US5806017A — Electronic autorouting navigation system for visu…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 225 words

An autorouting navigation system for directing one or more visually impaired persons to a physical location, comprising: a plurality of passive location beacons positioned at a plurality of physical locations for emitting distinct coded signals for each of said plurality of passive location beacons including information representative of physical locations of said passive location beacons, each said plurality of passive location beacons comprising: a transmitter for emitting said distinct coded signal; and control means for causing said transmitter to emit said distinct coded signal; and at least one portable navigation unit, comprising: an input device for selecting a target location corresponding to a physical location of one of said plurality of passive location beacons; a receiver configured to receive said distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons; a memory storing correlation data linking said plurality of passive location beacons; an output device; and control means electronically coupled to said input device, said receiver, said memory and said output device for processing said distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons, and for analyzing said correlation data to determine a routing path to said target location, and for causing said output device to indicate to a user that said user is following said routing path to said target location, wherein said autorouting navigation system is capable of concurrently directing multiple users.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 225 words

An autorouting navigation system for directing one or more visually impaired persons to a physical location, comprising: a plurality of passive location beacons positioned at a plurality of physical locations for emitting distinct coded signals for each of said plurality of passive location beacons including information representative of physical locations of said passive location beacons, each said plurality of passive location beacons comprising: a transmitter for emitting said distinct coded signal; and control means for causing said transmitter to emit said distinct coded signal; and at least one portable navigation unit, comprising: an input device for selecting a target location corresponding to a physical location of one of said plurality of passive location beacons; a receiver configured to receive said distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons; a memory storing correlation data linking said plurality of passive location beacons; an output device; and control means electronically coupled to said input device, said receiver, said memory and said output device for processing said distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons, and for analyzing said correlation data to determine a routing path to said target location, and for causing said output device to indicate to a user that said user is following said routing path to said target location, wherein said autorouting navigation system is capable of concurrently directing multiple users.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of passive location beacons are organized into a plurality of groups of passive location beacons and said correlation data links said plurality of groups of passive location beacons.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 2, wherein a distinct coded signal emitted by a passive location beacon within a group of passive location beacons includes information identifying said passive location beacon within said passive location beacon's respective group.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of passive location beacons includes a plurality of transmitters having at least two transmission directions for emitting signals in non-overlapping directions.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 4, wherein said at least two transmission directions are separated by over 90°.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of groups of passive location beacons identify location beacons within respective hallways.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 50 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 2, wherein each said group of passive location beacons include a master beacon and a plurality of slave beacons, said plurality of slave beacons being serially activated by said master beacon to prevent interference between said master beacon and said plurality of slave beacons.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

The autorouting navigation system of claim 1, wherein said distinct coded signals emitted by said plurality of passive location beacons are infrared signals.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 163 words

A portable autorouting navigation unit for guiding a visually impaired person to a physical location, comprising: an input device for selecting a target location corresponding to a physical location of one of a plurality of passive location beacons; a receiver configured to receive distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons, wherein each of said plurality of passive location beacons is capable of concurrently sending said distinct coded signals to more than one portable autorouting navigation unit; a memory storing correlation data linking said plurality of passive location beacons; an output device; and control means electronically coupled to said input device, said receiver, said memory means and said output device for processing said distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons, and for analyzing said correlation data to determine a routing path to said target location, and for causing said output device to indicate to a user that said user is following said routing path to said target location.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 163 words

A portable autorouting navigation unit for guiding a visually impaired person to a physical location, comprising: an input device for selecting a target location corresponding to a physical location of one of a plurality of passive location beacons; a receiver configured to receive distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons, wherein each of said plurality of passive location beacons is capable of concurrently sending said distinct coded signals to more than one portable autorouting navigation unit; a memory storing correlation data linking said plurality of passive location beacons; an output device; and control means electronically coupled to said input device, said receiver, said memory means and said output device for processing said distinct coded signals from said plurality of passive location beacons, and for analyzing said correlation data to determine a routing path to said target location, and for causing said output device to indicate to a user that said user is following said routing path to said target location.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 26 words

The portable autorouting navigation unit of claim 9, wherein said output device comprises a speaker electrically connected to receive the output of a voice storage circuit.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 16 words

The portable autorouting navigation unit of claim 9, wherein said input device comprises a numeric keypad.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 17 words

The portable autorouting navigation unit of claim 9, wherein said receiver is capable of receiving infrared signals.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 21 words

The portable autorouting navigation unit of claim 9, wherein said correlation data links each of said plurality of passive location beacons.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 144 words

A method of automatically routing at least one visually impaired person to a target location, comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of passive location beacons at physical locations; generating correlation data linking said plurality of passive location beacons; storing said correlation data within a portable navigation unit; inputting a target location into said portable navigation unit; determining with said portable navigation unit a routing path to said target location; scanning with said portable navigation unit to detect a distinct coded signal from at least one of said plurality of passive location beacons; determining with said portable navigation unit whether said distinct coded signal corresponds to said routing path; and providing an output signal indicating to a user whether said user is proceeding along said routing path to said target location, wherein said method of automatically routing is capable of concurrently routing multiple users.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 144 words

A method of automatically routing at least one visually impaired person to a target location, comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of passive location beacons at physical locations; generating correlation data linking said plurality of passive location beacons; storing said correlation data within a portable navigation unit; inputting a target location into said portable navigation unit; determining with said portable navigation unit a routing path to said target location; scanning with said portable navigation unit to detect a distinct coded signal from at least one of said plurality of passive location beacons; determining with said portable navigation unit whether said distinct coded signal corresponds to said routing path; and providing an output signal indicating to a user whether said user is proceeding along said routing path to said target location, wherein said method of automatically routing is capable of concurrently routing multiple users.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein positioning step comprises positioning said plurality of passive location beacons at physical locations within the interior hallways of a building.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-09-07	2002-03-09	2002-09-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-09-07	2006-03-09	2006-09-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-09-07	2010-03-09	2010-09-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electronic autorouting navigation system for visually impaired persons

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