METHOD FOR ENHANCING LOCATION IDENTITY THROUGH INCORPORATION OF SHORTER-RANGE COMMUNICATION AND SENSING (NEARLOCATE)

• US 20120052884A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NearVerse, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NearVerse, Inc.
• Inventors: Bogatin, Boris
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0249 Determining position using measurements made by a non-stationary device other than the device whose position is being determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A method of determining location of a mobile device including estimating an absolute location using long range communication estimates, estimating a relative location based on shorter-range communications, receiving location information from a plurality of peer entities, and refining the absolute location and based on the received location information.

Claims

1. A method of determining location of a mobile device comprising:

estimating an absolute location using long range communication estimates;

estimating a relative location based on shorter-range communications;

receiving location information from a plurality of peer entities; and

refining the absolute location and based on the received location information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning a precision factor to the location information received from each of the plurality of peer entities.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning a weight to the location information based on the precision factor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising enhancing the absolute location estimate using sensing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is forwarded to a social networking site.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting the relative location information into likelihood representations of implied physical relationships.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating an expected value and rage for potential deviation for peer devices.

8. A method for reverse trilateration comprising:

receiving absolute and relative location estimates from a plurality of peer entities;

correlating the received absolute and relative location estimates to generate a refined absolute location estimate;

receiving refined absolute location estimates from the plurality of peer entities; and

trilaterating the received absolute location estimates along with the generated absolute location estimates to determine a location of a network point.