Method and system for mobile device localization using barometric fingerprint

• US 10,352,708 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2018
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mapsted Corp.
• Original Assignee: Mapsted Corp.
• Inventors: Huberman, Sean, Chen, Naiyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Harry K
• Application Number:
  US16/029,687
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 34235721
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude

Abstract

A method and system of localizing a mobile device having a processor and a memory. The method comprises monitoring, using the processor and the memory, mobile device barometric data along a sequence of positions describing a route being traversed, accessing, using the processor, a repository of barometric fingerprint data associated with respective positions along the route, and using the processor, localizing the mobile device based at least in part on matching a mobile device barometric pattern segment with a correlating pattern segment of the barometric fingerprint data of the repository, the mobile device barometric pattern segment derived at least partly based on ambient barometric pressure measurements associated with at least a pair of contiguous positions in the sequence of positions describing the route.

Claims

1. A method for localizing a mobile device having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

monitoring, using the processor and the memory, mobile device barometric data along a sequence of positions describing a route being traversed;

accessing, using the processor, a repository of barometric fingerprint data associated with respective positions including the route, the repository being stored at one of,

a server computing device communicatively accessible to mobile device; and

the memory of the mobile device, wherein the repository is derived from the server computing device; and

using the processor, localizing the mobile device based at least in part on matching a mobile device barometric pattern segment with a correlating pattern segment of the barometric fingerprint data of the repository, the mobile device barometric pattern segment derived at least partly based on ambient barometric pressure measurements associated with at least a pair of contiguous positions in the sequence of positions describing the route, and wherein the mobile device barometric pattern segment uniquely correlates to the at least a pair of contiguous positions in the sequence of positions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a floor number of a multi-floor building that at least partially includes the route, and wherein the barometric pattern segment is associated with the floor number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the localizing comprises, based on the matching, identifying a position of the mobile device among the associated positions along the route.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the matching, algorithmically smoothing the mobile device barometric data of the barometric pattern segment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is one of a smartphone, a wireless communication device and a wearable computing device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the repository is one of accessible in the memory and accessible from a server computing device via a wireless communication network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the route being traversed comprises at least one of a hallway, a corridor, a pedestrian path, a set of stairs and a route commencing from at least an entrance of a building.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the repository further includes at least one of wireless signal strength data, wireless connectivity data, accelerometer data, gyroscope data, magnetometer data and ambient lighting sensor data associated with the respective positions along the route.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding the mobile device barometric data to the barometric fingerprint data of the repository.

10. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a set of instructions, the instructions executable in the processor to;

monitor, using the processor and the memory, mobile device barometric data along a sequence of positions describing a route being traversed;

access, using the processor, a repository of barometric fingerprint data associated with respective positions including the route, the repository being stored at one of,

a server computing device communicatively accessible to mobile device; and

the memory of the mobile device, wherein the repository is derived from the server computing device; and

using the processor, localize the mobile device based at least in part on matching a mobile device barometric pattern segment with a correlating pattern segment of the barometric fingerprint data of the repository, the mobile device barometric pattern segment derived at least partly based on ambient barometric pressure measurements associated with at least a pair of contiguous positions in the sequence of positions describing the route, and wherein the mobile device barometric pattern segment uniquely correlates to the at least a pair of contiguous positions in the sequence of positions.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 further comprising identifying a floor number of a multi-floor building that at least partially includes the route, and wherein the barometric pattern segment is associated with the floor number.

12. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the localizing comprises, based on the matching, identifying a position of the mobile device among the associated positions along the route.

13. The mobile device of claim 10 further comprising, prior to the matching, algorithmically smoothing the mobile device barometric data of the barometric pattern segment.

14. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the mobile device is one of a smartphone, a wireless communication device and a wearable computing device.

15. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the repository is one of accessible in the memory and accessible from a server computing device via a wireless communication network.

16. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the route being traversed comprises at least one of a hallway, a corridor, a pedestrian path, a set of stairs and a route commencing from at least an entrance of a building.

17. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the repository further includes at least one of wireless signal strength data, wireless connectivity data, accelerometer data, gyroscope data, magnetometer data and ambient lighting sensor data associated with the positions along the route.

18. The mobile device of claim 10 further comprising adding the mobile device barometric data to the barometric fingerprint data of the repository.