Mobile device location based on detection of radiation sources

• US 10,206,193 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipton, Rick, Austin, Mark, Meredith, Sheldon Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilgrami, Asghar H
• Application Number:
  US15/252,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02527 Detecting or resolving anomalies in the radio frequency fingerprints of the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The location of a mobile device may be determined based on information that includes the signal strength of nearby radiation sources. The system may disregard information associated with radiation sources that are determined to be mobile.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving first information that comprises a centroid coordinate associated with a first radiation source, wherein the centroid coordinate associated with the first radiation source is based on a location of a first mobile device;

determining that the first radiation source is mobile based on location accuracy error information associated with the centroid coordinate of the first radiation source;

determining a location of a second mobile device based on;

third information that comprises a centroid coordinate associated with a second radiation source, the first information that comprises the centroid coordinate associated with the first radiation source, and the determining that the first radiation source is mobile; and

negatively weighing the first information in the determination of the location of the second mobile device, the negatively weighing triggered based on the determining that the first radiation source is mobile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining that the first radiation source is mobile is further based on a status of a sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining that the first radiation source is mobile is based on a comparison of a location of the first radiation source at a first period with a location of the first radiation source at a second period.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a power weighted centroid associated with the first radiation source.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, first information associated with a location of a first radiation source, the first information comprises a centroid coordinate associated with the first radiation source, wherein the centroid coordinate associated with the first radiation source is based on a location of a first mobile device;

determining, by the processor, the first radiation source is mobile based on third information, the third information comprises a status of an accelerometer; and

determining, by the processor, a location of a second mobile device based on;

fourth information associated with a second radiation source, the fourth information comprises a centroid coordinate associated with the second radiation source, the first information that comprises the centroid coordinate associated with the first radiation source, and the determining the first radiation source is mobile; and

negatively weighing the first information in the determination of the location of the second mobile device, the negatively weighing triggered based on the determining that the first radiation source is mobile.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third information further comprises status of a gyroscope.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the third information further comprises a status of another sensor.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining that the first radiation source is mobile is further based on a comparison of a location of the first radiation source at a first period with a location of the first radiation source at a second period.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first information is further based on a received signal strength indicator associated with the first radiation source.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first information further comprises a power weighted centroid associated with the first radiation source.

11. A system comprising:

a first mobile device; and

an apparatus comprising;

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving first information associated with a location of a first radiation source, the first information comprises a centroid associated with the first radiation source, wherein the centroid coordinate associated with the first radiation source is based on a location of the first mobile device;

determining the first radiation source is mobile based on third information, the third information comprises a status of a gyroscope; and

determining a location of a second mobile device based on;

fourth information associated with a second radiation source, the fourth information comprises a centroid coordinate associated with the second radiation source, and the first information, the first information negatively weighed based on the determining that the first radiation source is mobile; and

negatively weighing the first information in the determination of the location of the second mobile device, the negatively weighing triggered based on the determining that the first radiation source is mobile.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the third information further comprising location accuracy error information associated with the first radiation source.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining that the first radiation source is mobile is based on a comparison of a location of the first radiation source at a first period with a location of the first radiation source at a second period.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first information is further based on a received signal strength indicator associated with the first radiation source.