System and method for navigating using multiple modalities

• US 9,250,084 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Patel, Labhesh, Moon, Bruce D., Sarkar, Shantanu, Chahrouri, Gebran G., Khouri, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amsdell, Dana
• Application Number:
  US11/837,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,098 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building

Abstract

A system for navigating includes an interface operable to receive position information of a first modality. The position information of the first modality is associated with a navigation unit. The interface is further operable to receive position information of a second modality. The position information of the second modality is associated with the navigation unit. The system also includes a processor coupled to the interface and operable to identify a destination. The system is further operable to navigate to the destination based on the position information of the first and second modalities by switching between the first modality and the second modality.

Claims

1. A system for navigating comprising:

an interface operable to;

receive an identification of a destination inside a building;

receive position information of a first modality comprising global positioning satellite (GPS) information, the position information of the first modality associated with a navigation unit;

a processor coupled to the interface, wherein the processor is operable to;

determine directions from a current location of the navigation unit to the destination inside the building;

detect that the navigation unit is within range of a radio frequency identification (RFID) network associated with the building, the building comprising a plurality of RFID tags;

wherein the interface is further operable to;

receive RFID position information of the navigation unit;

the processor further operable to;

navigate to the destination inside the building based on the GPS and RFID position information by automatically switching from GPS to RFID upon the detection that the navigation unit is within range of the RFID network associated with the building, wherein the processor utilizes GPS information outside the building and RFID information inside the building for the navigation; and

wherein the processor is further operable to receive instructions to dynamically program one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a user request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to analyze the RFID position information of the navigation unit to determine a direction of movement.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to analyze the RFID position information of the navigation unit to determine a distance traveled.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory operable to store a map associated with the RFID network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the map is associated with a building; and

the destination is a location within the building.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to determine a location of the navigation unit based on the map associated with the RFID network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to send a query to a communication network associated with the RFID network in response to entering the RFID network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the query comprises a request for an updated destination.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive a response to the query; and

the response comprises an updated destination.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is further operable to receive a request from one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the request is associated with the location of the RFID tag.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

search a directory associated with the RFID network; and

determine a location of the navigation unit based on the directory.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further operable to program one or more RFID tags to transmit a request to a navigation unit in the RFID network comprises the processor operable to:

program one or more RFID tags to transmit a request to each navigation unit coming in proximity to the one or more RFID tags; and

reprogram the one or more RFID tags to stop transmission of the request to each navigation unit coming in proximity to the one or more RFID tags upon receiving an indication message.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the indication message represents a task completion.

12. A computer-implemented method for navigating comprising:

identifying, with a processor, a destination inside a building;

receiving, at an interface of a navigation unit, position information of a first modality comprising global positioning satellite (GPS) information, the position information of the first modality associated with the navigation unit;

determining, with the processor, directions from a current location of the navigation unit to the destination inside the building;

detecting, with the processor, that the navigation unit is within range of a radio frequency identification (RFID) network associated with the building, the building comprising a plurality of RFID tags;

receiving, at the interface of the navigation unit, RFID position information of the navigation unit;

navigating, with the processor, to the destination inside the building based on the GPS and RFID position information by automatically switching from GPS to RFID upon the detection that the navigation unit is within range of the RFID network associated with the building, wherein the processor utilizes GPS information outside the building and RFID information inside the building for the navigation; and

receiving instructions to dynamically program a RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a user request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing the RFID position information of the navigation unit to determine a direction of movement.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing the RFID position information of the navigation unit to determine a distance traveled.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing a map associated with the RFID network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the map is associated with a building; and

the destination is a location within the building.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a location of the navigation unit based on the map associated with the RFID network.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a query to a communication network associated with the RFID network in response to entering the RFID network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the query comprises a request for an updated destination.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a response to the query, wherein the response comprises an updated destination.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a request from one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the request is associated with the location of the RFID tag.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

searching a directory associated with the RFID network; and

determining a location of the navigation unit based on the directory.

23. Logic embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

identify a destination inside a building;

receive position information of a first modality comprising global positioning satellite (GPS) information, the position information of the first modality associated with the navigation unit;

determine directions from a current location of the navigation unit to the destination inside the building;

detect that the navigation unit is within range of a radio frequency identification (RFID) network associated with the building, the building comprising a plurality of RFID tags;

receive RFID position information of the navigation unit;

navigate to the destination inside the building based on the GPS and RFID position information by automatically switching from GPS to RFID upon the detection that the navigation unit is within range of the RFID network associated with the building, wherein the code utilizes GPS information outside the building and RFID information inside the building for the navigation; and

receive instructions to dynamically program one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a user request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.

24. The logic of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to analyze the RFID position information of the navigation unit to determine a direction of movement.

25. The logic of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to analyze the RFID position information of the navigation unit to determine a distance traveled.

26. The logic of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to store a map associated with the RFID network.

27. The logic of claim 26, wherein:

the map is associated with a building; and

the destination is a location within the building.

28. The logic of claim 26, wherein the code is further operable to determine a location of the navigation unit based on the map associated with the RFID network.

29. The logic of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to send a query to a communication network associated with the RFID network in response to entering the RFID network.

30. The logic of claim 29, wherein the query comprises a request for an updated destination.

31. The logic of claim 30, wherein:

the code is further operable to receive a response to the query; and

the response comprises an updated destination.

32. The logic of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to receive a request from one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the request is associated with the location of the RFID tag.

33. The logic of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to:

search a directory associated with the RFID network; and

determine a location of the navigation unit based on the directory.

34. A system for navigating comprising:

means for identifying a destination inside a building;

means for receiving position information of a first modality comprising global positioning satellite (GPS) information, the position information of the first modality associated with the navigation unit;

means for determining, with the processor, directions from a current location of the navigation unit to the destination inside the building;

means for detecting that the navigation unit is within range of a radio frequency identification (RFID) network associated with the building, the building comprising a plurality of RFID tags;

means for receiving RFID position information of the navigation unit;

means for navigating to the destination inside the building based on the GPS and RFID position information by automatically switching from GPS to RFID upon the detection that the navigation unit is within range of the RFID network associated with the building, wherein the means for navigating to the destination utilizes GPS information outside the building and RFID information inside the building for the navigation; and

means for receiving instructions to dynamically program one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a user request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.