Portable positioning and navigation system

• US 7,584,048 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Pham, Thanh Q., Bauhahn, Paul E., Becker, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/470,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/200, 342/357.08, 340/995, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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: G01S 13/75 using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders , or using passive reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type

Abstract

A navigation system to aid in the navigation through an unknown area. The navigation system includes a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, at least one a portal terminal and at least one navigation device. The plurality of RFID tags are positioned throughout an area to be traversed. The at least one portal terminal is located near an entrance to the area to be traversed. The at least one portal terminal is adapted to upload a map of the area to be traversed. The map includes the location of each RFID tag. The at least one navigation device is adapted to download the map from the portal terminal. The at least one navigational device is further adapted to display its location in the area to be traversed based at least in part on the detection of one or more of the plurality of RFID tags.

Claims

1. A method of traversing through an unknown area, the method comprising:

when detecting an operating portal upon entering an area to be traversed, downloading a map that includes locations of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags positioned throughout the area to be traversed to a navigation device; and

providing location information with the navigation device while moving through the area to be traversed via the map based at least in part on detected RFID tags and an inertia measurement unit (IMU) wherein providing location information further comprises;

when the navigation device is not within the coverage area of an RFID tag, navigating with the IMU; and

predicting the location of the navigation device based on past movement determined by the IMU and past sensed RFID tags.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags throughout the area to be traversed; and

indicating the location of each RFID tag on the map of the area to be traversed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein indicating the location of the each RFID tag on the map further comprises:

using a global positioning system (GPS) to provide coordinates of each RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when an operating portal is not detected upon entering the area to be traversed, using the IMU of the navigation to generate location information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a map that includes locations of detected RFIDs based on the location information.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing path taken data with the navigation device.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating location information to a remote unit.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sharing location information with at least one other navigation device.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

combining location information with the at least one other navigation device.

10. A navigation system, the navigation system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags positioned throughout an area to be traversed;

at least one portal terminal located near an entrance to the area to be traversed, the at least one portal terminal adapted to upload a map of the area to be traversed, the map including the location of each RFID tag; and

at least one navigation device adapted to download the map from the at least one portal terminal, the at least one navigational device adapted to display its location in the area to be traversed based in part on the detection of one or more of the plurality of RFID tags and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), wherein the IMU is operable to provide position information in areas not covered by an RFID tag and predict the location of the navigation device based on past movement and past sensed RFID tags.

11. The navigation system of claim 10, further comprising:

a remote unit in communication with the at least one navigation device, wherein the navigation device communicates the map and location information to the remote unit.

12. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of RFID tags has a select signal range, further wherein the placement of each RFID tag within the area to be traversed is dependant on its select signal range.

13. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein the at least one navigation device includes at least two navigation devices adapted to exchange location information.

14. The navigation system of claim 10, further comprising:

an RFID installation unit adapted to generate the map including the location of the plurality of RFID tags.

15. The navigation system of claim 14, wherein the RFID installation unit further comprises:

a user input adapted to allow a user to define the location of each of the plurality of RFID tags in relation to the map; and

a display adapted to display the placement of each RFID tag in the map.

16. The navigation system of claim 14, wherein the RFID installation unit further comprises:

a global positioning system (GPS) adapted to provide location information for each of the plurality of RFID tags in relation to the map.

17. A navigation device comprising:

a map location module adapted to download a map of an area to be traversed that includes the location of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags placed within the area to be traversed, the map location module further adapted to determine a location within the area to be traversed;

an antenna in communication with the map location module adapted to sense the signals from the RFID tags, wherein the map location model determines a location within the map based at least in part on the signals from the RFID tags sensed by the antenna;

an inertia measurement unit (IMU) in communication with the map location module to provide further information regarding location to the map location module, wherein the further information comprises;

position information when the navigation device is not within the coverage area of an RFID tag; and

predictions of the location of the navigation device based on past movement determined by the IMU and past sensed RFID tags; and

a display in communication with the map location module to display location information.

18. The navigation device of claim 17, wherein the map location module is further adapted to exchange location information with other navigation devices.

19. The navigation device of claim 17, the map location module further adapted to generate a location map and provide positioning information based on detected RFID tags and location information provided by the IMU when a map of the area to be traversed cannot be downloaded.