Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing indoor navigation

• US 9,513,127 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applabz, LLC
• Original Assignee: Applabz, LLC
• Inventors: Goldman, David Allan, Patel, Nirav Balkrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US13/335,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0268 using internal positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

An indoor navigational system determines a location of a moveable object in an indoor area and displays this location to a user. The system includes one or more dead-reckoning sensors, one or more absolute position sensors, and a processor. The processor determines the location of the moveable object based on signals received from the sensors. The system also includes a display device to display the location of the moveable object in a graphical representation of the indoor area based on messages from the processor indicating the location of the moveable object.

Claims

1. A method of operating an indoor navigation system, the method comprising:

providing a first case including (i) a first compartment configured to connect to a first wheel hub of a first wheel of a moveable object, and (ii) a second compartment extending laterally from the first compartment;

providing a second case including (i) a first compartment configured to connect to a second wheel hub of a second wheel of the moveable object, and (ii) a second compartment extending laterally from the first compartment;

receiving, in a processor, an absolute positioning signal generated by an absolute position sensor located within the second compartment of the first case or a second absolute position sensor located within the second compartment of the second case after one of the absolute position sensors detect a signal output by an absolute position transmitter, the absolute position transmitter being associated with a unique identifier;

identifying, via the processor, the identifier within the absolute positioning signal;

determining, via the processor, which of the two absolute position sensors generated the absolute positioning signal;

determining, via the processor, a reference location associated with the identifier by identifying where in an indoor area the identifier is specified to be located and which of the absolute position sensors generated the absolute positioning signal;

receiving, in the processor, a dead-reckoning signal generated by a dead-reckoning sensor located within the first compartment of the first case or the second case after the dead-reckoning sensor detects movement of the moveable object;

determining, via the processor, a direction and a magnitude of the movement;

calculating, via the processor, a current location of the moveable object in the indoor area based on the direction and magnitude of the movement in relation to the reference location; and

transmitting, via the processor, to a user device at least one of;

(i) a message indicative of the current location of the moveable object causing the user device to display the current location of the moveable object in relation to a graphical representation of the indoor area; and

(ii) a message indicative of directions to an item-of-interest in the indoor area causing the user device to display the current location or the moveable object and directions to the item-of-interest in relation to the graphical representation,

wherein the position of the second compartment with respect to the first compartment enables the respective absolute position sensor to detect the signal output by the absolute position transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the processor to display the current location of the moveable object by displaying a marker representative of the moveable object at a point corresponding to an actual location of the moveable object in the indoor area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the moveable object is a grocery cart.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes receiving the absolute positioning signal indicative of the absolute position sensor by receiving a radio frequency identifier (“

RFID”

) response signal from the absolute position transmitter.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes receiving the absolute positioning signal indicative of the absolute position sensor by receiving an RFID beacon signal from the absolute position transmitter.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes receiving the absolute positioning signal indicative of the absolute position sensor by receiving a laser light signal from the absolute position transmitter.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes:

(i) receiving a point-of-interest located within the indoor area;

(ii) determining a point-of-interest location of the point-of-interest in the indoor area;

(iii) determining a route to the point-of-interest location from the current location; and

(iv) transmitting to the user device a message indicative of the route and the point-of-interest location causing the user device to display the route to the point-of-interest location in relation to the graphical representation of the indoor area.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes:

(i) receiving a second dead-reckoning signal after the dead-reckoning sensor detects a second movement of the moveable object;

(ii) determining a second direction and a second magnitude of the second movement;

(iii) calculating a new current location of the moveable object in the indoor area based on the second direction and second magnitude of the second movement in relation to the current location; and

(iv) transmitting to the user device a message indicative of the new current location of the moveable object causing the user device to display the new current location of the moveable object in relation to the graphical representation of the indoor area.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes:

(i) after calculating the current location of the moveable device, comparing the current location to a location rule;

(ii) determining the current location violates the location rule;

(iii) adjusting the current location of the moveable device so that the adjusted current location does not violate the location rule; and

(iv) transmitting to the user device a message indicative of the adjusted current location of the moveable object causing the user device to display the adjusted current location of the moveable object in relation to the graphical representation of the indoor area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dead-reckoning sensor detects the movement of the moveable object by detecting differential movement of one or more wheels.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a case including (i) a first compartment configured to connect to a wheel hub of a wheel of a moveable object, and (ii) a second compartment connected to a base of the first compartment;

an absolute position sensor located within the second compartment and configured to;

detect that an absolute position transmitter is in proximity to the absolute position sensor; and

transmit to a processor an absolute positioning signal including a unique identifier identifying an absolute position of the moveable object; and

a dead-reckoning sensor located within the first compartment and configured to;

determine an amount of movement of the moveable object by sensing movement of the moveable object; and

transmit to the processor a dead-reckoning signal indicative of the determined amount of movement,

wherein the position of the second compartment with respect to the first compartment enables the absolute position sensor to detect the absolute position transmitter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the absolute position sensor includes a light sensor and the absolute positioning transmitter includes a light emitting device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the absolute position sensor detects that the absolute position transmitter is in proximity by receiving light emitted by the absolute position transmitter, the light being pulsed by the absolute position transmitter to provide the unique identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dead-reckoning sensor includes a rotary encoder that determines the amount of movement based on a rotation of the wheel of the moveable object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a second dead-reckoning sensor coupled to a second wheel of the moveable object and configured to:

determine an amount of movement based on a rotation of the second wheel; and

transmit to the processor a second dead-reckoning signal indicative of the determined amount of movement of the second wheel causing the processor to determine an orientation of the moveable object by comparing the dead-reckoning signal with the second dead-reckoning signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the case is sized and shaped to substantially coincide with a form factor of the wheel of the moveable object.