Apparatus and method for detecting objects and navigation

• US 9,942,701 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mappus, IV, Rudolph L., White, James Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US15/093,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/066 Installations on the floor, e.g. special surfaces, to guide blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a mobile device determines a current position and direction; detects objects within an area including the current position; collects first data regarding the objects; buffers the first data; and transmits the first data to a remote system responsive to the mobile device reaching a boundary of the area. The method also comprises obtaining a map of the area from the remote device; the map includes information based on second data previously collected regarding objects in the area, the second data includes a position indicator and a direction indicator for each of the second objects indexed by the current position, and the remote device aggregates the first data and the second data to generate an updated map of the area. Navigation instructions are generated based on the current position and the map, Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining an initial position and direction for the device, wherein the device is a mobile device;

detecting first objects within an area including the initial position, wherein the detecting is performed while the device moves along a first path from the initial position to a boundary of the area;

collecting first data regarding the first objects, wherein the collecting is performed at a plurality of first collection points along the first path, a distance between successive first collection points corresponding to a time interval during movement of the device along the first path;

buffering the first data;

transmitting the first data to a remote system;

obtaining a map of the area from the remote system, wherein the map includes information based on second data previously collected regarding second objects in the area, the second data collected at a plurality of second collection points along a second path different from the first path, wherein the second data includes a position indicator and a direction indicator for each of the second objects indexed by the initial position, wherein the remote system aggregates the first data and the second data to generate an updated map of the area;

generating navigation instructions based on the initial position and the map; and

presenting the navigation instructions to a user of the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the buffered data is transmitted to the remote system responsive to the mobile device reaching the boundary of the area.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the initial position is determined using a global positioning system, and wherein the area corresponds to an accuracy range of the global positioning system.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the accuracy range depends on the initial position.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein an update of the initial position by the global positioning system indicates that the boundary of the area has been reached.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the objects are detected using an ultrasonic locating system coupled to the device, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first objects is included in the second objects.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first data includes a position of an obstacle in the area and a first direction indicator, and wherein the second data includes the position of the obstacle and a second direction indicator, the first direction indicator and the second direction indicator corresponding respectively to relative bearings of the obstacle in a first detection and a second detection of the obstacle performed at different times.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the navigation instructions are presented as an audio signal from the device, a display presented at the device, or a combination thereof.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending a query to another device located in the area for additional navigation instructions.

11. A method comprising:

determining, by a mobile device comprising a processor, an initial position and direction for the mobile device;

detecting, by the mobile device, first objects within an area including the initial position, wherein the detecting is performed while the mobile device moves along a first path from the initial position to a boundary of the area;

collecting, by the mobile device, first data regarding the first objects, wherein the collecting is performed at a plurality of first collection points along the first path, a distance between successive first collection points corresponding to a time interval during movement of the mobile device along the path;

buffering, by the mobile device, the first data;

transmitting, by the mobile device, the first data to a remote device responsive to the mobile device reaching the boundary of the area;

obtaining, by the mobile device, a map of the area from the remote device, wherein the map includes information based on second data previously collected regarding second objects in the area, the second data collected at a plurality of second collection points along a second path different from the first path, wherein the second data includes a position indicator and a direction indicator for each of the second objects indexed by the initial position, wherein the remote device aggregates the first data and the second data to generate an updated map of the area;

generating, by the mobile device, navigation instructions based on the initial position and the map; and

presenting, by the mobile device, the navigation instructions to a user of the device as an audio signal, a display, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the initial position is determined using a global positioning system, and wherein the area corresponds to an accuracy range of the global positioning system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein an update of the initial position by the global positioning system indicates that the boundary of the area has been reached.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the objects are detected using an ultrasonic locating system coupled to the mobile device, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a query to another device located in the area for additional navigation instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a response to the query including a captured image of an obstacle in the area.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

determining an initial position and direction for a mobile device, wherein the initial position is determined using a global positioning system;

detecting first objects within an area including the initial position, wherein the area corresponds to an accuracy range of the global positioning system, wherein the detecting is performed while the mobile device moves along a first path from the initial position to a boundary of the area;

collecting first data regarding the first objects, wherein the collecting is performed at a plurality of first collection points along the first path, a distance between successive first collection points corresponding to a time interval during movement of the mobile device along the path;

buffering the first data;

transmitting the first data to a remote device responsive to the mobile device reaching the boundary of the area;

obtaining a map of the area from the remote device, wherein the map includes information based on second data previously collected regarding second objects in the area, the second data collected at a plurality of second collection points along a second path different from the first path, wherein the second data includes a position indicator and a direction indicator for each of the second objects indexed by the initial position, wherein the remote device aggregates the first data and the second data to generate an updated map of the area;

generating navigation instructions based on the initial position and the map; and

presenting the navigation instructions to a user of the mobile device.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein an update of the initial position by the global positioning system indicates that the boundary of the area has been reached.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the objects are detected using an ultrasonic locating system coupled to the device, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the navigation instructions are presented as an audio signal from the device, a display presented at the device, or a combination thereof.