ASSISTED GUIDANCE NAVIGATION

• US 20120053826A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echo-Sense, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Echo-Sense, Inc.
• Inventors: Slamka, Milan
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A navigation system helps users navigate through an environment by a plurality of sensors. The sensors include one or both of short and long range sensors that detect objects within the user'"'"'s environment. Information obtained from the sensors'"'"' detection of objects within the user'"'"'s environment can be used to help the user avoid colliding with objects within the environment and help navigate the user to a destination. The navigation system may provide the user with audible feedback regarding the objects with the user'"'"'s environment and/or instructions regarding how to avoid colliding with an object and how to navigate to a destination.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a plurality of short range navigation sensors that detect objects within a user'"'"'s environment and compile information relating to the objects within the user'"'"'s environment and information relating to avoiding objects within the user'"'"'s environment;

at least one long range navigation sensor that compiles geographical information relating to the user'"'"'s geographic location;

wherein the information relating to the objects within the user'"'"'s environment, the information relating to avoiding objects within the user'"'"'s environment, and the geographical information relating to the user'"'"'s geographic location are provided to the user by a transducer.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the navigation system is head-mounted to the user.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of short range sensors includes at least one ultrasonic transducer.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of short range navigation sensors emit at least a first signal having a first frequency and a second signal having a second frequency that is different than the first frequency.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s environment includes a space that is at least 20 meters from the user.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the information relating to avoiding objects within the user'"'"'s environment includes providing the user with information regarding the user'"'"'s potential to collide with at least one object and instructions to the user regarding how to avoid the collision.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the information relating to avoiding objects within the user'"'"'s environment includes providing the user with information regarding the user'"'"'s potential to collide with at least one object and information relating to the user'"'"'s position with respect to the at least one object and the velocity of the object with respect to the user.

8. The navigation system of claim 7, wherein the velocity of the at least one object is zero.

9. The navigation system of claim 7, wherein the velocity of the at least one object is non-zero.

10. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s environment includes a plurality of objects and the navigation system selects at least a first object from within the plurality of objects to provide information to the user relating to avoiding the first object based at least in part on the user'"'"'s proximity and likelihood of collision with the first object.

11. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one long range navigation sensor includes a global positioning system.

12. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the long range navigation system further provides the user with information regarding navigating to a destination based at least in part on the user'"'"'s geographic location.

13. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the transducer provides audible feedback to the user.

14. The navigation system of claim 13, wherein the audible feedback includes at least one tone.

15. The navigation system of claim 13, wherein the audible feedback includes verbal feedback.

16. A multi-user navigation system, comprising:

a first user having a first navigation system that helps navigate the first user within a first environment, wherein the first navigation system emits at least one first signal within the first environment to detect objects within the first environment and provide feedback to the first user that includes information relating to the objects within the first environment, and wherein the at least one first signal includes a first unique identifier;

a second user having a second navigation system that helps navigate the second user within a second environment, wherein the second navigation system emits at least one second signal within the second environment to detect objects within the second environment and provide feedback to the second user that includes information relating to the objects within the second environment, and wherein the at least one second signal includes a second unique identifier that is different than the first unique identifier;

wherein the at least one first signal is received by the first navigation system and identified as information relating to the first user based at least in part on the first unique identifier and the at least one second signal is received by the second navigation system and identified as information relating to the second user based at least in part on the second unique identifier.

17. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the first navigation system and the second navigation system are head-mounted.

18. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the first navigation system includes:

a plurality of first short range navigation sensors that detect objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment and compiles information relating to the objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment and information relating to avoiding the objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment;

at least one first long range navigation sensor that compiles geographical information relating to the first user'"'"'s geographic location;

wherein the information relating to the objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment, the information relating to avoiding objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment, and the geographical information relating to the first user'"'"'s geographic location are provided to the first user by audible feedback.

19. The multi-user navigation system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of short range sensors detect objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment and compile information relating to the objects within the first user'"'"'s environment based on the at least one first signal.

20. The multi-user navigation system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of short range sensors detect objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment and compile information relating to the objects within the first user'"'"'s environment based on the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal.

21. The multi-user navigation system of claim 18, wherein the first environment is defined by a space that at least partially surrounds the first user.

22. The multi-user navigation system of claim 21, wherein the first navigation system is head-mounted and the space that at least partially surrounds the first user is defined by the space within which the user is able to direct the first navigation system.

23. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the first navigation system includes at least one ultrasonic transducer that emits the at least one first signal.

24. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the first navigation system emits at least a first signal having a first frequency and a second signal having a second frequency that is different than the first frequency.

25. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the information relating to the objects within the first environment includes information relating to avoiding objects within the first user'"'"'s first environment.

26. The multi-user navigation system of claim 25, wherein the information relating to avoiding objects within the first user'"'"'s environment includes information regarding the first user'"'"'s potential to collide with at least one object and instructions to the first user regarding how to avoid the collision.

27. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier are computer readable.

28. The multi-user navigation system of claim 27, wherein the first unique identifier is encoded into the at least one first signal and the second unique identifier is encoded into the at least one second signal.

29. The multi-user navigation system of claim 28, wherein the first navigation system further includes a first encoder and a first decoder and the second navigation system further includes a second encoder and a second decoder, and wherein the first encoder encodes the at least one first signal with the first unique identifier and the second encoder encodes the at least one second signal with the second unique identifier, and wherein the first decoder receives a plurality of signals that include signals encoded with the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier and identifies which signals in the plurality of signals are encoded with the first unique identifier and the second decoder receives the plurality of signals and identifies which signals in the plurality of signals are encoded with the second unique identifier.

30. The multi-user navigation system of claim 28, wherein the first unique identifier includes a first serial number.

31. The multi-user navigation system of claim 16, wherein the first unique identifier is detected by the first user.

32. The multi-user navigation system of claim 31, wherein the first unique identifier includes a first audible feedback associated with the first navigation system.

33. The multi-user navigation system of claim 32, wherein the first audible feedback includes a first ringtone.

34. A multi-user navigation system, comprising:

a first navigation system that helps navigate a first user within a first environment, wherein the first navigation system emits at least a first signal having a first frequency and a second signal having a second frequency that is different than the first frequency, the first signal and the second signal emitted within the first environment to detect objects within the first environment by the echo signals of the first signal and the second signal that are produced after the first signal and the second signal have encountered objects within the first environment, wherein the echo signals received by the first navigation system, and wherein the at least the first signal and the second signal include a first unique identifier; and

audible feedback that provides the first user with information regarding objects within the first environment based at least in part on the echo signals received by the first navigation system.