Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing indoor navigation using optical floor sensors
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- an absolute position sensor coupled to a case attached to a moveable object including;
a light sensor configured to detect light reflected from a barcode on a floor; and
circuitry configured to determine (i) an identifier specified by a first set of individual bars of the barcode (ii) and a direction of travel of the moveable object specified by a second set of individual bars within the barcode, the individual bars of the barcode being sensed by the light sensor as alternating absorbed and reflected light, the identifier corresponding to an absolute position within an indoor environment, the direction of travel being determined from a timing when a start code and an end code within the second set of the individual bars is sensed;
a motion sensor coupled to the case including;
a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a polarity of a magnet as the magnet passes in proximity to the magnetic field sensor;
a code wheel having two or more magnets alternately oriented with north and south polarities facing toward the magnetic sensor, the code wheel positioned to rotate in unison with a wheel of the moveable object; and
encoder circuitry configured to determine an amount of rotation of the wheel of the moveable object based on an output of the magnetic field sensor; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the motion sensor and the absolute position sensor and configured to;
determine a current location of the moveable object in the indoor environment based on the amount of rotation of the wheel in relation to the absolute position and the direction of travel; and
transmit, to a user device, a message indicative of the current location of the moveable object causing the user device to display the current location of the moveable object in relation to a graphical representation of the indoor environment.
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Abstract
An apparatus includes (i) an absolute position sensor coupled to a case, the position sensor including a light sensor, and circuitry configured to determine an identifier within a barcode, the individual bars of the barcode being sensed by the light sensor, and (ii) a motion sensor coupled to the case, the motion sensor including a first magnetic field sensor, a code wheel having two or more magnets positioned to rotate in unison with a wheel of the moveable object, and encoder circuitry configured to determine an amount of rotation of the wheel of the moveable object based on an output of the first magnetic field sensor.
74 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an absolute position sensor coupled to a case attached to a moveable object including; a light sensor configured to detect light reflected from a barcode on a floor; and circuitry configured to determine (i) an identifier specified by a first set of individual bars of the barcode (ii) and a direction of travel of the moveable object specified by a second set of individual bars within the barcode, the individual bars of the barcode being sensed by the light sensor as alternating absorbed and reflected light, the identifier corresponding to an absolute position within an indoor environment, the direction of travel being determined from a timing when a start code and an end code within the second set of the individual bars is sensed; a motion sensor coupled to the case including; a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a polarity of a magnet as the magnet passes in proximity to the magnetic field sensor; a code wheel having two or more magnets alternately oriented with north and south polarities facing toward the magnetic sensor, the code wheel positioned to rotate in unison with a wheel of the moveable object; and encoder circuitry configured to determine an amount of rotation of the wheel of the moveable object based on an output of the magnetic field sensor; and a processor communicatively coupled to the motion sensor and the absolute position sensor and configured to; determine a current location of the moveable object in the indoor environment based on the amount of rotation of the wheel in relation to the absolute position and the direction of travel; and transmit, to a user device, a message indicative of the current location of the moveable object causing the user device to display the current location of the moveable object in relation to a graphical representation of the indoor environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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an absolute position sensor coupled to a case attached to a moveable object including a light sensor configured to detect light reflected from a barcode on a floor, the barcode having individual narrow and wide bars with a logical ‘
0’
being represented by a narrow bar and a logical ‘
1’
being represented by a wide bar, the wide bars being at least twice a width of the narrow bars, the individual bars of the barcode being sensed by the light sensor as alternating absorbed and reflected light;a motion sensor coupled to the case including; a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a polarity of a magnet as the magnet passes in proximity to the magnetic field sensor; a code wheel having two or more magnets alternately oriented with north and south polarities facing toward the magnetic sensor, the code wheel positioned to rotate in unison with a wheel of the moveable object; and encoder circuitry configured to determine an amount of rotation of the wheel of the moveable object based on an output of the magnetic field sensor; and a processor configured to; determine, for each of the individual bars, the amount of rotation of the wheel; for each of the individual bars, determine if the individual bar is a narrow bar or a wide bar based on the determined amount of rotation for that individual bar; determine an identifier specified by the individual narrow and wide bars, the identifier corresponding to an absolute position of the moveable object within an indoor environment; determine a current location of the moveable object in the indoor environment based on the amount of rotation of the wheel in relation to the absolute position; and transmit to a user device a message indicative of the current location of the moveable object causing the user device to display the current location of the moveable object in relation to a graphical representation of the indoor environment. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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an absolute position receiver configured to receive, from a light sensor, signals indicative of light reflected from a barcode on a floor, individual bars of the barcode being sensed by the light sensor as alternating absorbed and reflected light; a motion sensor receiver configured to receive, from a motion sensor, an amount of rotation of a wheel of a moveable object based on an output of a magnetic field sensor; and a processor communicatively coupled to the absolute position receiver and the motion sensor receiver and configured to; determine a start code, an end code, and an identifier code from the received signals, determine an absolute position within an indoor environment based on the identifier code, determine a direction of travel of the moveable object based on a sequence of the start code and the end code within the received signals, determine a current location of the moveable object in the indoor environment based on the amount of rotation of the wheel, the absolute position, and the direction of travel, and transmit, to a device, a message indicative of the current location of the moveable object causing the device to display the current location of the moveable object in relation to a graphical representation of the indoor environment. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification