Context Determination to Assist Location Determination Accuracy

• US 20110054787A1
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Piemonte, Patrick, Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald Keryuan
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

A location aware device includes a navigation system and one or more environment sensors. Sensor output(s) are aggregated and used to determine a context for the location aware device. Based on the determined context, context data is generated and provided to a navigation engine where it can be used to determine a navigation solution.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a location aware device, the method comprising:

receiving output from one or more sensors;

determining a motion class from the output of the one or more sensors;

generating context data based on the determined context; and

determining a navigation solution based on the context data.

2. The method of claim 1, where the sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope.

3. The method of claim 1, where generating a navigation solution comprises:

selecting one or more weights of a Kalman filter; and

generating the navigation solution using the Kalman filter.

4. The method of claim 1, where the context data indicates whether the location aware device is moving or turning.

5. The method of claim 4, where the context data is sent to a navigation engine incorporated in an integrated circuit chip.

6. The method of claim 5, where the navigation engine uses output of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

7. A location aware device, comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing changes in context of the location aware device; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, the processor configured for determining a motion class from one or more outputs of the one or more sensors;

generating context data based on the determined context; and

determining a navigation solution based on the context data.

8. The device of claim 7, where the one or more sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope.

9. The device of claim 7, where determining a navigation solution comprises:

selecting one or more weights of a Kalman filter; and

generating the navigation solution using the Kalman filter.

10. The device of claim 7, where the context data indicates whether the location aware device is moving or turning.

11. The device of claim 10, where the navigation solution is determined by a navigation engine incorporated in an integrated circuit chip.

12. The device of claim 11, where the navigation engine navigates uses output of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

13. A computer-implemented method performed by a location aware device, the method comprising:

receiving output from one or more sensors;

determining a motion class from the output of the one or more sensors;

generating context data based on the determined context; and

displaying a marker on a display of the location aware device, the marker indicating an estimated current location of the location aware device based on the context data.

14. The method of claim 13, where the sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope.

15. The method of claim 13, where the context data indicates whether the location aware device is moving or turning.

16. A computer-implemented method performed by a location aware device, the method comprising:

receiving output from one or more sensors;

determining a motion class from the output of the one or more sensors;

generating context data based on the determined context;

determining a navigation solution;

comparing the context data to the navigation solution; and

if the context data contradicts the navigation data, displaying a marker on a display of the location aware device, the marker indicating an estimated current location of the location aware device based on the context data.

17. The method of claim 16, where the sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope.

18. The method of claim 16, where the context data indicates whether the location aware device is moving or turning.

19. A location aware device, comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing changes in context of the location aware device; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, the processor configured for determining a motion class from one or more outputs of the one or more sensors;

generating context data based on the determined context;

determining a navigation solution;

comparing the context data to the navigation solution; and

if the context data contradicts the navigation solution, displaying a marker on a display of the location aware device, the marker indicating an estimated current location of the location aware device based on the context data.

20. The device of claim 19, where the sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope.

21. The device of claim 19, where the context data indicates whether the location aware device is moving or turning.

22. A location aware device, comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing changes in context of the location aware device; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, the processor configured for determining a motion class from one or more outputs of the one or more sensors;

generating context data based on the determined context; and

displaying a marker on a display of the location aware device, the marker indicating an estimated current location of the location aware device based on the context data.

23. The device of claim 22, where the sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope.

24. The device of claim 22, where the context data indicates whether the location aware device is moving or turning.