Personal Navigation System Haptic Device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow users to navigate to a destination by way of haptic feedback. An embodiment employs: (1) a processor executed software application, and (2) one or more vibrating nodes worn by a user. In such an embodiment, upon providing a destination via an application, the application sends commands to the nodes to vibrate along a specific signature to indicate, through the sense of touch, navigation commands to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-based method of providing navigation commands to a user, the method comprising:
 obtaining a destination and a starting point from a user;   determining a plurality of turn by turn commands for navigating from the starting point to the destination;   converting each of the plurality of turn by turn commands into a respective haptic signature; and   forwarding each respective haptic signature to one or more vibratory nodes proximal to the user, the one or more vibratory nodes configured to indicate, one at a time, the plurality of turn by turn commands to the user by performing each respective haptic signature, each vibratory node including: (i) a motor, (ii) a microcontroller, (iii) a communication module, (iv) a magnet, and (v) an electrical connector;   the obtaining, determining, converting and forwarding being performed by a digital processor, the digital processor communicatively coupled to each vibratory node via respective communication modules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining timing for forwarding each respective haptic signature, the timing determined causing a given respective haptic signature to be forwarded to the one or more vibratory nodes when appropriate for the user to perform a corresponding turn by turn command.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the timing is determined based upon at least one of: execution time of performing a haptic signature to be forwarded, distance to upcoming turn, and a speed at which the user is traveling. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the destination and starting point are obtained in response to the user scanning a quick response (QR) code. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination is selected by the user from a database of locations. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein one or more locations stored in the company database are added by users of a social network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user is a first user, the method further comprising:
 receiving a request by a second user to follow the first user;   upon approval by the first user:
 determining a plurality of following commands to facilitate the second user following the first user; 
 converting each of the plurality of following commands into a respective haptic signature; and 
 forwarding each respective haptic signature to one or more vibratory nodes associated with the second user, the one or more vibratory nodes associated with the second user configured to indicate the plurality of following commands to the second user. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user is a first user and the destination is dynamically changing based upon a location of a second user, the method further comprising:
 repeating the determining and converting as the destination changes.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining data regarding a number of vibratory nodes associated with the user; and   wherein converting each of the plurality of turn by turn commands into a respective haptic signature considers if the number of vibratory nodes associated with the user is odd or even.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the vibratory nodes are contained in a neck-worn housing, the neck-worn housing including: (i) a back component, (ii) a first arm, wherein a proximal end of the first arm is connected to one end of the back component, and a distal end of the first arm includes a magnet and a electrical connector, and (iii) a second arm, wherein a proximal end of the second arm is connected to an end opposite to the one end of the back component, and a distal end of the second arm includes a magnet and an electrical connector, wherein:
 a first one of the vibratory nodes is detachably coupled magnetically with the first arm via respective magnets, and coupled electrically with the first arm via respective electrical connectors when detachably coupled magnetically to the first arm, and 
 a second one of the vibratory nodes is detachably coupled magnetically with the second arm via respective magnets, and coupled electrically with the second arm via respective electrical connectors when detachably coupled magnetically to the second arm. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the neck-worn housing is configurable to enable positioning of the first and second vibratory nodes in contact with skin of the neck area above the user's clavicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nodes are magnetically contained in a housing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each respective haptic signature comprises one or more pulses with a unique combination of pulse amplitude, pulse width, duty cycle, and total run time. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination is a tour comprising a plurality of destinations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 enabling the user to create the tour by indicating two or more destinations.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination comprises at least one of: a latitude coordinate, a longitude coordinate, a title, a type, and a unique identifier. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving battery level information from the one or more vibratory nodes, and ceasing the forwarding when the battery level information is below a threshold.   
     
     
         18 . A system for providing navigation commands to a user, the system comprising:
 one or more vibratory nodes, each vibratory node including: (i) a motor, (ii) a microcontroller, (iii) a communication module, (iv) a magnet, and (v) an electrical connector;   a processor and a memory with computer code instructions stored thereon and communicatively coupled to the one or more vibratory nodes via respective communication modules, the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions configured to cause the system to:
 obtain a destination and a starting point from a user; 
 determine a plurality of turn by turn commands for navigating from the starting point to the destination; 
 convert each of the plurality of turn by turn commands into a respective haptic signature; and 
 forward each respective haptic signature to the one or more vibratory nodes, the one or more vibratory nodes proximal to the user and configured to indicate, one at a time, the plurality of turn by turn commands to the user by performing each respective haptic signature. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the user is a first user and where the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, are further configured to cause the system to:
 receive a request by a second user to follow the first user;   upon approval by the first user:
 determine a plurality of following commands to facilitate the second user following the first user; 
 convert each of the plurality of following commands into a respective haptic signature; and 
 forward each respective haptic signature to one or more vibratory nodes associated with the second user, the one or more vibratory nodes associated with the second user configured to indicate the plurality of following commands to the second user. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the vibratory nodes are contained in a neck-worn housing, the neck-worn housing including:
 (i) a back component,   (ii) a first arm, wherein a proximal end of the first arm is connected to one end of the back component, and a distal end of the first arm includes a magnet and an electrical connector, and   (iii) a second arm, wherein a proximal end of the second arm is connected to an end opposite to the one end of the back component, and a distal end of the second arm includes a magnet and an electrical connector, wherein:
 a first one of the vibratory nodes is detachably coupled magnetically with the first arm via respective magnets, and coupled electrically with the first arm via respective electrical connectors when detachably coupled magnetically to the first arm, and 
 a second one of the vibratory nodes is detachably coupled magnetically with the second arm via the respective magnets, and coupled electrically with the second arm via respective electrical connectors when detachably coupled magnetically to the second arm.