamper detector configured to detect an attempt to remove the portable tracking apparatus from the user body.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tamper detector comprises at least one of the following:

a thermal sensor for sensing body temperature of the user and a wire through a strap of the portable tracking apparatus.

17. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable program code which, when executed by at least one processor of a portable tracking apparatus, causes the portable tracking apparatus to perform:

generate virtual object position information;

determine local movement instructions for the user based on the generated virtual object position information;

present only non-visually the local movement instructions to the user;

determine movement of the portable tracking apparatus using the movement sensor;

present a non-visual feedback to the user of the portable tracking apparatus based on the determined movement of the portable tracking apparatus determining a position of the portable tracking apparatus using at least one of the following;

global positioning system, cellular positioning system, non-cellular positioning system and motion sensor;

determining a starting position of the user in a game application based on the determined position of the portable tracking apparatus;

determining a virtual game object position based on the generated virtual object position information; and

generating audio tones for the user based on the determined local non-visual movement instructions and feedback.