Method for navigation of a user between a first position within a building and a second position

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995585-B2
Application number	US-201515508835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 6, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A method for navigating a user between a first position within a building and a second position, or vice versa, includes creating, by a motor vehicle, map information describing at least one partial area of the building based on vehicle environment information created at the motor vehicle that describes objects in the environment around the motor vehicle. The method further includes providing, by the motor vehicle, parking information including a park position of the motor vehicle within the building and transferring the map information and the parking information to a mobile communication device. The mobile communication device is configured to create navigation information containing at least one navigation route between the first position and the second position, based on the transferred map information and the transferred parking information. The mobile communication device is configured to navigate the user between the first position and the second position using the navigation information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for navigating a user between a first position within a building and a second position, wherein the first position is a park position of a motor vehicle parked in the building, the method comprising:
creating, by the motor vehicle, map information describing at least one partial area of the building based on vehicle environment information created at the motor vehicle that describes objects in an environment around the motor vehicle;
providing, by the motor vehicle, parking information including the park position of the motor vehicle within the building; and
transferring the map information and the parking information from the motor vehicle to a user-side mobile communication device,
wherein the user-side mobile communication device is configured to create navigation information comprising at least one navigation route between the first position and the second position, based on the transferred map information and the transferred parking information,
wherein the user-side mobile communication device is configured to navigate the user between the first position and the second position based on the navigation information, and
wherein the navigation information comprises at least one distance to be traveled by the user in order to arrive from the first position at the second position or from the second position at the first position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
extracting building-side objects from the vehicle environment information; and
storing the building-side objects, specially labeled, in the map information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the building-side objects comprise objects that are structurally inseparable from the building or are connected so as to be separable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-side mobile communication device is configured to create second environment information describing a second set of objects in an environment around the user-side mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the second set of objects comprise second building-side objects in the environment around the user-side mobile communication device, the second building-side objects are described in the second environment information created by the user-side mobile communication device, and
the second building-side objects in the environment around the user-side mobile communication device are matched with first building-side objects described in the map information transferred to the user-side mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first position is situated in a building area in which no network coverage is present for the user-side mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein additional map information describing the at least one partial area of the building is provided by the user-side mobile communication device and the method further comprises:
receiving, by the motor vehicle, the additional map information.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating the vehicle environment information using a motor vehicle-side acoustic or optical detection sensor for detecting the objects in the environment around the motor vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigation information comprises:
first navigation data describing a first navigation route segment between the first position and the second position, the first navigation route segment is situated within the building; and
second navigation data describing a second navigation route segment between the first position and the second position, the second navigation route segment is situated outside of the building.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user-side mobile communication device is configured to:
receive, outside the building and via a communication network existing outside of the building, third navigation data; and
check the second navigation data for plausibility using the third navigation data.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user-side mobile communication device is configured to:
receive, outside the building and via a communication network existing outside of the building, third navigation data; and
supplement the second navigation data with the third navigation data.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the first navigation data further describe a third navigation route segment between the first position and a building-side exit or a building-side entrance area, and
the second navigation data further describe a fourth navigation route segment between the building-side exit or the building-side entrance area and the second position.

13. A system for navigating a user between a first position within a building and a second position, wherein the first position is a park position of a motor vehicle parked in the building, the system comprising:
the motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle is configured to:
create map information describing at least one partial area of the building based on vehicle environment information created at the motor vehicle that describes objects in an environment around the motor vehicle,
provide parking information including the park position of the motor vehicle within the building, and
transfer the map information and the parking information to a mobile communication device; and

the mobile communication device, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to:
create navigation information comprising at least one navigation route between the first position and the second position, based on the transferred map information and the transferred parking information, and
navigate the user between the first position and the second position based on the navigation information,
wherein the navigation information comprises at least one distance to be traveled by the user in order to arrive from the first position at the second position or from the second position at the first position.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the motor vehicle is further configured to:
extract building-side objects from the vehicle environment information; and
store the building-side objects, specially labeled, in the map information.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the mobile communication device is further configured to create second environment information describing a second set of objects in an environment around the user-side mobile communication device.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first position is situated in a building area in which no network coverage is present for the mobile communication device.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the mobile communication device is configured to provide an additional map information describing the at least one partial area of the building; and
the motor vehicle is configured to receive the additional map information.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the motor vehicle is further configured to create the vehicle environment information using at least one motor vehicle-side acoustic and/or optical detection sensors for detecting the objects in the environment around the motor vehicle.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the navigation information comprises:
first navigation data describing a first navigation route segment between the first position and the second position, wherein the first navigation route segment is situated within the building; and
second navigation data describing a second navigation route segment between the first position and the second position, wherein the second nav

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Altinger Harald
• Schuller Florian

Classifications

• G01C21/3688

  Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens · CPC title

• G01C21/3685

  the POI's being parking facilities · CPC title

• G01C21/362

  received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application · CPC title

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• H04W4/024

  Guidance services · CPC title