Navigation device for dead reckoning

• US 9,574,891 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Figueroa, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAULIEU, YONEL
• Application Number:
  US14/829,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20150354975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

A navigation device is provided that includes a processor configured to track a path of the navigation device based on a first signal received by the navigation device, and calculate a calculated position of the navigation device based on a second signal different from the first signal. The navigation device may further include a graphical user interface configured to display a calculated position graphical element representing the calculated position determined based on the second signal and display a tracked position graphical element representing the path of the navigation device determined based on the first signal, the tracked position graphical element and the calculated position graphical element being distinguishable in appearance.

Claims

1. A navigation device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a satellite signal;

a display;

a processor operatively coupled to the receiver and display, the processor being configured to;

track a path of the navigation device based on a first signal received by the receiver; and

calculate a calculated position of the navigation device based on a second signal provided by a vehicle and different from the first signal; and

display on the display a graphical user interface including a calculated position graphical element representing the calculated position determined based on the second signal and a tracked position graphical element representing the path of the navigation device determined based on the first signal, the tracked position graphical element and the calculated position graphical element being distinguishable in appearance.

2. The navigation device of claim 1,

wherein the receiver is a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and the processor is further configured to:

receive as the first signal a GPS system signal from the GPS receiver; and

display the tracked position graphical element based on the first signal during a signal receiving condition indicating that the first signal is being received on the display in the graphical user interface.

3. The navigation device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

recognize a dropped signal condition in which an operational first signal is not received and a position of the navigation device cannot be tracked;

identify a last tracked position of the navigation device corresponding to a time of the dropped signal condition;

calculate the calculated position of the navigation device from the last tracked position based on the second signal during the dropped signal condition; and

display the calculated position graphical element at least during the dropped signal condition on the display in the graphical user interface.

4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein:

the tracked position graphical element is a line of a first pattern depicting the movement of the navigation device along a map; and

the calculated position graphical element is a line of a second pattern depicting the movement of the navigation device along the map.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein:

the tracked position graphical element is a line of a first color depicting the movement of the navigation device along a map; and

the calculated position graphical element is a line of a second color depicting the movement of the navigation device along the map.

6. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein:

the tracked position graphical element is a line of a first thickness depicting the movement of the navigation device along a map; and

the calculated position graphical element is a line of a second thickness depicting the movement of the navigation device along the map.

7. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the calculated position graphical element is selected from the group consisting of a text item, graphical icon, letter, number, and color scheme.

8. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein

the port is an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port,

the navigation device is on board a vehicle, and

the first signal includes OBD data retrieved from an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle through the OBD port.

9. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the first signal including the OBD data corresponding with a movement of the vehicle from the on-board diagnostics system from the OBD port; and

calculate the calculated position from a last tracked position of the vehicle at the time the dropped signal condition was recognized, based on the OBD data.

10. The navigation device of claim 9, wherein the OBD data includes a speed, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction of the navigation device.

11. The navigation device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to execute a kinematic module to calculate the calculated position of the navigation device, and wherein the kinematic module is configured to calculate the calculated position based on one or more of the speed of the navigation device, the steering wheel angle, and the cardinal direction in the OBD data.

12. A method for dead reckoning for use with a navigation device having a receiver, a port, and a display, the method comprising:

tracking a path of the navigation device based on a first signal received by a first one of the receiver or the port in the navigation device; and

calculating a calculated position of the navigation device based on a second signal different from the first signal, the second signal received by a second one of the receiver or the port; and

displaying a graphical user interface on the display, the graphical user interface including a calculated position graphical element representing the calculated position determined based on the second signal and displaying a tracked position graphical element representing the path of the navigation device determined based on the first signal, the tracked position graphical element and the calculated position graphical element being distinguishable in appearance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiver is a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver, the method further comprising:

receiving as the first signal a GPS system signal from the GPS receiver; and

displaying in the graphical user interface on the display the tracked position graphical element based on the first signal during a signal receiving condition indicating that the first signal is being received.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

recognizing a dropped signal condition in which an operational first signal is not received and a position of the navigation device cannot be tracked;

identifying a last tracked position of the navigation device corresponding to a time of the dropped signal condition;

calculating the calculated position of the navigation device from the last tracked position based on the second signal during the dropped signal condition; and

displaying in the graphical user interface on the display the calculated position graphical element at least during the dropped signal condition.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the tracked position graphical element is a line of a first pattern, color and/or thickness, depicting the movement of the navigation device along a map; and

the calculated position graphical element is a line of a second pattern, color and/or thickness, depicting the movement of the navigation device along the map.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein

the port is an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port,

the navigation device is on board a vehicle, and

the first signal includes OBD data retrieved from an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle connected to the OBD port.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the first signal including the OBD data corresponding with a movement of the vehicle from the on-board diagnostics system through the OBD port; and

calculating the calculated position from a last tracked position of the vehicle at the time the dropped signal condition was recognized, based on the OBD data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the first signal including the OBD data from the on-board diagnostics system includes receiving one or more of a speed, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein calculating the calculated position from the last tracked position of the vehicle includes performing a calculation based on one or more of a speed, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction of the vehicle.

20. A computer readable storage medium comprising stored instructions that when executed by a processor of a navigation device cause the navigation device to:

track a path of the navigation device based on a first signal received by a port or a receiver in the navigation device; and

calculate a calculated position of the navigation device based on a second signal different from the first signal; and

display on a graphical user interface of a display a calculated position graphical element representing the calculated position determined based on the second signal and display a tracked position graphical element representing the path of the navigation device determined based on the first signal, the tracked position graphical element and the calculated position graphical element being distinguishable in appearance.