Directional feedback

• US 9,232,355 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Roskind, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dean, Jr., Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/908,818
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 701/213
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• 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: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to providing directional feedback to a user. For example, this disclosure describes techniques for determining at least one characteristic of a device in space. For example, a device may be configured to determine, using one or more sensors, one or more characteristics of the device in space. For example, the device may be configured to determine one or more of a direction, and/or geographical position of the device as pointed by a user in space. The device may compare one or more of the determined one or more characteristics of the device in space to a desired destination or path specified by the user, and provide the user with directional feedback if the determined one or more characteristics of the device in space are consistent with the desired destination or path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device, a direction in which at least one portion of the mobile device is pointed in space;

determining, by the mobile device, a geographic location of the mobile device;

detecting, by the mobile device, an altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device in space relative to a reference plane;

determining, based on data from one or more sensors of the mobile device, whether the mobile device is being held in a particular position or orientation that is indicative of a user of the mobile device desiring directional feedback;

comparing, by the mobile device, the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device to a physical destination that was previously specified by the user;

comparing, by the mobile device, the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device in space to the physical destination of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination and to determining that the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, outputting, by the mobile device, at least one indication that the detected direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination; and

responsive to determining that the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination, outputting by the mobile device, at least one indication that the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the mobile device include at least one of:

a gyroscope sensor, an accelerometer, a touch sensor, and a heat sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device to the physical destination comprises, in response to determining that the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, automatically initiating, by the mobile device, a comparison of the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device to the physical destination.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation comprises determining, by the mobile device, whether the mobile device is being held outwardly from the user of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation comprises determining, by the mobile device, whether the mobile device has been removed from a pocket of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the at least one indication that the direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination includes outputting, by the computing device, at least one palpable indication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the at least one indication that the direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination includes outputting, by the mobile device, an indication that a location pointed at by the mobile device is the physical destination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the at least one indication that the direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination includes outputting, by the mobile device, an indication that the direction in which the mobile device is pointed lies along a path to the physical destination.

9. A mobile device comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more output mechanisms; and

one or more processors configured to;

detect, based on data from the one or more sensors, a direction in which at least one defined portion of the mobile device is pointed in space, and a geographic location of the mobile device;

detect an altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device in space relative to a reference plane;

determine, based on data from the one or more sensors, whether the mobile device is being held in a particular position or orientation that is indicative of a user of the mobile device desiring directional feedback; and

compare the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device to a physical destination that was previously specified by the user;

compare the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device in space to the physical destination of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination and to determining that the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, the one or more output mechanisms output at least one indication that the detected direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination; and

responsive to determining that the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination, the one or more output mechanisms output at least one indication that the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors of the mobile device include at least one of:

a gyroscope sensor, an accelerometer, a touch sensor, and a heat sensor.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured such that the one or more processors automatically initiate, in response to determining that the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, a comparison of the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device to the physical destination.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein to determine whether the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, the one or more processors determine whether the mobile device is being held outwardly from the user of the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein to determine whether the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, the one or more processors determine whether the mobile device has been removed from a pocket of the user.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the one or more output mechanisms output the at least one indication that the direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination by outputting at least one palpable indication.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the one or more output mechanisms output the at least one indication that the direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination by outputting an indication that a location pointed at by the mobile device is the physical destination.

16. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the one or more output mechanisms output the at least one indication that the direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination by outputting an indication that the direction in which the mobile device is pointed lies along a path to the physical destination.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a mobile device to:

detect a direction in which at least one portion of the mobile device is pointed in space,

determine a geographic location of the mobile device;

detect an altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device in space relative to a reference plane;

determine, based on data from one or more sensors of the mobile device, whether the mobile device is being held in a particular position or orientation that is indicative of a user of the mobile device desiring directional feedback;

compare the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device to a physical destination that was previously specified by the user;

compare the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device in space to the physical destination of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the detected direction and geographic location of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination and to determining that the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation, output at least one indication that the detected direction and geographic location are consistent with the physical destination; and

responsive to determining that the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination, output at least one indication that the detected altitude and angle of elevation of the mobile device are consistent with the physical destination.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine whether the mobile device is being held in the particular position or orientation by determining whether the mobile device is being held outwardly from the user of the mobile device.