METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR FACILITATING LOCATION DISCOVERY

• US 20100127887A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: NOKIA CORPORATION AND MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
• Inventors: Hicks, Jamey, Teller, Seth J., Battat, Jonathan, Charrow, Benjamin, Curtis, Dorothy W., Ledlie, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,581,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to permit location discovery, including location discovery in indoor settings. The method may identify a wireless signature present at a geographical location and determine whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature associated with the predefined geographical location. In instances in which the wireless signature fails to correspond to a previously observed wireless signature, the method may also receive an identification of a geographical location and associate, such as by means of a processor, the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a wireless signature present at a geographical location;

determining whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location;

receiving an identification of the geographical location when the wireless signature fails to correspond to a previously observed wireless signature; and

associating, with a processor, the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising requesting the identification of the geographical location when the wireless signature fails to correspond to any previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location, and wherein receiving the identification of the geographical location is responsive to requesting the identification of the geographical location.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising requesting the identification of the geographical location at predefined time intervals, and wherein receiving the identification of the geographical location is responsive to requesting the identification of the geographical location.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the identification of the geographical location comprises receiving a definition of a time interval during which the identification of the geographical location is valid.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising updating a local memory when the wireless signature identifies a wireless signal source that is different than the wireless signal sources identified by the previously observed wireless signatures stored by the local memory.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising updating a local memory with one or more previously observed wireless signatures associated with respective predefined geographical locations within a predetermined distance of an estimated location.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing an association of the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location to a database accessible by at least one mobile device.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising also providing any predefined geographical location associated with a previously observed wireless signature that corresponds to the wireless signature.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature comprises determining whether the wireless signature matches a previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein determining whether the wireless signature matches a previously observed wireless signature comprises determining whether a confidence level associated with a potential match satisfies a predefined threshold.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein each previously observed wireless signature has a respective expiration date, and wherein determining whether the wireless signature matches a previously observed wireless signature comprises determining whether the wireless signature matches a previously observed wireless signature that remains valid relative to the respective expiration date.

12. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

identify a wireless signature present at a geographical location;

determine whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location;

receive an identification of the geographical location when the wireless signature fails to correspond to a previously observed wireless signature; and

associate the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to request the identification of the geographical location when the wireless signature fails to correspond to any previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the identification of the geographical location in response to requesting the identification of the geographical location.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to request the identification of the geographical location at predefined time intervals, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive the identification of the geographical location in response to requesting the identification of the geographical location.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to receive the identification of the geographical location in conjunction with a definition of a time interval during which the identification of the geographical location is valid.

16. An apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a local memory configured to store one or more previously observed wireless signatures associated with respective predefined geographical locations, wherein the processor is further configured to update the local memory when the wireless signature identifies a wireless signal source that is different than the wireless signal sources identified by the previously observed wireless signatures stored by the local memory.

17. An apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a local memory configured to store one or more previously observed wireless signatures associated with respective predefined geographical locations, wherein the processor is further configured to updating the local memory with one or more previously observed wireless signatures associated with respective predefined geographical locations within a predetermined distance of an estimated location.

18. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the processor is also configured to provide an association of the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location to a database accessible by at least one mobile device.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program instructions comprising:

a program instruction configured to identify a wireless signature present at a geographical location;

a program instruction configured to determine whether the wireless signature corresponds to a previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location;

a program instruction configured to receive an identification of the geographical location when the wireless signature fails to correspond to a previously observed wireless signature; and

a program instruction configured to associate the wireless signature with the identification of the geographical location.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19 further comprising a program instruction configured to request the identification of the geographical location when the wireless signature fails to correspond to any previously observed wireless signature associated with a predefined geographical location.