Probabilistic model for a positioning technique

• US 20070117568A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ekahau Oy
• Original Assignee: Ekahau Oy
• Inventors: Misikangas, Pauli, Myllymaki, Petri
• Application Number:
  US11/653,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/06 Means for increasing effective directivity, e.g. by combining signals having differently oriented directivity characteristics or by sharpening the envelope waveform of the signal derived from a rotating or oscillating beam antenna comparing amplitude of signals having differently oriented directivity characteristics to determine direction G01S3/16, G01S3/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02528 Simulating radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A model construction module for constructing a probabilistic model of a wireless environment in which a target device communicates using signals that have a measurable signal value, such as signal strength. The model construction module forms several submodels of the wireless environment. Each submodel indicates a probability distribution for signal values at one or more locations in the wireless environment. The module combines the submodels to a probabilistic model of the wireless environment, such that the probabilistic model indicates a probability distribution for signal values at several locations in the wireless environment. Alternatively, the model may insert new locations to a single model based on a combination of existing locations. The combination of submodels or existing locations includes combining the inverse cumulative distribution functions of the submodels or existing locations.

Claims

1. A model construction module for constructing a probabilistic model of a wireless environment in which a target device is operable to communicate using signals each of which has at least one measurable signal value;

the model construction module comprising;

a first software code portion for forming a plurality of submodels of the wireless environment, each submodel indicating a probability distribution for signal values at one or more locations in the wireless environment; and

for a second software code portion for combining the submodels to a probabilistic model of the wireless environment, the probabilistic model indicating a probability distribution for signal values at several locations in the wireless environment.

2. A model construction module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one measurable signal value comprises bit error rate or ratio.

3. A model construction module according to claim 1, further comprising means for combining weighted probability distributions of the submodels.

4. A model construction module for constructing a probabilistic model of a wireless environment in which a target device is operable to communicate using signals each of which has at least one measurable signal value;

the model construction module comprising;

a first software code portion for forming probabilistic model of the wireless environment, the probabilistic model indicating a probability distribution for signal values at several locations in the wireless environment;

a second software code portion for inserting into the probabilistic model a probability distribution for a new location, wherein the inserting step comprises combining probability distributions for existing locations.

5. A model construction module according claim 4, wherein the at least one measurable signal value comprises bit error rate or ratio.