System and Method for Navigating Using Multiple Modalities

• US 20090043502A1
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Bruce D., Chahrouri, Gebran G., Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Khouri, Joseph F., Shaffer, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,250,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building

Abstract

A system for navigating includes an interface operable to receive position information of a first modality. The position information of the first modality is associated with a navigation unit. The interface is further operable to receive position information of a second modality. The position information of the second modality is associated with the navigation unit. The system also includes a processor coupled to the interface and operable to identify a destination. The system is further operable to navigate to the destination based on the position information of the first and second modalities by switching between the first modality and the second modality.

Claims

1. A system for navigating comprising:

an interface operable to;

receive position information of a first modality, the position information of the first modality associated with a navigation unit; and

receive position information of a second modality, the position information of the second modality associated with the navigation unit;

a processor coupled to the interface, wherein the processor is operable to;

identify a destination; and

navigate to the destination based on the position information of the first and second modalities by switching between the first modality and the second modality.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a processor operable to navigate to the destination comprises a processor operable to:

determine a current location of the navigation unit; and

generate directions to the destination from the current location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the position information of a first modality comprises position information associated with a global positioning system (GPS) system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the position information of a second modality comprises position information associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) network; and

the RFID network comprises a plurality of RFID tags.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to analyze the position information of the second modality to determine a direction of movement.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to analyze the position information of the second modality to determine a distance traveled.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a memory operable to store a map associated with the RFID network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the map is associated with a building; and

the destination is a location within the building.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to determine a location of the navigation unit based on the map associated with the RFID network.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to send a query to a communication network associated with the RFID network in response to entering the RFID network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the query comprises a request for an updated destination.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive a response to the query; and

the response comprises an updated destination.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the interface is further operable to receive a request from one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the request is associated with the location of the RFID tag.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to program one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to:

search a directory associated with the RFID network; and

determine a location of the navigation unit based on the directory.

16. A method for navigating comprising:

identifying a destination;

receiving position information of a first modality, the position information of the first modality associated with a navigation unit;

receiving position information of a second modality, the position information of the second modality associated with the navigation unit; and

navigating to the destination based on the position information of the first and second modalities by switching between the first modality and the second modality.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein navigating to the destination comprises:

determining a current location of the navigation unit; and

generating directions to the destination from the current location.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the position information of a first modality comprises position information associated with a global positioning system (GPS) system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the position information of a second modality comprises position information associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) network; and

the RFID network comprises a plurality of RFID tags.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising analyzing the position information of the second modality to determine a direction of movement.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising analyzing the position information of the second modality to determine a distance traveled.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing a map associated with the RFID network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the map is associated with a building; and

the destination is a location within the building.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a location of the navigation unit based on the map associated with the RFID network.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending a query to a communication network associated with the RFID network in response to entering the RFID network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the query comprises a request for an updated destination.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a response to the query, wherein the response comprises an updated destination.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a request from one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the request is associated with the location of the RFID tag.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising programming a RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

searching a directory associated with the RFID network; and

determining a location of the navigation unit based on the directory.

31. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

identify a destination;

receive position information of a first modality, the position information of the first modality associated with a navigation unit;

receive position information of a second modality, the position information of the second modality associated with the navigation unit; and

navigate to the destination based on the position information of the first and second modalities by switching between the first modality and the second modality.

32. The logic of claim 31, wherein code operable to navigate to the destination comprises code operable to:

determine a current location of the navigation unit; and

generate directions to the destination from the current location.

33. The logic of claim 31, wherein the position information of a first modality comprises position information associated with a global positioning system (GPS) system.

34. The logic of claim 31, wherein:

the position information of a second modality comprises position information associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) network; and

the RFID network comprises a plurality of RFID tags.

35. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to analyze the position information of the second modality to determine a direction of movement.

36. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to analyze the position information of the second modality to determine a distance traveled.

37. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to store a map associated with the RFID network.

38. The logic of claim 37, wherein:

the map is associated with a building; and

the destination is a location within the building.

39. The logic of claim 37, wherein the code is further operable to determine a location of the navigation unit based on the map associated with the RFID network.

40. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to send a query to a communication network associated with the RFID network in response to entering the RFID network.

41. The logic of claim 40, wherein the query comprises a request for an updated destination.

42. The logic of claim 41, wherein:

the code is further operable to receive a response to the query; and

the response comprises an updated destination.

43. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to receive a request from one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the request is associated with the location of the RFID tag.

44. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to program one or more RFID tags of the plurality of RFID tags to transmit a request to a navigation unit in the RFID network.

45. The logic of claim 34, wherein the code is further operable to:

search a directory associated with the RFID network; and

determine a location of the navigation unit based on the directory.

46. A system for navigating comprising:

means for identifying a destination;

means for receiving position information of a first modality, the position information of the first modality associated with a navigation unit;

means for receiving position information of a second modality, the position information of the second modality associated with the navigation unit; and

means for navigating to the destination based on the position information of the first and second modalities by switching between the first modality and the second modality.