IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,657,842
Granted Patent B2
US 10,657,842 · App. 16/164,380 · Granted May 19, 2020

Navigation system

Inventor: Garrett Roark (Cheyenne, WY)
G09B21/006A47K17/00A61H3/061G08B7/06G09B21/007A61H2003/063
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,657,842
App. No.
16/164,380
Granted
May 19, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The technology disclosed herein includes a navigation system for a visually impaired person. The navigation system may include a plurality of fixtures, a plurality of installations, wherein each installation is electronically connected to a fixture, and an electronic device, the electronic device configured to receive auditory or tactile signals from each installation and produce a signal indicative of a fixture location.

Claims (37)

1. A navigation system, comprising:

an installation pathway flooring for navigation to a plurality of fixtures;

a sensor to sense and communicate signals in the installation pathway flooring; and

a computer processing unit to activate sensor signal feedback responsive to the signals in the installation pathway flooring indicative of a fixture location.

2. The navigation system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an electronic circuit to communicate with the installation pathway flooring, the installation pathway flooring electronically connected to a plurality of installations, wherein each installation is electronically connected to a fixture.

3. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor senses at least one of pattern, color, tags, and texture in the installation pathway flooring.

4. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein at least one installation is configured to determine an availability status of a fixture.

5. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein the installation pathway flooring is a map on the ground that guides a user.

6. The navigation system of claim 1 , further comprising a facility page circuit to identify the plurality of fixtures.

7. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an IR sensor to sense change in light from the installation pathway flooring.

8. The navigation system of claim 7 , wherein the installation pathway flooring includes radio frequency identification.

9. The navigation system of claim 7 , wherein the sensor communicates the sensor signal feedback in the installation pathway flooring to include at least one of an auditory signal and a tactile signal.

10. The navigation system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor signal feedback provide information specific to location of the plurality of fixtures.

11. The navigation system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor signal feedback provide information specific to availability of the plurality of fixtures.

12. A method comprising:

determining a location of a fixture from a fixture installation in a navigation system, the fixture installation electronically connected to the fixture;

communicating the location of the fixture to an electronic device via an installation pathway;

receiving sensor signal feedback from the fixture installation indicative of the fixture location and an availability status; and

navigating a user on the installation pathway responsive to the sensor signal feedback.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

interrupting the sensor signal feedback to a user via a passive sensor responsive to determining that the fixture is unavailable.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

communicating the sensor signal feedback to the user via at least one of an auditory signal and a tactile signal.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein receiving sensor signal feedback further comprises sensing at least one of pattern, color, tags, and texture in the installation pathway with a sensor.

16. One or more tangible computer-readable storage media encoding computer executable instructions for executing on a computer system a computer process for navigation, the computer process comprising:

activating a navigation system;

determining a location and an availability status of a fixture from a fixture installation, the fixture installation electronically connected to the fixture in the navigation system;

communicating the location of the fixture to an electronic device via an installation pathway; and

receiving sensor signal feedback from the fixture installation indicative of the fixture location and the availability status.

17. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , further comprising:

interrupting the sensor signal feedback to a user via a passive sensor responsive to determining that the fixture is occupied.

18. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , further comprising:

communicating the sensor signal feedback to the user via at least one of an auditory signal and a tactile signal.

19. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein receiving sensor signal feedback further comprises sensing at least one of pattern, color, tags, and texture in the installation pathway with a sensor.

20. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , further comprising:

navigating a user on the installation pathway responsive to the sensor signal feedback.

Continuity (4)
Continuation 15880355 · Jan 25, 2018
Continuation 15605713 · May 25, 2017
Provisional Application 62342002 · May 26, 2016
Related Publication 20190051214A1 · Feb 14, 2019