Method, apparatus and computer program for determining the location of a user in an area

• US 9,189,974 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pazos, Fernando Pedrazzoli, Van Belle, Jacques C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/711,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20150262510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 188 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/04 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/046 Displays or indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10504 Data fields affixed to objects or articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system to inform a user of a location and orientation of the user in a defined space, the system comprising:

a grid of first type devices located in the defined space and including information relating to the positions of said first type devices in the defined space;

a plurality of second type devices attached in defined positions relative to the user, and wherein when the user is in said defined space, the first type devices reacts to the second type devices to provide location information including two concurrent readings at a given moment identifying current locations of the second type devices in the defined space;

an orientation system for receiving and processing said location information to determine from said two concurrent readings specified information including a current location and orientation of the user in the defined space at the given moment; and

a communications system for receiving the specified information from the orientation system and to communicate to the user said current location and orientation of the user in the defined space.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is attached to the user.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the communication system is an acoustic system.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first type devices comprise an RFID tag.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the second type devices comprise an RFID reader.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the second type devices are located in a shoe of the user.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein one of the second type devices comprises an RFID reader in the heel of the shoe of the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein another one of the second type devices comprises another RFID reader in the toe of the shoe of the user.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein each of the first type devices is covered by a rugged material.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications system provides to the user information concerning street names.

11. A method to inform a user of a location and orientation of the user within a defined space, said defined space comprising a grid of first type devices including information relating to the positions of the first type devices in the defined space, and wherein a plurality of second type devices are attached in defined positions relative to the user, and the first and second type devices react to one another, the method comprising:

determining location information of the user within the space, including the first type devices reacting to the second type devices to provide two concurrent readings at a given moment to identify current locations of the second type devices in the defined space;

using an orientation system to receive and process said location information to determine from said two concurrent readings specified information including a current location and orientation of the user in the defined space at said given moment; and

using a communication system to receive the specified information from the orientation system and to communicate to the user the location and orientation of the user in the defined space.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication system is attached to the user.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the using the communication system includes guiding the user toward a defined feature.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the user is wearing a pair of shoes, and the using an orientation system to receive and process said location information includes processing said two concurrent readings to determine an orientation of said shoes in the defined space at the given moment.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the communications system is an acoustic system.

16. A computer program hardware product comprising instructions, executable by a computer system, for carrying out a method to inform a user of a location and orientation of the user within a defined space, said defined space comprising a grid of first type devices including information relating to the positions of the first type devices in the defined space, and wherein a plurality of second type devices are attached in defined positions relative to the user, the first type devices react to the second type devices to provide two concurrent readings at a given moment identifying a current location of the second type devices in the space, and when the computer program is executed on the computer system, the computer program causes the computer system to perform the steps of:

determining from said two concurrent readings specified information a current location and orientation of the user in the defined space at said given moment; and

using a communication system to receive the specified information and to communicate to the user the location and orientation of the user in the defined space.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the communications system is attached to the user.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the using a communication system includes guiding the user toward a specified feature.

19. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein:

said plurality of second type devices are in fixed positions relative to each other;

when the user is in said defined space, each of said plurality of second type devices is in a different relative to said grid; and

the orientation of the user is determined from the locations of the plurality of second type devices.

20. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the communications system is an acoustic system.