Method and device for signal processing

• US 10,178,498 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Jin, Lin, Wei, Luo, Lan, Li, Zhi, Jiang, Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US15/447,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

The disclosure describes a method and device for signal processing. The method includes generating a signal time series associated with a terminal device based on time points for signal collection and intensities of signals collected at the time points collected from the terminal device by signal collection devices deployed in a spatial object; obtaining at least one segment of the signal time series by segmenting the signal time series according to a pre-generated segmenting interval; and determining, for the at least one segment, if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object during a continuous period of time included in the at least one segment. The disclosure may be used to statistically analyze user traffic in a spatial object and reduce resource consumption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a signal time series associated with a terminal device based on time points for signal collection and intensities of signals collected at the time points, the signals collected from the terminal device by signal collection devices deployed in a spatial object, the intensities of signals represented by a vector having a dimensionality equal to the number of signal collection devices;

obtaining at least one segment of the signal time series by segmenting the signal time series according to a pre-generated segmenting interval;

determining, for the at least one segment, if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object during a continuous period of time included in the at least one segment and a duration the user is in the spatial object if the at least one segment satisfies a pre-generated space entry criteria, the determining comprising determining whether the number of signals with intensities greater than a pre-generated signal intensity threshold in the at least one segment is greater than a pre-generated number threshold included within the pre-generated space entry criteria; and

recording a location of the user within the spatial object based on determining that the user is in the spatial object, the location determined based on a fingerprint mapping between signal intensities and known positions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining at least one segment of the signal time series comprises:

identifying, from the signal time series, adjacent time points within an interval greater than or equal to the pre-generated segmenting interval;

identifying a segmenting point between the adjacent time points; and

segmenting the signal time series based on the segmenting point to obtain the at least one segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object comprises:

verifying that the terminal device is not located within the spatial object for the duration of the signal time segment upon determining that the at least one segment does not satisfy the pre-generated space entry criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the at least one segment satisfies a pre-generated space entry criteria comprises one of:

determining whether the duration of the at least one segment is greater than a pre-generated duration threshold, or

determining whether the number of signals contained in the at least one segment is greater than a pre-generated number threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein before determining whether the signal time segment satisfies a pre-generated space entry criteria, the method further comprises:

identifying a similar spatial object similar to the spatial object based on attribute information of the spatial object; and

generating the pre-generated space entry criteria based on a space entry criteria of the similar spatial object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the pre-generated space entry criteria based on a space entry criteria of the similar spatial object comprises one of:

acquiring a space entry criteria of the similar spatial object and using it as a space entry criteria of the spatial object, or

generating a range of space entry criteria for the spatial object based on the space entry criteria of the similar spatial object and the attribute information about the spatial object, and performing a regression operation for the range of the space entry criteria of the spatial object based on the number of users located within the spatial object during a specified historical time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object during a continuous period of time included in the at least one segment comprises:

performing a time alignment operation for the at least one segment;

locating a user'"'"'s position for the duration of the at least one segment;

determining whether the user'"'"'s position accounts for a percentage larger than a preset percentage of user positions for the duration of the at least one segment; and

verifying that the user is located within the spatial object for the duration of the at least one segment upon determining that the user'"'"'s position accounts for a percentage larger than a preset percentage of user positions for the duration of the at least one segment.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating a traffic diagram for the spatial object by counting a number of users at one or more positions for the duration of one or more segments of the signal time series.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating a traffic diagram for the spatial object by counting a number of users on one or more routes from a start point to an end point for the duration of one or more segments of the signal time series, and determining a popular route from the start point to the end point based on the number of users on each route.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring and displaying details about a user associated with the terminal device based on the media access control address of the terminal device.

11. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory memory storing computer-executable instructions therein that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to;

generate a signal time series associated with a terminal device based on time points for signal collection and intensities of signals collected at the time points, wherein the signals are collected from the terminal device by signal collection devices deployed in a spatial object, the intensities of signals represented by a vector having a dimensionality equal to the number of signal collection devices;

obtain at least one segment of the signal time series by segmenting the signal time series according to a pre-generated segmenting interval;

determine, for the at least one segment, if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object during a continuous period of time included in the at least one segment and a duration the user is in the spatial object if the at least one segment satisfies a pre-generated space entry criteria, the determining comprising determining whether the number of signals with intensities greater than a pre-generated signal intensity threshold in the at least one segment is greater than a pre-generated number threshold included within the pre-generated space entry criteria; and

record a location of the user within the spatial object based on determining that the user is in the spatial object, the location determined based on a fingerprint mapping between signal intensities and known positions.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the instructions causing the device to obtain at least one segment of the signal time series further include instructions causing the device to:

identify, from the signal time series, adjacent time points within an interval greater than or equal to the pre-generated segmenting interval;

identify a segmenting point between the adjacent time points; and

segment the signal time series based on the segmenting point to obtain the at least one segment.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the instructions causing the device to determine if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object further include instructions causing the device to:

verify that the terminal device is not located within the spatial object for the duration of the signal time segment upon determining that the at least one segment does not satisfy the pre-generated space entry criteria.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein instructions causing the device to determine that the at least one segment satisfies a pre-generated space entry criteria further comprises instructions causing the device to:

determine whether the duration of the at least one segment is greater than a pre-generated duration threshold, or

determine whether the number of signals contained in the at least one segment is greater than a pre-generated number threshold.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein before determining whether the signal time segment satisfies a pre-generated space entry criteria, the instructions further cause the device to:

identify a similar spatial object similar to the spatial object based on attribute information of the spatial object; and

generate the pre-generated space entry criteria based on a space entry criteria of the similar spatial object.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the instructions causing the device to generate the pre-generated space entry criteria based on a space entry criteria of the similar spatial object further comprise instructions causing the device to:

acquire a space entry criteria of the similar spatial object and using it as a space entry criteria of the spatial object, or

generate a range of space entry criteria for the spatial object based on the space entry criteria of the similar spatial object and the attribute information about the spatial object, and performing a regression operation for the range of the space entry criteria of the spatial object based on the number of users located within the spatial object during a specified historical time period.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the instructions causing the device to determine if a user of the terminal device is located in the spatial object during a continuous period of time included in the at least one segment further include instructions causing the device to:

perform a time alignment operation for the at least one segment;

locate a user'"'"'s position for the duration of the at least one segment;

determine whether the user'"'"'s position accounts for a percentage larger than a preset percentage of user positions for the duration of the at least one segment; and

verify that the user is located within the spatial object for the duration of the at least one segment upon determining that the user'"'"'s position accounts for a percentage larger than a preset percentage of user positions for the duration of the at least one segment.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the instructions further cause the device to generate a traffic diagram for the spatial object by counting a number of users at one or more positions for the duration of one or more segments of the signal time series.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the instructions further cause the device to generate a traffic diagram for the spatial object by counting a number of users on one or more routes from a start point to an end point for the duration of one or more segments of the signal time series, and determine a popular route from the start point to the end point based on the number of users on each route.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the device to acquire and display details about a user associated with the terminal device based on the media access control address of the terminal device.