Camera enabled headset for navigation

• US 8,634,852 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Farmer, Dominic Gerard, Gunderson, Linda G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US13/240,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20120252483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 382/255, 382/294, 705/14, 705/26.8, 707/6, 715/719
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method for providing location determination includes generating digital images using an imaging device in a headset configured to provide hands-free communication with a mobile device where the digital images are indicative of at least a scene in a direction of a user'"'"'s gaze. The digital images are filtered and transmitted to the mobile device. The mobile device processes the filtered digital images to generate location information associated with the user'"'"'s gaze. The headset may be a wired or wireless headset.

Claims

1. A method for providing location determination, comprising:

receiving digital image information at a mobile device, the digital image information obtained using an imaging device in a headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

receiving signal information from one or more motion sensors associated with the wireless headset, the signal information indicating motion of a user of the mobile device;

processing the digital image information; and

generating location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing;

generating a position of the mobile device using the location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing of the digital image information; and

updating the position of the mobile device using the signal information from the one or more motion sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating audio navigation information based on the location information; and

transmitting the audio navigation information to the headset.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating visual navigation information based on the location information, and displaying navigation images based on the visual navigation information on a display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital images at the mobile device through a wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional digital image information at the mobile device, the additional digital image information indicative of a different scene in a direction different than the forward direction;

processing the additional digital image information indicative of the different scene;

generating updated location information associated with one or more features in the different scene based on the processing of the additional digital image information; and

generating an updated position of the mobile device using the updated location information associated with one or more features in the scene.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein filtering the digital images comprises filtering the digital images to a level suitable for a wireless bandwidth for wireless transmission to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing satellite positioning information indicative of the position of the mobile device with a first uncertainty; and

refining the satellite positioning information indicative of the position of the mobile device using the location information associated one or more features in the scene to generate a location of the mobile device with a second uncertainty less than the first uncertainty.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the digital image information comprises comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and wherein generating location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing comprises accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the digital image information comprises recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

circuitry to receive digital image information from a wireless headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

circuitry to receive signal information from one or more motion sensors associated with the wireless headset, the signal information indicating motion of a user of the mobile device; and

a processor to process the digital image information and to generate location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a position of the mobile device using the location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing, and to update the position of the mobile device using the signal information from the one or more motion sensors.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to generate audio navigation information based on the location information;

and

circuitry to transmit the audio navigation information to the headset.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to generate visual navigation information based on the location information, and wherein the mobile device further comprises a display to display navigation images using the visual navigation information.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital image information.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein processor is configured to process the digital image information by comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and to generate the location information associated with one or more features in the scene by accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to process the digital image information comprises by recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

16. A mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving digital image information from a wireless headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

means for receiving signal information from one or more motion sensors associated with the wireless headset, the signal information indicating motion of a user of the mobile device; and

means for processing the digital image information, for generating location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing, for generating a position of the mobile device using the location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing of the digital image information, and for updating the position of the mobile device using the signal information from the one or more motion sensors.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

means for generating audio navigation information based on the location information; and

means for transmitting the audio navigation information to the headset.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

means for generating visual navigation information based on the location information; and

means for displaying navigation images using the visual navigation information.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the means for receiving the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital image information.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the means for processing the digital image information comprises means for comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and wherein the means for generating the location information associated with one or more features in the scene comprises means for accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

21. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the means for processing the digital image information comprises means for recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.

22. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

receiving digital image information from a wireless headset configured to provide hands-free communication with the mobile device, the digital image information indicative of at least a scene in a forward direction;

receiving signal information from one or more motion sensors associated with the wireless headset, the signal information indicating motion of a user of the mobile device;

processing the digital image information;

generating location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing;

generating a position of the mobile device using the location information associated with one or more features in the scene based on the processing, and

updating the position of the mobile device using the signal information from the one or more motion sensors.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 22, the operations further comprising:

generating audio navigation information based on the location information; and

transmitting the audio navigation information to the headset.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 22, the operations further comprising:

generating visual navigation information based on the location information; and

displaying navigation images using the visual navigation information.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the digital image information comprises receiving filtered digital image information.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein processing the digital image information comprises comparing at least a portion of the digital image information with stored information, and wherein generating the location information associated with one or more features in the scene comprises accessing an associated location based on the comparing.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein processing the digital image information comprises recognizing one or more symbols in the scene.