Navigation method and device

• US 10,715,963 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ariel-University Research And Development Company Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ariel-University Research And Development Company Ltd.
• Inventors: Ben-Moshe, Boaz, Shvalb, Nir
• Primary Examiner(s): Bataille, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US16/669,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20200077235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/01 adapted for specific applications or environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, assemblies and devices useful for identifying the location and/or motion of a mobile device in a specified area, for assisting in mapping a specified area and also to methods, assemblies and devices for determining a location of anchors found at fixed locations in a specified area.

Claims

1. A method of indoor navigation using a mobile device, which method comprising:

providing a map of anchors in a specific indoor area in which a mobile device is located;

detecting one or more anchors in said specific indoor area using an optical sensor of said mobile device;

measuring a rotational orientation of said mobile device using an orientation sensor, to determine a rotational orientation of said mobile device when performing said detecting said one or more anchors;

determining a spatial relationship between said one or more detected anchors and said mobile device, based on signals received by said optical sensor and said measured rotational orientation of said mobile device;

accurately determining a position of said mobile device within said determined specific indoor area using a map of anchors in said specific indoor area and said spatial relationship that was determined based on said measured rotational orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising determining the specific indoor area based on identifying a landmark in the specific indoor area.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the landmark comprises a doorway.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anchors comprise light sources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said light sources are light source fixed to a ceiling in said indoor specified area.

6. The method of claim 1 and further including downloading the map of anchors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a position comprises identifying said one or more anchors detected by said optical sensor in said map of anchors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises acquiring an image of at least one anchor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises brightness-detection methods.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises edge-detection methods.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said spatial relationship comprises a distance.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring rotational orientation comprises measuring angular distances of said one or more detected anchors from X, Y, and Z axes determined relative to said mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises detecting at least one anchor at different times;

wherein said determining a position comprises identifying changes in relative locations of said at least one anchor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining a position comprises determining a motion vector of said mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying one or more anchors detected by said optical sensor in said map of anchors;

determining a position of said at least one anchor in said specific area; and

updating said map of anchors using said at least one determined anchor position in said specific area.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein said downloading said map of anchors of said specific indoor area comprises receiving said map of anchors via a wireless signal selected from a group consisting of:

a Wi-Fi signal;

an RF signal; and

a Bluetooth signal.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising providing advertising information based on said position.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein said accurately determining comprises accurately determining a position of said mobile device within said determined specific indoor area on said downloaded map of anchors.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring rotational orientation comprises measuring rotational orientation of said mobile device using a signal from a gyroscope in said mobile device to measure said rotational orientation of said mobile device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring rotational orientation of said mobile device comprises measuring one or more of yaw, pitch and roll of said mobile device when performing said detecting said one or more anchors.