Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Employing position determining equipment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-28
2001-07-10
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Employing position determining equipment
C701S211000, C340S944000, C340S870030, C367S910000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259990
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to techniques for supporting pedestrians on the move with information. More particularly, the invention relates to a pedestrian navigation system for navigating pedestrians by supplying them with information about their positions and position-related information.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventional systems for transmitting information to pedestrians include mobile telephones, portable computers, portable information communication systems linking a mobile telephone and a portable computer, and car navigation systems used in a detachable manner as route guidance systems for pedestrians or motorcycle riders. Information is made available in multimedia forms. These systems are ushering in an era where users can obtain desired multimedia information anytime, anywhere.
The basic assumption for such systems is that users on the move come to a stop when performing necessary manipulations to exchange information; information cannot be sent or received by users who are still on the move or at work. Transmitted information is received and reproduced with its attributes (images, text, patterns, voice, etc.) unmodified (i.e., image-attribute information is received as images, text information as text, pattern information as patterns, voice information as voice). The attribute-bound nature of reproduction has made it difficult for traveling or working users of the system to send or receive information adequately. The system also has had difficulty in effectively transmitting information to visually, auditorily or otherwise disabled users.
Route guidance systems based on transmitted information utilize the type of information employed by car navigation systems. For that reason, pedestrians using such systems have not received information detailed enough to navigate them through, say, the interior of a building.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the invention, transmitted information based on any given medium is translated into the medium format best suited for the system user's mode of activity at the moment. For example, information based on diverse media is translated into voice to let pedestrian users make better use of the translated information. Visually disabled users may be offered not only voice-attribute information but also information based on other media which is translated into a format suitable for the situation where the information is received. Such a medium translation function is implemented by use of a facility for dispatching on a real-time basis real-time medium recognition functions and real-time medium composition functions in accordance with the user's mode of activity at the transmitting or receiving side.
Detailed route guidance is implemented by installing at street corners and inside buildings information transmitters for transmitting electronically coded directional information as well as attribute information at least about the locations involved (name of a given building, its entrance, reception desk, elevators, etc.). The transmitted information is received by a telecommunication terminal held by each user. Based on field intensities and other parameters, the terminal computes the distance to a target location. By matching the computed information with route information stored inside, the terminal provides the user with route guidance not only outdoors but also inside a given building.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5470233 (1995-11-01), Fruchterman et al.
patent: 5508699 (1996-04-01), Silverman
patent: 5842145 (1998-11-01), Zimmer
Shojima Hiroshi
Yashiki Tomo
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Beaulieu Yonel
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Hitachi , Ltd.
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