Augmented reality-based system and method for providing navigation using a route based spatial reference

An augmented reality-based method for providing navigation, comprising:

• providing a navigation device, a database and a computing device in communication with the navigation device and the database, wherein the navigation device comprises one or more sensors and is associated with a user, wherein the database is configured to store user data, navigation data associated with the navigation device, and travel route data including travel routes and landmark, wherein the computing device comprises a memory storing a set of program modules and a processor configured to execute the program modules;
• receiving, at the computing device via a route module, a route data based on an input travel data, wherein the route data comprises information including a travel route;
• generating, at the computing device via the route module, a route corridor representation defining a spatial constraint of the travel route, wherein the route corridor representation serves as a spatial reference for determining the location of the navigation device in the travel route during navigation;
• receiving, at the computing device via a sensor data processing module, sensor data from one or more sensors;
• estimating, at the computing device via a tracking module, pose of the navigation device relative to the route corridor representation based on the sensor data, wherein the estimated pose comprises a longitudinal position along the travel route, a lateral offset relative to the travel route, and an orientation relative to a direction of the travel route, wherein the sensor data processing module configured to fuse sensor data to update the estimated pose of the navigation device, and
• generating and displaying, at the computing device via an augmented reality rendering module, navigation related elements anchored along the route corridor representation based on the estimated pose for navigation.

An augmented reality-based system for providing navigation, comprising:

• a navigation device comprising one or more sensors, wherein the navigation device is associated with a user;
• a database configured to store user data, navigation data associated with the navigation device, and travel route data including travel routes and landmarks;
• a computing device in communication with the navigation device and the database via a network, the computing device comprising a memory storing a set of program modules and a processor configured to execute the program modules, the program modules comprising:
• a route module configured to:
• receive route data based on input travel data, the route data comprising a defined travel route;
• and
• generate a route corridor representation extending along the travel route, the route corridor representation comprising a three-dimensional deformable structure defining a bounded spatial corridor that serves as a sole spatial reference frame for navigation;
• a sensor data processing module configured to receive and fuse sensor data from the one or more sensors;
• a tracking module configured to:
• estimate a pose of the navigation device exclusively relative to the route corridor representation and without estimating or maintaining a global six degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) world pose, wherein the pose is represented in a reduced route-relative state space comprising:
• a longitudinal progress parameter corresponding to position along the travel route,
• a lateral offset parameter relative to the travel route, and
• a heading parameter relative to a direction of the travel route, wherein the tracking module constrains pose estimation to remain within the bounded spatial corridor defined by the route corridor representation, wherein the route corridor representation is treated as a soft geometric constraint permitting bounded deviation from mapped geometry,
• wherein the tracking module is further configured to perform route-relative orientation stabilization of the heading parameter by combining multiple independent orientation observability sources comprising:
• visual vanishing point estimation derived from camera data, inertial measurement unit (IMU) bias smoothing, satellite-based heading change measurements, corridor-bounded visual feature tracking residuals, and intermittent landmark-based orientation corrections, to reduce heading drift during straight-route travel without constructing or maintaining a persistent global map, without loop closure, and without performing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM);
• an augmented reality rendering module configured to generate and display navigation-related elements anchored to the route corridor representation based solely on the route-relative pose, such that rendered elements are spatially stabilized by the route corridor representation rather than by a global coordinate frame.