Pedestrian navigation and spatial relation device

Abstract

A pedestrian navigation and spatial relation device including a position finder, a spatial relationship sensor, an input mechanism, and an output mechanism. The position finder can be configured to determine a geographic position of the device based upon received wireless signals. The spatial relationship sensor can provide data used to detect a position of at least one obstacle relative to the device. The input mechanism can specify a destination location. The output mechanism can present device output to a user. The device output can include sensory indicators for at least one of guiding a pedestrian to the destination location and warning a pedestrian about the detected obstacles.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of both U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 486,018, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jul. 10, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 490,717 filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jul. 29, 2003, the entirety of both applications is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to the field of portable computing devices and, more particularly, to a portable computing device for pedestrian navigation and for spatial relationship determinations between the device and obstacles proximate to the device. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Technological advances in areas of small-scale computing devices have resulted in the simplification of many previously challenging aspects of life. For example, the proliferation of mobile telephone and mobile e-mail devices have simplified ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention provides a method, a system, and an apparatus for guiding pedestrians from their current location to a user-selectable destination. More specifically, the present invention can include a pedestrian spatial relation / navigation device (PSD) for aiding pedestrians traveling indoors and / or outdoors. The PSD can be spatially aware of the environment in which the pedestrian is to travel and can use this spatial awareness to aid the traveler. The PSD can contain obstacle sensing components for detecting the presence of obstacles in an environment relative to the PSD so that a pedestrian can avoid these obstacles. Further, the PSD can determine multiple potential pedestrian pathways for reaching a selected destination and can select a recommended travel pathway based upon static and dynamic factors, such as user preferences, temporal constraints, and known pathway obstacles and impediments. The PSD can also include training capabilities that a user can use to program misrecognized obstacles, to store points of interest, and provide other suitable feedback.

Problems solved by technology

At present, however, the abilities of personal navigation devices are largely limited to present location detection and rudimentary navigational features.

Further, no known conventional pedestrian navigation device possesses spatial awareness capabilities for detecting static and / or dynamic obstacles and for plotting pedestrian travel routes to avoid these obstacles.

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