Method and system for determining a position of a mobile device by an access point

• US 10,009,733 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Babu, Swarna Ravindra, Gowda, Arun Kumar Siddanahalli Ninge, Deshpande, Sameet Mangesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, Zhaohui
• Application Number:
  US14/709,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and system for determining a position of a mobile device in an indoor environment by an access point is provided. The method includes obtaining identity information of the mobile device. The method includes extracting signal characteristics of the mobile device corresponding to the identity information. Further, the method includes determining the position of the mobile device based on the signal characteristics of the mobile device. The position of the mobile device is determined based on the signal characteristics of the mobile device received from a plurality of access points along with the information of the plurality of access points such as location information and identity information of the access points. The determined position is sent to the mobile device. The access point implements robust multipath mitigation algorithms while determining the position of the mobile device as there is no battery power limitation at the access point.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position of a mobile device by an Access Point (AP), the method comprising:

receiving a first signal including a medium access controller (MAC) identifier (ID) of the mobile device from the mobile device, wherein the AP is associated with the mobile device;

extracting received signal strength indicator (RSSI) information of the first signal received from the mobile device corresponding to the MAC ID;

computing a first distance between the mobile device and the AP based on the extracted RSSI information of the first signal;

receiving RSSI information of a second signal extracted by another AP and AP information associated with the other AP, from the other AP, wherein the second signal is transmitted from the mobile device to the other AP;

computing a second distance between the mobile device and the other AP based on the RSSI information of the second signal and the AP information associated with the other AP, wherein the AP information associated with the other AP comprises identity information and location information associated with the other AP;

determining a position of the mobile device based on the computed first distance and the computed second distance; and

sending the determined position to the mobile device by the AP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted RSSI information of the first signal is dependent on a distance between the AP and the mobile device, and the RSSI information of the second signal is dependent on a distance between the other AP and the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the position of the mobile device comprises determining the position of the mobile device based on the computed first distance and the computed second distance using at least one of a multipath mitigation algorithm to reduce a multipath effect or a Bayesian propagation model for determining the position of the mobile device.

4. A Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Access Point (AP) for determining a position of a mobile device, wherein the AP comprises:

a transceiver configured to perform communication with the mobile device or a plurality of APs; and

a processor configured to;

receive a first signal including a medium access controller (MAC) identifier (ID) of the mobile device from the mobile device through the transceiver, wherein the AP is associated with the mobile device,

extract received signal strength indicator (RSSI) information of the first signal received from the mobile device corresponding to the MAC ID,

compute a first distance between the mobile device and the AP based on the extracted RSSI information of the first signal,

receive RSSI information of a second signal extracted by another AP, and AP information associated with the other AP from the other AP through the transceiver, wherein the second signal is transmitted from the mobile device to the other AP,

compute a second distance between the mobile device and the other AP based on the RSSI information of the second signal and the AP information associated with the other AP, wherein the AP information associated with the other AP comprises identity information and location information associated with the other AP,

determine a position of the mobile device based on the computed first distance and the computed second distance, and

send the determined position to the mobile device through the transceiver.

5. The Wi-Fi AP of claim 4, wherein the extracted RSSI information of the first signal is dependent on a distance between the AP and the mobile device, and the RSSI information of the second signal is dependent on a distance between the other AP and the mobile device.

6. The Wi-Fi AP of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the position of the mobile device based on the computed first distance and the computed second distance using at least one of a multipath mitigation algorithm to reduce a multipath effect or a Bayesian propagation model for determining the position of the mobile device.

7. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code when executed causing actions including:

receiving a first signal including a medium access controller (MAC) identifier (ID) of a mobile device from the mobile device through a transceiver, wherein an access point (AP) is associated with the mobile device;

extracting received signal strength indicator (RSSI) information of the first signal received from the mobile device corresponding to the MAC ID;

computing a first distance between the mobile device and the AP based on the extracted RSSI information of the first signal;

receiving RSSI information of a second signal extracted by another AP, and AP information associated with the other AP from the other AP through the transceiver, wherein the second signal is transmitted from the mobile device to the other AP;

computing a second distance between the mobile device and the other AP based on the RSSI information of the second signal and the AP information associated with the other AP, wherein the AP information associated with the other AP comprises identity information and location information associated with the other AP;

determining a position of the mobile device based on the computed first distance and the computed second distance; and

sending the determined position to the mobile device by the AP.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the extracted RSSI information of the first signal is dependent on a distance between the AP and the mobile device, and the RSSI information of the second signal is dependent on a distance between the other AP and the mobile device.