Digital map tracking apparatus and methods

• US 9,618,344 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TERN AI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bradley Denn, Brett Harrison, Phillip Reason
• Inventors: Harrison, Brett, Denn, Bradley, Reason, Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US14/565,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 701409, 701466, 701469, 701431, 701433, 340905, 345633, 455457
• 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 21/1652 with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning

Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus may include a circuit that has a first input to receive motion data from at least one of a motion sensor and an optical sensor and that has a second input to receive directional data corresponding to the motion data. The circuit may further include an input/output interface configured to provide data to a display and a control circuit coupled to the first input, the second input, and the input/output interface. The control circuit may be configured to determine a current position based at least in part on the motion data and the directional data and update an indicator on a digital map based on the current position determined from the motion data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a circuit including;

a first input to receive motion data from a motion sensor;

a second input to receive optical data from an optical sensor;

a third input to receive directional data corresponding to the motion data;

an input/output interface configured to provide data to a display; and

a control circuit coupled to the first input, the second input, the third input, and the input/output interface, the control circuit configured to;

determine a current position based at least in part on the motion data and the directional data; and

update an indicator on a digital map provided to the display based on the current position determined from the motion data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to correlate image data from the optical sensor to a feature identifiable on the digital map to determine the current position and to update the indicator on the digital map based on the current position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to correlate movement data from the motion sensor and the direction data to determine the current position relative to an initial position and to update the indicator on the digital map based on the current position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning satellite (GPS) circuit configured to capture GPS data; and

the control circuit is configured to determine the current position based on at least one of the GPS data and the motion data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

calibrate the motion data using the GPS data during a first mode; and

determine the current position based on the motion data in a second mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an input/output (I/O) interface including at least one user-selectable element accessible by a user to selectively disable the GPS circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input/output (I/O) interface configured to couple to an external device and to communicate data related to at least one of the digital map and the current position to the external device; and

wherein the external device comprises at least one of a computing system, an automotive system, a nautical system, and an aeronautical system.

8. A method comprising:

determining a current position based on data from at least one of a motion sensor and an optical sensor of an apparatus; and

updating an indicator representing the current position on a digital map provided to a display associated with the apparatus in response to determining the current position.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining an initial position using global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates from a GPS circuit of the apparatus; and

determining the digital map from a plurality of digital maps in response to determining the initial position using a control circuit of the apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the map comprises retrieving one or more maps from a memory in response to determining the initial position.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the current position comprises:

receiving motion data from the motion sensor;

receiving directional data from a compass; and

determining the current position based on the motion data and the directional data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the indicator representing the current position comprises:

correlating the current position to the digital map; and

updating the indicator in response to correlating.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the current position comprises:

receiving image data from the image sensor; and

identifying features within the image data that correspond to features within the digital map to determine the current position.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the features within the image data comprises correlating the features to corresponding features within the digital map.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an input to calibrate the current position to a known feature within the digital map; and

updating the current position in response to receiving the input.

16. A data storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:

determine a current position based on data from at least one of a motion sensor and an optical sensor; and

update a position of an indicator on a digital map based on the current position.

17. The data storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine an initial position based on global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates; and

determine the current position relative to the initial position.

18. The data storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive global positioning satellite coordinates; and

calibrate the data from the at least one of the motion sensor and the optical sensor in response to receiving the global positioning satellite coordinates.

19. The data storage device of claim 18, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to selectively disable a global positioning satellite circuit.

20. The data storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to communicate with a vehicle system associated with at least one of a car and a boat.