Assisted guidance navigation

• US 9,201,143 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Echo-Sense, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Echo-Sense, Inc.
• Inventors: Slamka, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): CICCHINO, PATRICK D
• Application Number:
  US12/870,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 434/112, 180/167, 180/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 spaced apart short range echo-location sensors, at least two sensors in conjunction with each other configured to triangulate upon objects within a user'"'"'s environment at a single point in time to determine 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 determines 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 wearable transducer.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spaced apart short range echo-location sensors are head-mounted to the user.

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

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of short range echo-location sensors receive 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 up to 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. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said objects within a user'"'"'s environment are detected by the navigation system through echo location.

17. A navigation system, comprising:

a plurality of spaced-apart short range multiple-frequency receiving sensors that detect objects within a user'"'"'s environment by triangulation at a single point in time to determine 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 determines geographical information relating to the user'"'"'s geographic location; and

,

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 wearable transducer.

18. The navigation system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart short range multiple-frequency receiving sensors are worn on the head of the user.

19. The navigation system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of short range multiple-frequency receiving sensors includes at least one ultrasonic transducer.

20. The navigation system of claim 17, wherein said multiple-frequency sensors are broadband ultrasound receivers that operate within a range from 20 kHz to 100 kHz.

21. The navigation system of claim 17, wherein said multiple-frequency sensors operate at or above frequencies of 1 GHz.