Automatic navigation method and automatic navigation system

• US 8,751,144 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tzao, Szu-Han, Hong, Jong-Jeng, Cheng, Shang-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US13/085,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/2, 701/532, 701/466, 701/526, 701/433, 701/430, 701/400, 701/408, 709/201, 244/17.13, 324/244, 342/357.34
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/75 using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders , or using passive reflectors

Abstract

An automatic navigation method and automatic navigation system are provided. The automatic navigation method includes the following steps. A guiding path is provided. A current facing direction which a user faces is obtained by an electronic compass. A turning direction is obtained according to the current facing direction and the guiding path. The turning direction is notified by an electric shock signal. A nearest trace point of the guiding path is obtained by sensing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. The turning direction is updated according to the nearest trace point and the current facing direction.

Claims

1. An automatic navigation method, comprising:

providing a guiding path;

obtaining a current facing direction which a user faces by an electronic compass;

obtaining a turning direction according to the current facing direction and the guiding path;

notifying the turning direction by an electric shock signal;

obtaining a nearest trace point of the guiding path by sensing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag; and

updating the turning direction according to the nearest trace point and the current facing direction;

wherein the electric shock signal is directed towards left turn or right turn by providing a combination of at least one short-duration signal and at least one long-duration signal.

2. The automatic navigation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating the current facing direction by the electronic compass.

3. The automatic navigation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating the current facing direction according to the currently obtained nearest trace point and the previously obtained nearest trace point.

4. The automatic navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the nearest trace point and the step of updating the turning direction are repeatedly performed.

5. The automatic navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the guiding path comprises:

providing a map information, an initial position and a target position; and

planning the guiding path according to the map information, the initial position and the target position.

6. The automatic navigation method according to claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining the initial position by sensing the radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.

7. The automatic navigation method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of notifying the turning direction by the electric shock signal, the electric shock signal is applied to a user'"'"'s skin.

8. The automatic navigation method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of notifying the turning direction by the electric shock signal, the electric shock signal is applied to a user'"'"' left limb or right limb.

9. An automatic navigation system, comprising:

a path planning unit used for providing a guiding path;

an electronic compass used for obtaining a current facing direction which a user faces;

a processing unit used for obtaining a turning direction according to the current facing direction and the guiding path;

an electric shock unit used for emitting an electric shock signal to notify the user the turning direction; and

a sensing unit used for sensing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to obtain a nearest trace point of the guiding path, wherein the processing unit further updates the turning direction according to the nearest trace point and the current facing direction;

wherein the electric shock signal is directed towards left turn or right turn by providing a combination of at least one short-duration signal and at least one long-duration signal.

10. The automatic navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the electronic compass further updates the current facing direction.

11. The automatic navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the processing unit updates the current facing direction according to the currently obtained nearest trace point and the previously obtained nearest trace point.

12. The automatic navigation system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a providing unit used for providing a map information, an initial position and a target position, wherein the path planning unit plans the guiding path according to the map information, the initial position and the target position.

13. The automatic navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the providing unit obtains the initial position according to the RFID tag.

14. The automatic navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the electric shock unit is disposed on a user'"'"'s skin.

15. The automatic navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the electric shock unit is disposed on a user'"'"'s left limb and right limb.