Apparatus and Method for Constructing and Utilizing a Beacon Location Database

• US 20110068981A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teecom
• Original Assignee: TEECOM Design Group, Co.
• Inventors: SERRIERE, ALEXANDER JAMES, MARKS, DAVID ALLEN
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/04 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A method to support client device position discovery within a building includes ascribing building position coordinates to beacons within the building. The building position coordinates are converted to physical position coordinates. The physical position coordinates are augmented with at least one additional parameter that supports position resolution. A client device communicates with accessed beacons positioned within the building. A beacon location database characterizing the physical locations of the accessed beacons is also accessed. The physical location of the client device is computed based upon the physical locations of the accessed beacons.

Claims

1. A method of identifying the physical location of a client device within a building, comprising:

communicating with accessed beacons positioned within the building;

accessing a beacon location database characterizing the physical locations of the accessed beacons;

computing the physical location of the client device based upon the physical locations of the accessed beacons.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising computing the physical location of the client device based upon the physical locations of the accessed beacons and an additional parameter.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the additional parameter is selected from a beacon manufacturer, a beacon model number, a beacon antenna design parameter, and a beacon power output parameter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the physical location of the client device based upon the physical locations of the accessed beacons includes performing a trilateration computation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the physical location of the client device based upon the physical locations of the accessed beacons includes performing a free space path loss computation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the physical location of the client device based upon the physical locations of the accessed beacons includes performing a link budget computation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating, accessing and computing is performed by the client device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein computing is performed by a server.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising storing client device location information at the server.

10. A method of populating a Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool to include beacon location information that supports client device position discovery within a building, comprising:

ascribing building position coordinates to beacons within the building;

converting the building position coordinates to physical position coordinates; and

augmenting the physical position coordinates with at least one additional parameter that supports position resolution.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein converting includes utilizing polar vectors.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein converting includes ascribing Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to beacons within the building.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one additional parameter is selected from a beacon manufacturer, a beacon model number, a beacon antenna design parameter, and a beacon power output parameter.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising delivering the physical position coordinates and at least one additional parameter to a client device within the building.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising computing at a server a client device position within the building.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising storing client device location information at the server.

17. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

ascribe building position coordinates to beacons within a building;

convert the building position coordinates to physical position coordinates;

augment the physical position coordinates with at least one additional parameter that supports position resolution; and

deliver the physical position coordinates and at least one additional parameter to a client device within the building.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the at least one additional parameter is selected from a beacon manufacturer, a beacon model number, a beacon antenna design parameter, and a beacon power output parameter.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the executable instructions to convert include executable instructions to utilize polar vectors.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the executable instructions to convert include executable instructions to ascribe Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to beacons within the building.