Sensor-based geolocation of a user device

• US 10,057,725 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions UK Limted (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions UK Limted (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Christopher Michael, Brown, Matthew James W., Wang, Meng, Smith, Gareth James
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US15/495,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20170311127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/14 by recording the course traversed by the object G01C21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A device may determine a set of orientations or relative displacements at a set of locations. The set of locations may include at least a first location and a second location. The device may determine a set of sensor measurements relating to one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations. The device may determine, based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations and the set of sensor measurements relating to the one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations, a path relating to the set of locations. The device may perform an action based on determining the path.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

determine a set of orientations or relative displacements at a set of locations, the set of locations including at least a first location and a second location;

determine a set of sensor measurements relating to one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations;

determine, based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations and the set of sensor measurements relating to the one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations, a path relating to the set of locations,

where the one or more processors, when determining the path, are to;

determine a first path based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations,

compare a sensor measurement associated with a first portion of the first path and a sensor measurement associated with a second portion of the first path that is within a threshold distance of the first portion of the first path,

determine the sensor measurement associated with the first portion of the first path differs from the sensor measurement associated with the second portion of the first path by at least a threshold amount, and

modify the first path to obtain a second path based on the sensor measurement associated with the first portion of the first path differing from the sensor measurement associated with the second portion of the first path by at least the threshold amount; and

perform an action based on determining the path.

2. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining the path, are configured to:

determine the first location to be within a threshold proximity to the second location based on;

the set of orientations or relative displacements indicating a threshold displacement between the first location and the second location, and

a first sensor measurement, of the set of sensor measurements, being within a threshold amount of a second sensor measurement of the set of sensor measurements.

3. The device of claim 2, where the one or more processors are further configured to:

identify the set of locations based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations and the set of sensor measurements relating to the one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations.

4. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive information identifying a particular sensor measurement of a particular measurable parameter of the one or more measurable parameters; and

determine a particular location corresponding to the particular sensor measurement based on the particular measurable parameter, the set of sensor measurements, and identifying the set of locations.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining the path, are configured to:

utilize a particular optimization technique to determine the path based on the set of sensor measurements and the set of orientations or relative displacements,

the particular optimization technique including at least one of;

a hill climber algorithm,

a simulated annealer,

a particle swarm optimization technique, or

an evolutionary algorithm.

6. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining the path, are configured to:

modify the first path based on at least one of;

a set of rules related to determining the path, or

a first score associated with the first path that fails to satisfy a threshold score; and

determine the second path based on;

the second path satisfying the set of rules, or

the second path being associated with a second score that satisfies the threshold score.

7. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when performing the action, are configured to:

perform an analysis of the path that includes identifying;

a flow of people or devices through a space,

one or more locations at which to deploy advertising,

one or more locations at which to deploy a wireless signal extender,

one or more locations that correspond to one or more sources of interference of a wireless signal,

one or more locations associated with one or more indicators of a customer experience, or

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

8. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive information related to the set of orientations or relative displacements from multiple devices prior to determining the set of orientations or relative displacements; and

map the information to a normalized coordinate system to permit determination of the path after receiving the set of orientations or relative displacements.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive information related to a set of orientations or relative displacements at a set of locations,

the set of locations including at least a first location and a second location;

determine the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations after receiving the information related to the set of orientations or relative displacements,

the set of orientations or relative displacements being determined from the first location of the set of locations;

determine a set of sensor measurements relating to one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations;

determine, based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations and the set of sensor measurements relating to the one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations, a path relating to the set of locations,

the first location being associated with a first sensor measurement, of the set of sensor measurements, and the second location, of the set of locations, being associated with a second sensor measurement of the set of sensor measurements,

where the instructions that cause the one or more processors to determine the path, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a first path based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations,

compare a sensor measurement associated with a first portion of the first path and a sensor measurements associated with a second portion of the first path that is within a threshold distance of the first portion of the first path,

determine the sensor measurement associated with the first portion of the first path differs from the sensor measurement associated with the second portion of the first path by at least a threshold amount, and

modify the first path to obtain a second path based on the sensor measurement associated with the first portion of the first path differing from the sensor measurement associated with the second portion of the first path by at least the threshold amount; and

perform an action based on determining the path.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the path, cause the one or more processors to:

perform a first optimization technique on the path after determining the path; and

perform a second optimization technique on the path after performing the first optimization technique.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a coordinate system to use when determining the set of orientations or relative displacements; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the set of orientations or relative displacements, cause the one or more processors to;

determine the set of orientations or relative displacements after determining the coordinate system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the first location and the second location are within a threshold proximity based on a result of comparing the first sensor measurement and the second sensor measurement; and

determine a score based on determining whether the first location and the second location are within the threshold proximity.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the set of orientations or relative displacements, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the set of orientations or relative displacements using an image or video captured by a camera of a device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the action, cause the one or more processors to:

perform geolocation of a device based on another set of sensor measurements of the device after determining the path.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, by a device, a set of orientations or relative displacements at a set of locations,

the set of locations including at least a first location and a second location;

determining, by the device, a set of sensor measurements relating to one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations,

the set of sensor measurements being determined by a sensor of the device as the device moves among the set of locations;

determining, by the device, a path relating to the set of locations based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations and the set of sensor measurements relating to the one or more measurable parameters at the set of locations,

the path being determined using a processing technique that permits identification of a manner in which the device moved among the set of locations,

where determining the path includes;

determining a first path based on the set of orientations or relative displacements at the set of locations,

comparing a sensor measurement associated with a first portion of the first path and a sensor measurement associated with a second portion of the first path that is within a threshold distance of the first portion of the first path,

determining the sensor measurement associated with the first portion of the first path differs from the sensor measurement associated with the second portion of the first path by at least a threshold amount, and

modifying the first path to obtain a second path based on the sensor measurement associated with the first portion of the first path differing from the sensor measurement associated with the second portion of the first path by at least the threshold amount; and

performing, by the device, an action based on determining the path.

16. The method of claim 15, where performing the action comprises:

determining a spatial map of the one or more measurable parameters after determining the path; and

outputting the spatial map for display.

17. The method of claim 15, where determining the path comprises:

determining a first score for the first path after determining the first path,

the first score indicating a first likelihood that the first path indicates the manner in which the device moved among the set of locations,

the first path being modified based on the first score;

determining a second score for the second path after determining the second path;

repeating determining the first path, determining the first score, modifying the first path, or determining the second score until the second score satisfies a threshold score that the first score failed to satisfy; and

where performing the action comprises;

performing the action after the second score satisfies the threshold score.

18. The method of claim 17, where modifying the first path comprises:

modifying the first path based on at least one of;

a location, of the set of locations, being associated with multiple sensor measurements that differ by a threshold amount,

the first path indicating a threshold quantity of turns of a threshold angle during a first time period,

the first path indicating a threshold quantity of steps during a second time period, or

the first path intersecting an object identified by a spatial map.

19. The method of claim 15, where performing the action comprises:

performing an analysis of the path that includes identifying;

a flow of people or devices through a space,

one or more locations at which to deploy advertising,

one or more locations at which to deploy a wireless signal extender,

one or more locations that correspond to one or more sources of interference of a wireless signal,

one or more locations associated with one or more indicators of a customer experience, or

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information related to the set of orientations or relative displacements from multiple devices prior to determining the set of orientations or relative displacements; and

mapping the information to a normalized coordinate system to permit determination of the path after receiving the set of orientations or relative displacements.