Identifying locations within a building using a mobile device

• US 20120105202A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gits, Peter Michael, Seavey, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes displaying on a mobile device, a real time view of a user'"'"'s environment within a building, communicating wirelessly in the building with a location tracking system operable to identify a location of the mobile device relative to one or more elements in the real time view, and displaying a computer generated overlay on the real time view, the overlay including location information associated with the elements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying on a mobile device, a real time view of a user'"'"'s environment within a building;

communicating wirelessly in the building with a location tracking system operable to identify a location of the mobile device relative to one or more elements in said real time view; and

displaying a computer generated overlay on said real time view, said overlay comprising location information associated with said one or more elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location tracking system comprises at least one access point.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the mobile device is identified using Wi-Fi technology.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of said one or more elements is stored in a network device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more elements comprises conference rooms.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said location information comprises identification of people within one of the conference rooms.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more elements comprises equipment and said location information comprises information associated with the equipment.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is rotated from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position, and said computer generated overlay changes to a graphical image indicating a location of said one or more elements.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a location identifier for indicating a location of a mobile device relative to one or more elements in a building based on information received from a local location tracking system;

memory for storing the location of the mobile device and location information for said one or more elements; and

a processor for generating a real time image and an overlay comprising said location information and transmitting said real time image and said overlay to a display on the mobile device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the location identifier is configured to receive location information obtained utilizing Wi-Fi technology.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said one or more elements comprises conference rooms.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said location information comprises identification of people within one of the conference rooms.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said one or more elements comprises equipment and said location information comprises information associated with the equipment.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a position sensor operable to sense rotation of the mobile device from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position, and wherein said processor is operable to change said overlay to a graphical image providing directions to said one or more elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the location tracking system comprises one or more access points.

16. Logic encoded on one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

display on a mobile device, a real time view of a user'"'"'s environment within a building;

communicate wirelessly in the building with a location tracking system operable to identify a location of the mobile device relative to one or more elements in said real time view; and

display a computer generated overlay on said real time view, said overlay comprising location information associated with said one or more elements.

17. The logic of claim 16 wherein the location tracking system comprises at least one access point.

18. The logic of claim 16 wherein said one or more elements comprises conference rooms.

19. The logic of claim 16 wherein the logic is further operable to change the computer generated overlay when the mobile device is rotated from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position.

20. The logic of claim 16 wherein the location information comprises a distance between the mobile device and said one or more elements, said distance identified utilizing Wi-Fi technology.