Use of Beacons for Assistance to Users in Interacting with their Environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016123745-A1
Application number	US-201514690421-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Beacon-based guidance functionality is described herein that assists the user in navigating over a desired route within an environment, or otherwise interacting with the environment. The environment, in turn, is populated with a plurality of beacons having, in one implementation, respective non-overlapping ranges. The desired route traverses ranges associated with a route-specific set of beacons, from among the plurality of beacons. In one manner of operation, the beacon-based guidance functionality determines whether a user is within a range of one of the route-specific beacons. Based on that knowledge, the beacon-based guidance module can generate guidance information which directs the user towards a next waypoint in the route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computing device for assisting the user in interacting with a space, comprising:
a space interaction module for performing functions that assist the user in moving over a desired route within an environment, the environment being populated with a plurality of beacons having respective non-overlapping ranges, the desired route traversing ranges associated with a route-specific set of beacons, from among the plurality of beacons, the space interaction module including a beacon-based guidance module that is configured to:
determine whether a user is within a range of one of the route-specific beacons, to provide current location information when the user is within the range;
determine a next waypoint that the user is expected to reach based on predetermined journey information, to provide next waypoint information;
determine direction information based on the current location information and the next waypoint information; and
generate guidance information based on the direction information,
the guidance information, once delivered to the user, assisting the user in reaching the next waypoint.

2 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the environment corresponds to, at least in part, an indoor environment provided by an interior of at least one building.

3 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the environment corresponds to, at least in part, an outdoor environment.

4 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the guidance information is audio information, the audio information guiding the user in an appropriate direction to reach the next waypoint.

5 . The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the computing device delivers the audio information to the user via a headset.

6 . The computing device of claim 1 ,
wherein the space interaction module has access to stored information which identifies locations of the plurality of the respective beacons, wherein each beacon emits a beacon signal having a beacon code, the beacon code identifying the beacon which has emitted the beacon signal, and wherein the beacon-based guidance module is configured to determine the current location information, which identifies the current location of the user, by determining a particular beacon code associated with a particular beacon signal that has been received by the computing device, and then by determining a particular beacon associated with that particular beacon code and the location of that particular beacon.

7 . The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the beacon-based guidance module is configured to ignore any beacon signal that is emitted from a beacon that is not a member of the route-specific set of beacons.

8 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the route-specific set of beacons encompasses just the beacons that lie on the desire route.

9 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the route-specific set of beacons encompasses beacons that lie on the desired route, together with one or more neighboring beacons that lie adjacent to the desired route.

10 . A method for assisting a user in navigating within a space, comprising:
receiving a particular beacon signal by a computing device which operates at a current location within an environment,
the environment being populated with a plurality of beacons having respective non-overlapping ranges,
a desired route traversing ranges associated with a route-specific set of beacons, from among the plurality of beacons,
determining, based on the particular beacon signal, whether the user is within a range of one of the route-specific beacons, to provide current location information when the user is within the range; determining a next waypoint that the user is expected to reach, based on predetermined journey information, to provide next waypoint information; determining direction information based on the current location information and the next waypoint information; generating guidance information based on the direction information; and delivering the guidance information to the user, the guidance information assisting the user in reaching the next waypoint.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the environment corresponds to, at least in part, an indoor environment provided by an interior of at least one building.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the environment corresponds to, at least in part, an outdoor environment.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device delivers the guidance information to the user via a headset.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the beacons are located at intersections of pathways within the environment.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the beacons are also located at intermediary locations along at least one pathway in the environment.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein locations of beacons in the environment form a grid pattern.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the method determines the current location information by:
identifying a particular beacon code associated with the particular beacon signal; identifying, based on the particular beacon code, a particular beacon that is associated with the particular beacon code; and identifying a location of the particular beacon based on stored information which identifies the beacon codes and respective locations of beacons within the environment.

18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising ignoring any beacon signal that is emitted from a beacon that is not a member of the route-specific set of beacons.

19 . A computer readable storage medium for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions implementing a beacon-based guidance module when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:
logic configured to receive a particular beacon signal, by a user, using a computing device which operates at a current location within an environment,
the environment being populated with a plurality of beacons having respective non-overlapping ranges,
a desired route traversing ranges associated with a route-specific set of beacons, from among the plurality of beacons,
logic configured to identify a particular beacon code associated with the particular beacon signal; logic configured to identify, based on the particular beacon code, a particular beacon that is associated with the particular beacon code; logic configured to identify a location of the particular beacon based on stored information which identifies the beacon codes and respective locations of particular beacons within the environment, to provide current location information; logic configured to determine a next waypoint that the user is expected to reach, based on predetermined journey information, to provide next waypoint information; logic configured to determine direction information based on the current location information and the next waypoint information; and logic configured to generate guidance information based on the direction information, the guidance information assisting the user in reaching the next waypoint.

20 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , further including logic configured to ignore any beacon signal that is emitted from a beacon that is not a member of the route-specific set of beacons.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Cotier Bradley Neville
• Chudge Jarnail Singh
• Farmer Matthew Robin
• Parker Michael James Belfield
• Wilcox Robert John

Classifications

• G01S5/0295

  Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals · CPC title

• G06F16/24575

  using context · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title