Determining device location using multiple sources of location data

• US 10,310,090 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mendis, Indika Charles, Verghese, Philip Cheeran, Vazquez, Ana Maria Ulin, Lambert, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Joshua L
• Application Number:
  US15/882,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20180149755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for determining a location of a mobile device from different sources of location data is provided. The system may be configured to store current location data of a mobile device, the current location data associated with a first source of location data. The system may also be configured to obtain location data from a second source of location data, determine whether a first accuracy indicator of the current location data overlaps with a second accuracy indicator of the obtained location data from the second source, and update the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the first accuracy indicator of the current location data does not overlap with the second accuracy indicator of the obtained location data.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of a mobile device from different sources of location data, the method comprising:

obtaining, with one or more computing devices, current location data of a mobile device, wherein the current location data is associated with a first source of location data, a first time, and a first accuracy indicator for the first source of location data;

obtaining, with the one or more computing devices, location data from a second source of location data, wherein the location data from the second source is associated with a second accuracy indicator for the second source of location data and a second time;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, whether the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first circle around the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second circle around location data from the second source; and

updating, with the one or more computing devices, the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing, with the one or more computing devices, the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator to determine whether the location data from the second source of location data is less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source; and

updating, with the one or more computing devices, the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the location data from the second source of location data is not less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first radius around first coordinates of the current location data of the mobile device and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second radius around second coordinates of the location data of the second source.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first radius is smaller than the second radius, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the second accuracy indicator is less accurate than the first accuracy indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, with the one or more computing devices, whether the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator comprises:

determining whether the first accuracy indicator centered at the current location data overlaps with the second accuracy indicator centered at the obtained location data from the second source.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

persisting the current location data of the mobile device if it is determined that the mobile device has not moved from the first time to the second time and the second source is less accurate than the first source.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a current location record configured to store the current location data of the mobile device, wherein the current location record comprises a plurality of location entries configured to store location data from a plurality of sources, and wherein each location entry of the plurality of location entries is configured to store location data from one source of the plurality of sources, the location entry containing a source type, an accuracy indicator of the source, the location data from the source, and a timestamp for the location data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the current location data is stored in the current location record with a timestamp associated with the current location data, and wherein the method further comprises:

updating, with the one or more computing devices, the timestamp associated with the current location data if it is determined that the mobile device has not moved from the first time to the second time.

9. A system for determining a location of a mobile device from different sources of location data, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

storing current location data of a mobile device, wherein the current location data is associated with a first source of location data, a first accuracy indicator for the first source of location data, and a first time;

obtaining location data from a second source of location data, wherein the location data from the second source is associated with a second accuracy indicator for the second source of location data and a second time;

determining whether the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first circle around the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second circle around location data from the second source; and

updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the location data from the second source of location data is less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator; and

updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the location data from the second source of location data is not less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein determining whether the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator comprises:

determining whether the first circle overlaps with the second circle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein updating the current location data of the mobile device comprises:

updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the first circle does not overlap with the second circle.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source comprises:

updating a current location record if the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a location record configured to store current location data of a mobile device, the current location data associated with a first source of location data, a first accuracy indicator;

obtaining location data from a second source of location data, wherein the location data from the second source is associated with a second accuracy indicator;

determining whether the mobile device has moved based at least in part on the first and second accuracy indicators, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first circle around the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second circle around location data from the second source; and

updating the current location data of the mobile device in the location record with the obtained location data if it is determined that the location data has moved.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining whether the mobile device has moved comprises:

determining whether the first accuracy indicator of the current location data intersects with the second accuracy indicator of the obtained location data.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the second source of location data is less accurate than the first source of location data based at least in part on the first and second accuracy indicators; and

updating the current location data of the mobile device in the location record with the obtained location data if the second source is not less accurate than the first source.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

persisting the current location data of the mobile device if the second source is less accurate than the first source.

18. A method for determining a location of a mobile device from different sources of location data, the method comprising:

obtaining, with one or more computing devices, current location data of a mobile device, wherein the current location data is associated with a first source of location data, a first time, and a first accuracy indicator for the first source of location data;

storing, with the one or more computing devices, the current location data associated with the first source;

obtaining, with the one or more computing devices, location data from a second source of location data, wherein the location data from the second source is associated with a second accuracy indicator for the second source of location data and a second time;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, whether the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first circle around the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second circle around location data from the second source;

updating, with the one or more computing devices, the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time or if the location data from the second source of location data is not less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first predetermined radius centered around first coordinates of the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second predetermined radius centered around second coordinates of location data from the second source.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising persisting the current location data of the mobile device if the first predetermined radius is smaller than the second predetermined radius.

21. A system for determining a location of a mobile device from different sources of location data, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

storing current location data of a mobile device, wherein the current location data is associated with a first source of location data, a first accuracy indicator for the first source of location data;

obtaining location data from a second source of location data, wherein the location data from the second source is associated with a second accuracy indicator for the second source of location data;

determining whether the mobile device has moved based at least in part on whether the first accuracy indicator overlaps with the second accuracy indicator, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first circle around the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second circle around location data from the second source;

determining whether the location data from the second source of location data is less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source based at least in part on the first accuracy indicator and the second accuracy indicator; and

updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the mobile device has moved from the first time to the second time or if the location data from the second source of location data is not less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein determining whether the mobile device has moved based at least in part on whether the first accuracy indicator overlaps with the second accuracy indicator comprises:

determining whether the first circle overlaps with the second circle.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source comprises:

updating a timestamp associated with the current location data if it is determined that the mobile device has not moved and that the location data from the second source is less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source, wherein the updated timestamp is indicative of the second time.

24. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

obtaining current location data of a mobile device, wherein the current location data associated with a first source of location data, and a first accuracy indicator for the first source of location data;

storing the current location data associated with the first source;

obtaining location data from a second source of location data, wherein the location data from the second source is associated with a second accuracy indicator for the second source of location data;

determining whether the mobile device has moved based at least in part on whether the first circle overlaps with the second circle, wherein the first accuracy indicator comprises a first circle around the current location data associated with the first source and the second accuracy indicator comprises a second circle around location data from the second source; and

updating the current location data of the mobile device with the obtained location data from the second source if the mobile device has moved or if the location data from the second source of location data is not less accurate than the current location data associated with the first source.