DE19855794A1 - Personal navigation method e.g. used in building complex uses detected actual position and compass disc angular direction pulses compared with stored route for providing guidance directions to user via display - Google Patents

Abstract

The personal navigation method uses transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves for determining the actual position and a compass disc using the earth's magnetic field for providing angular direction pulses, e.g. via cooperating active photodiodes around the periphery of the disc and stationary passive photodiodes (5). The angular direction pulses are stored in a navigation device for comparison with a stored route, for supplying guidance directions to the user via a display. An Independent claim for a navigation device system is also included.

Description

The invention relates to a method for determining location and direction for personal Navigation. With the help of an appropriate device system, the Provides users with information to get to their destination. The device system is for use in complex interiors, but also suitable for use in the field. As relevant examples are e.g. B. Trade fairs, airports, large shopping centers and the centers in Big cities called. It should be possible that the user according to the location and Direction determination finds its way quickly and easily.

The compass as a device for determining the cardinal points has been known for many years and proven device. The compass is used on land, water and in the air. In the magnetic compass, the earth's magnetic field is positioned on a fine point and Magnetic needle rotatable in the magnetic north-south direction over a disc with wind rose one, from the geographical north-south direction to the so-called refusal, the Declination, deviates. With the gyro compass, the earth rotation causes the setting of the Rotary angular momentum to geographically north. The electron beam compass is based on the Deflection of an electron beam by the geomagnetic field.

In the simplest case you can use a map and compass to determine your position (Marching compass with sighting device) the direction of movement by determining a march set direction number. There are several obstacles on the way, according to Marching Direction Number The movement is to take place must have multiple Marching Direction Numbers be determined, which are observed after a certain distance completed have to. It depends more or less on the accuracy of the map and on the experience of the Subject concerned who moves with his map and compass on his way to the goal reach. If the destination is to be the church tower of a place, it will be easy, the destination to reach. As said before, but the new method and the appropriate device e.g. B. specify the route that is required to go to a specific escalator in an airport to get. In such cases, the use of a map and compass is absolute inappropriate.

So if the general question is "where am I?" current state of the art the satellite positioning service of the German state survey (SAPOS). Depending on the desired level of accuracy, the desired Data delivered. An addition is the SAPOS high-precision real-time positioning service.  

Application examples are vehicle navigation, traffic control systems, fleet management, Agriculture and Forestry. In connection with the above Satellite positioning service is said to be short on GPS or "global positioning system ". This system - originally for the military Intended use - based on the principle of direction finding via satellites in a geostationary Orbit. The coordination of the position of the satellites are compared with the term of the emitted signal to the target object and from this the location of the target object is calculated.

In principle, a position determination via GPS would be for the invention to be presented conceivable, but closer inspection reveals three serious negation points that like can be defined as follows:

1. Bearing up to a ten meter radius

Due to the technical design of the GPS system, it is quite possible to determine the location of the Users can be determined to within a few centimeters. Since - as mentioned at the beginning - the system is still primarily used for military purposes the bearing radius was limited to ten meters. This has the serious disadvantage that in spatial systems of complexity e.g. B. a fair can happen very much within a 10 m radius (e.g. two to three Exhibition stands, several doors or stairs next to or in a row).

2. Determination of direction

In the daily practice of car GPS, the direction and exact location is among other things about technical aids such as clear direction of travel, the different rolling radius of the Front wheels in curves etc. determined.

People without technical aids have no options for such a determination. Therefore, with GPS it is impossible to clearly determine the direction in which people are looking or walking determine.

3. Ability to communicate with the information transmission system

The process requires a dialog-capable system with which information is transmitted can.  

This is not possible with conventional DF systems - such as GPS - because it is a pure one Location determination acts.

In summary, it can be said that there are various options with known methods or devices more or less exactly the respective location determine. Even if it is said in prospectuses for GPS cell phones that important positions in 500 waypoints can be saved, so that is not with a direction determination compare, that is, precise personal navigation including a direction there is no mood with the processes or devices that characterize the state of the art possible.

It is therefore the object of the invention, a method or method variants and a propose appropriate device system that enables the user to be within of complex spatial systems, such as B. airports, city centers with the help of a electronic orientation aid to move on and its path serenely and easily Find. The top premise for use is the acceleration of an often lengthy process Way. The handling of the device should be simple and easy to understand. It is meant to be of a cell phone that can be used for dialogue.

According to the invention the object is achieved as follows, with regard to the basic inventive thought is referred to claims 1 and 5. The further one Embodiment of the method extends to claims 2 to 4 and the others Design of the device system to claims 6 to 10.

Further explanations are required to explain the invention. As is apparent from the main claim, the location is determined using - all in general terms - electromagnetic waves and transmission and reception technology. The means that, depending on the respective operating conditions, it makes perfect sense use the GPS to determine your location.

The route program can either be done by the user according to his ideas the imaginable route programs are already programmed entered, which are then selected by the user, for example using his boarding card, when it comes to finding an appropriate route in an airport.  

Conventional signage systems usually only offer space for 2-3 languages. The device However, is designed so that the dialog to support personal navigation from Principle is possible in all languages of the world.

The display consists of three different levels, which are described as follows (using the example Airport).

The primary level

This only consists of the direction indicator in the form of an arrow. It is optically separated on the device, since it only shows the direction in which the user has to move in order to Destination.

The secondary level

This is on the main display of the device. It contains information secondary Nature. These are e.g. B. important locations such. B. the toilet, nearby doctors, the customs check-in, gates, parking deck, exit etc., i.e. the places that are directly connected to the airport Connect.

The tertiary level

In this level there are terms u. a. from providers who are not directly involved with the Flight operations are related. With activation of this level z. B. to various Providers, such as B. Guide restaurants, cafes, duty free shops etc.

With regard to claims 5 to 10, further versions of the device are required. In principle, the device is based on the earth's magnetic field measurement, as far as the direction is concerned determination goes.

The rotatable, layer-thin circular disc can be made of epoxy resin or similar. The The latest developments in the field of plastics production show that it is possible to produce magnetized plastic with a high ferrite content. Therefore, basically from a strongly magnetized disc. As far as it is plastic for the disc in the conventional sense, a strongly magnetized metal strip is fixed on the disc, which serves as a "compass" for geomagnetic field measurement.

The device system according to claims 6 to 8 could be "electronic Direction determination via photovoltaic ". The active one located on the pane The photodiode can be designed for any light wave range (normal light LED or infrared). The  A circular base plate made of plastic is spatially opposed to the magnetized disc or the like. The base plate has the same diameter as the magnetized one Disc, analogous to this, are several passive photo elements at the same distance from the center attached so that - spatially seen - the active photodiode directly over a passive Located photodiode, it thus illuminates and a current flow through the photovoltaic reaction can generate. The angle between the passive photo elements from the center and thus their number is determined by the accuracy to be achieved and the specific application Purpose defined (many passive photodiodes - high accuracy, few passive Photodiodes - low accuracy). It may be necessary that in the case of excess weight on the magnetized disc a counterweight is attached to the active photo element, which the disc in Solder holds.

The base plate is soldered to the passive photocells on the system's base board attached, on which, as with conventional circuit boards, conductor tracks are applied, through which the electrical impulses flow that serve the direct digital further processing.

The circuit board, in turn, is screwed into a housing that is shielded against interference is dimensioned according to effort.

The following comments are required for the suspension of the magnetized disc.

It is important that the rotating disc is suspended with almost no friction, since the earth's magnetic field exerts only a very small force on the magnetized metal strip (or the magnetized disc). This is achieved through the following features:
Metal elements made of high-strength metal (e.g. chrome or steel alloy) are applied to the movable disc at the center and at the top. At the same time, these serve as a suspension for the needle tips, which engage in a rotation trough from above and below, and also - due to the high weight in relation to the disc - as a rotation stabilizer. On the upper side, this element serves simultaneously as a negative pole and ground for the active photodiode on the disc. From the top and bottom, tapered metal elements reach into the troughs and are locked with light pressure. This ensures that the extremely small friction surface means that the disk can be rotated very easily and can thus align itself with the earth's magnetic field without losses. The upper "needle" is multi-part, inside - connected by the direct contact with the rotation trough - there is the minus pole for the supply of the current to the active photodiode, the "outer skin" of the needle represents the positive pole; Energy is drawn off via a very small brush grinder on the outer skin.

The device according to claim 9 could with "electronic direction determination over Impulse payment ".

In principle, this system is also based on the earth's magnetic field measurement, but it is clear Processing data obtained via impulse payment.

Between two housing shells, which also serve as a shield, there is a rotatable one magnetized disc, thin as a layer. The thin slice has on the edge two so-called pulse tracks through elongated openings in a concentric arrangement are marked around the center. The elongated or rectangular openings are in Direction of rotation or ω offset by about half and translucent during the Rest of the pane is opaque. The openings are depending on the application and required accuracy and feasibility are punched or etched. In the upper casing Half-shell are two very small active photodiodes (normal or infrared light / dish tet) attached. These two diodes are at the same distance from each other as the two Light pulse traces on the pane, so that they fit exactly over the when assembled There are pulse tracks. The power supply for the two active ones is located in the housing itself Photo diodes that are in constant use.

Two passive photodiodes are embedded in the lower half of the housing Irradiation with light produce a pulse current.

These two diodes are also at the same distance from each other as the two Light pulse traces on the disc, so that they are exactly under the when assembled Pulse tracks and the active diodes are located.

In the housing itself there are data lines that provide the impulses for pulse counting processing and then forward it to the central processing unit.

It is again important for the system that the rotating disc is almost frictionless is hung up. This is achieved through measures, such as those already in principle for the device to determine the direction of photovoltaics.  

The operation of the system must be carried out.

As mentioned earlier, it is an electronic direction determination via Pulse counting.

The direction of rotation of the suspended disc is converted into pulses in order to make it usable for further electronic processing. This works as follows:
In the horizontal position (i.e. handle position of the device), the pulse encoder disc is aligned with the earth's magnetic field. In practice, this means that the system has to be northed once in order to determine a clear reference impulse.

If the user changes his direction now, the disc remains in Aligned north-south and rotates relative to the device.

The two active diodes continuously emit light in the direction of the passive diodes.

With a rotation, the light is switched on and off several times from the "view" of the passive diodes switched ", this depending on the angle of rotation or the number of impulse openings passed. These are counted and so there is a directly digitally processable at the output of the passive diodes 1/0 signal available.

So that the processing "recognizes" which direction of rotation has been taken by the disc is, there is a second track on the disc, which is offset exactly so that to a at a certain point in time, there are TWO unique 1 signals at the output.

Depending on which direction is being turned, the two light barriers either pass pulse signal 1 or 2 first. The direction of rotation can also be clearly determined in this way.

In practice, there are five possible states of the system, based on those in the execution examples to be discussed.

The device according to claim 10 is based on the electronic direction determination under Ver application of microsystem technology.

Microsystem technology will be an option in the future because it integrates the direction determination on a semiconductor is possible.  

In principle, this looks like essentially a magnetized or magnetically coated one Disc changes direction as determined in the pulse counting process.

First of all, a socket for the pane is required. This is easily with one lithographic process and subsequent liquid etching process. Likewise, according to the state of the art, manufacture the disk with its pulse perforation using the above method.

The previously proposed tip / tub as storage can be omitted. Deviating from this proposed to attach a kind of circumferential slide bearing on the edge of the disc.

Due to the plain bearing, the center of gravity of the disc does not need to be moved below the support point to become. So you could dimension the disc much easier. Storage by that Slide bearing prevents the disc from rotating out of its normal plane. You construct that Plain bearing so that the hold is sufficient due to the surface tension of the lubricant the bearing generated minimal friction. By coating the bearing surface accordingly with a highly effective lubricant, the coefficient of friction and the shape of the liquid surface can be che be decisively influenced.

Storage at the edge requires very precise fabrication of the structures; but this is with the existing lithographic processes (e.g. X-ray lithography) can be realized.

The invention will now be explained on the basis of several exemplary embodiments. The one individual figures show in principle:

Fig. 1 Horizontal section through the housing, top view of the base plate with passive photodiodes as part of the device technology for determining the direction of photovoltaics.

Fig. 2 section AA according to FIG. 1, in addition, the rotatable disc with suspension is shown.

Fig. 3 movable disc with a magnetized strip.

Fig. 4 details of the storage of the rotatable disc and details of the Stromver supply of the active photodiode.

Fig. 5 top view of the upper half of the device (without lines for invisible parts) as part of the device technology for determining the direction via pulse counting.

Fig. 6 section AA according to FIG. 5

Fig. 7 top view of rotatable disc with pulse tracks.

Fig. 8 partial section detail view light barrier and pulse tracks.

Fig. 9 detailed view of the suspension of a very small disc - electronic direction determination via microsystem technology.

FIGS. 10a to 10c show the states of the direction determination by pulse counting.

Fig. 10a user goes north - no change of direction.

Fig. 10b user rotates to the left - change in direction west.

Fig. 10c user turns to the right - change of direction to the east.

1st embodiment

Reference is made to FIGS. 1 to 4. The devices shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are based on the principle which was previously referred to as "electronic direction determination via photovoltaics".

A rotatable, layer-thin disc 1 , with a magnetic strip 7 fastened thereon, is arranged between two axis tips 2 . Using a rotation trough for each axle tip, there is a low-friction suspension of the disk 1 . An active photodiode 3 , which can be designed for each light wave range, is located on the disc 1 close to the circumference. As a counterweight for the photodiode 3 , that is to say for weight compensation, the counterweight designated by the position symbol 12 is located on the disk. An immobile disk 4 is placed under the disk 1 with a plurality of passive photodiodes 5 near the periphery of the disk 4 , which can be illuminated by the active photodiode 3 . Power is supplied to the active photodiode 3 in such a way that the upper axis tip 1 represents the mass (negative pole), while the current supply (positive pole) is provided via a coating of the pin of the axis tip and via a grinding surface 9 on the coating 8 and using a very small brush grinder. is given via line 11 to the active photodiode 3 . The passive photodiodes 5 are connected to the motherboard 13 by solder contact. After corresponding digitization, the electrical impulses are sent to further processing via conductor tracks (not shown). The device technology described is installed in a housing 6 . As soon as the user of the device swings it horizontally, several passive photodiodes 5 generate current corresponding to the angular dimension when swiveling. With a large number of photodiodes 5 on the circumference of the immovable disk 4 , a high degree of accuracy is achieved when calculating the change in direction.

2nd embodiment

Reference is made to FIGS. 5 to 8. The device part shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 is based on the principle which was previously referred to as "electronic direction determination via pulse counting". The processing data is already digitized using pulse counting.

A rotatable, layer-thin disk 1 , equipped with a magnetic strip 7 , is suspended between the housing half-shells 6 . The pulse tracks 14 , 15 are characterized by elongated openings in a concentric arrangement around the center of the disc 1 . In the upper housing shell 6 there are two very small active photodiodes directly vertically, each above a pulse track 14 , 15 . Also in the lower housing half-shell 6 there are two very small photodiodes, ie passive photodiodes 5 , which are arranged perpendicularly below the active photodiodes 3 and thus perpendicularly below the pulse tracks 14 , 15 . When irradiated directly by the active photodiodes 3 , the passive photodiodes 5 generate a pulse current. If the housing 6 is pivoted horizontally by the user, the light is “switched on and off” several times from the “view” of the passive photodiodes 5 . The signals received are already digitized and are forwarded for processing.

For the use of the device, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, further explanations are to be made with reference to FIGS. 10a to 10c.

To Fig. 10a

User goes north - no change of direction.

In the application case that the user moves towards the north with the device held and no change of direction occurs, the signal "1" is present at both passive diodes 5 , since both path 15 and path 14 are switched to pass - this at the reference pulse "north", since no pulse change (rotary movement) has occurred, the pulse count also registers no signal change, therefore as a direction: clearly north.

To Fig. 10b

User turns left - change of direction to the west.

If the user turns to the left regardless of the number of degrees, the magnetized disc 1 in the device is oriented to the north and thus rotates relative to the device to the right.

The light barrier (reference) passes through impuls + N impulses. Since light pulse track 14 always emits a signal first, the direction of rotation can be recognized from this priority of pulse train 14 . The angle rotated can be calculated from the number of + N pulses.

To Fig. 10c

User turns to the right - changes direction to the east.

If the user turns to the right regardless of the number of degrees, the magnetized disk 1 in the device orients itself to the north and thus turns to the left relative to the device.

The light barrier (reference) impulse passes through -N impulses. Since light pulse track 15 always emits a signal first, the direction of rotation can be recognized from this priority of pulse train 15 . The angle rotated can be calculated from the number of -N pulses.

No change of direction of the user, Continuous pulse of the light barrier.

This case is analogous to FIG. 10a, except that N pulses have previously been run through in the positive or negative direction. This number is already saved by the pulse count and is not lost. This means that the observed angle is also determined.

No change of direction of the user, so there is no pulse from the light barrier.

This case is to be compared with the situation described above, that the magnetized pulse generator disc 1 stops between the pulse paths 14 , 15 and no pulse emanates from the light barrier.

In all applications, the accuracy of the system depends on the number of Determined pulse generator disk etched or punched openings.  

3rd embodiment

Reference is made to FIG. 9.

The part of the device shown in FIG. 9 is based on the principle which was previously referred to as “electronic direction determination via pulse counting”. Since this device part is used using microsystem technology, a new mounting of the magnetized disk 1 is expedient. A recess is concavely machined on the circumference of the disk 1 . In mirror image, this concave recess is also present in the housing 6 , in which the disc 1 is mounted. These two concave recesses hold the lubricant (the lubricant liquid) 16 with a defined surface tension for the rotation of the disk 1 . The lubricant 17 enables a highly lubricious coating; on the other hand, the surface tension of the lubricant 17 ensures that the disc 1 is held .

List of the reference symbols used

1

rotatable layer-thin (magnetized) disc

2nd

Axle tips / axle tip suspension

3rd

active photodiode

4th

immobile disc

5

passive photodiodes

6

Housing / housing half-shells

7

magnetic stripe

8th

Sheathing the tips of the axles

9

Grinding surface

10th

Brush grinder

11

Cable for photodiode

3rd

12th

Counterweight

13

Motherboard

14

outer pulse track

15

inner pulse track

16

Lubricant (liquid) with a defined surface tension

17th

Lubricant / highly lubricious coating

Claims (10)

1. A method for personal navigation by determining the location and determining the direction of movement, characterized in that a location is determined using electromagnetic waves and transmission and reception technology, that a disk ( 1 ) is aligned using the geomagnetic field according to the known principle of the compass, Depending on the movement of the disc ( 1 ) (angular dimension), pulses are generated, these pulses (if necessary after digitization) are compared with a route program stored in the navigation device and the result of the direction specification is output to the user of the device on a display. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that for determining a location in Navigation device located transmitter emits signals of a certain frequency, after the principle of the known three-point sparkling the signals over at least three im Receiving systems distributed throughout the room and based on their different field strengths be assessed and then continuously with movement of the user of the navigation device the respective location is calculated. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that several for determining the location transmitters distributed in the room emit signals of different frequencies, via an im Navigation device located receiving the waves of different frequencies received and further after evaluating the strength of the received signals the respective location continuously with movement of the user of the navigation device is calculated. 4. The method according to claim 1 and 3, for information transmission in unity with the continuous location determination, characterized by the signals differed Licher frequencies are used as carrier frequencies for modulated information and the modulated information about network signal separation in the navigation device again be demodulated.   5. Device system for personal navigation by determining the location and determining the direction of movement using the geomagnetic field and taking into account the principle of the compass, characterized in that the device system consists of a rotatable film-thin magnetized disc ( 1 ), the disc ( 1 ) so stored is that it aligns itself like a compass, the disc ( 1 ) is marked on the circumference in such a way that with the disc ( 1 ) aligned and the relative rotation of fixed points relative to the markings on the disc, the dimension (angular dimension) for the relative movement can be determined, the device system is equipped with a programmable chip for a route program and at least one display is placed on the housing for displaying the desired direction of movement after evaluation of the relative movement and comparison with the route program. 6. Apparatus system according to claim 5, characterized in that a thin magnetized disc ( 1 ) is mounted orthogonally between two axis tips ( 2 ), near the circumference of the disc ( 1 ) an active photodiode ( 3 ) is arranged that under the disc ( 1 ) there is an immovable disk ( 4 ), on which a large number of passive photodiodes ( 5 ) is evenly distributed near the circumference, the passive photodiodes ( 5 ) are equipped with conductor tracks in such a way that when the disk ( 4 ) moves relative to the housing ( 6 ) compared to the pane ( 1 ), electrical impulses for digital further processing can flow through the conductor tracks. 7. Device system according to claim 5 and 6, characterized in that instead of the disc ( 1 ) on a non-magnetized disc, a magnetic strip ( 7 ) is applied. 8. Device system according to claim 5 to 7, characterized in that the energy supply to the active photodiode ( 3 ) takes place such that one pole represents an axis tip ( 2 ), while the other pole represents the sheath ( 8 ) of the axis tip, which is carried out in this way is that the energy supply of the active photodiode ( 3 ) can take place via a grinding surface ( 9 ) and microscopic brush grinder ( 10 ) and further via line ( 11 ). 9. Device system according to claim 5, characterized in that a magnetized disc ( 1 ) is mounted orthogonally between two axis tips ( 2 ), near the circumference of the disc ( 1 ) two pulse tracks ( 14 , 15 ) with different radius as openings in a concentric Arrangement around the center of the disc ( 1 ) are incorporated, the openings are arranged offset by about half in the direction of rotation, above the pulse tracks ( 14 , 15 ) an active photodiode ( 3 ) is placed below the pulse tracks ( 14 , 15 ) In each case a passive photodiode ( 5 ) is arranged in such a way that when the device rotates relative to the disc ( 1 ) oriented in the north-south direction, a directly processable digital 0/0 signal is available at the output of the passive electrodes ( 5 ) . 10. Apparatus system according to claim 5 and 9 using microsystem technology, characterized in that a very small magnetized disc ( 1 ) has a circumferential slide bearing at the edge such that the horizontal and vertical mounting by the upper surface tension of one at the edge of the disc ( 1 ) located lubricant ( 17 ) and both bearing halves are preferably concave against each other (if you assume a vertical section through the bearing).