Method and apparatus for mapping buildings

• US 9,086,470 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shalom Daskal
• Original Assignee: Shalom Daskal
• Inventors: ZAID, Jacob, Daskal, Shalom
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US13/663,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/400, 701/409, 701/412, 701/418, 701/446, 701/468, 701/540
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

An apparatus and method for determining an Absolute Location of an indoor stationary object, the method comprising: receiving a distance between an indoor stationary object and one or more predetermined spots; determining a location of stationary object relative to one of the predetermined spots; receiving an Absolute Location of one of the predetermined spots; determining an Absolute Location of the stationary object; and storing the Absolute Location of the stationary object with description information of the stationary object.

Claims

1. A method for determining an Absolute-Location of a stationary object within a building, comprising locating at least one combined receiver and reader (CRR) in a predetermined spot, the CRR configured to:

receiving a signal from the stationary object and determining a distance between the stationary object and the at least one CRR based on the received signal;

determining a Relative-Location of the stationary object relative to the at least one CRR from the received distance;

receiving an Absolute-Location of the at least one CRR;

determining the Absolute-Location of the stationary object from the Relative-Location of the stationary object and the Absolute-Location of the at least one CRR; and

storing the Absolute-Location of the stationary object with description information of the stationary object,

while communication between the stationary object and satellites is unavailable,

wherein the Absolute-Location of the stationary object is unchanged and the stored Absolute-Location is used for mapping the indoor stationary object for navigation within the building.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the distance between the stationary object and each of the at least one CRR is obtained using an RF or RFID system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the Absolute-Location of the at least one CRR is obtained using a GPS device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the stationary object is located at an entry point to the building.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the stationary object is located at an entry point to a floor of the building.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of claim 1 are repeated for at least two floors of the building.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a map of the building, the map comprising an indication of the Absolute-Location of the stationary object.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one CRR is at least three CRRs.

9. An apparatus for determining an Absolute-Location of a stationary object within a building, comprising:

a combined receiver and reader (CRR) unit, the CRR unit comprising;

a distance receiving unit for receiving a signal from the stationary object and determining a distance between the stationary object and the CRR unit based on the signal;

an Absolute-Location determination unit for determining an Absolute-Location of the CRR unit; and

an integration module for combing the distance between the stationary object and the CRR unit to obtain a Relative-Location of the stationary object relative to the CRR unit;

an Absolute-Location determination unit for combining the Absolute-Location of the CRR unit and the Relative-Location of the stationary object relative to the CRR unit into the Absolute-Location of the stationary object; and

a storage device for storing the Absolute Location of the stationary object and a description of the stationary object,

wherein communication between the stationary object and satellites is unavailable, the Absolute-Location of the stationary object is unchanged and the stored Absolute-Location is used for mapping the indoor stationary object for navigation within the building.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the distance receiving unit is an RF or RFID reader.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the Absolute Location determination unit is a Global Positioning System unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the stationary object is located at an entry point to the building.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the stationary object is located at an entry point to a floor of the building.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a user interface module for displaying a map of the building, the map comprising an indication of the location of the stationary object.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the integration module combines at least three distances between the stationary object and at least three locations of at least one CRR unit.