METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED LEARNING OF PARAMETERS OF A FINGERPRINT PREDICTION MAP MODEL

• US 20120182144A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Richardson, Thomas, Jovicic, Aleksandar, Measson, Cyril
• Granted Patent: US 8,692,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02526 using non-dedicated equipment, e.g. user equipment or crowd-sourcing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In accordance with various embodiments, mobile wireless devices which use prediction maps, e.g., RF prediction maps, to determine their location also contribute to the updating and distribution of parameters relating to prediction map generation. After a device determines its location, it uses the signal measurements used in determining the device'"'"'s location to determine updated parameters which can be used in generating signal prediction maps in the future. The generated parameters are then transmitted to another device for use in generating prediction maps and/or distribution to other devices. In this manner parameters corresponding to a particular location can be updated and distributed without the need for a survey team and/or dedicated equipment. The devices using the prediction map become the devices which also aid in the updating of the parameters used to facilitate generation of a prediction map at some future time. In some embodiments, statistical information corresponding to the updated parameters is also generated and communicated.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile wireless device, comprising:

measuring signal characteristics of received signals;

determining a position of the mobile wireless device based on the measured signal characteristics;

adjusting at least one of;

(i) a prediction parameter which can be used in generating a prediction map, (ii) statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) a distribution of a prediction parameter, based on one or more of the measured signal characteristics and the determined position of the mobile wireless device; and

transmitting a prediction parameter update signal including at least one of;

(i) the adjusted prediction parameter, (ii) adjusted statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) the adjusted distribution of a prediction parameter, to another mobile wireless device or a network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said prediction parameter which is adjusted is a prediction parameter which was used in determining the position of the mobile wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a prediction parameter update signal; and

generating a first prediction map using parameter information included in said prediction parameter update signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the received prediction parameter update signal is from another mobile wireless device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the received prediction parameter update signal includes parameter update information generated by multiple different mobile wireless devices and is from a network device which aggregated the parameter update information from said multiple different mobile wireless devices.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said first prediction map is generated prior to performing said step of determining a position of the mobile wireless device, said step of determining the position of the mobile wireless device including:

using the generated first prediction map and said measured signal characteristics to determine the position of the mobile wireless device.

7. A mobile wireless device, comprising:

means for measuring signal characteristics of received signals;

means for determining a position of the mobile wireless device based on the measured signal characteristics;

means for adjusting at least one of;

(i) a prediction parameter which can be used in generating a prediction map, (ii) statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) a distribution of a prediction parameter, based on one or more of the measured signal characteristics and the determined position of the mobile wireless device; and

means for transmitting a prediction parameter update signal including at least one of;

(i) the adjusted prediction parameter, (ii) adjusted statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) the adjusted distribution of a prediction parameter, to another mobile wireless device or a network device.

8. The mobile wireless device of claim 7, wherein said prediction parameter which is adjusted is a prediction parameter which was used in determining the position of the mobile wireless device.

9. The mobile wireless device of claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving a prediction parameter update signal; and

means for generating a first prediction map using parameter information included in said prediction parameter update signal.

10. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the received prediction parameter update signal is from another mobile wireless device.

11. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the received prediction parameter update signal includes parameter update information generated by multiple different mobile wireless devices and is from a network device which aggregated the parameter update information from said multiple different mobile wireless devices.

12. The mobile wireless device of claim 9,

wherein said means for generating a first prediction map generates said first prediction map prior to said means for determining a position of the mobile device determining a position of the mobile wireless device, and

wherein said means for determining the position of the mobile wireless device includes means for using the generated first prediction map and said measured signal characteristics to determine the position of the mobile wireless device.

13. A computer program product for use in a mobile wireless device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to measure signal characteristics of received signals;

code for causing said at least one computer to determine a position of the mobile wireless device based on the measured signal characteristics;

code for causing said at least one computer to adjust at least one of;

(i) a prediction parameter which can be used in generating a prediction map, (ii) statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) a distribution of a prediction parameter, based on one or more of the measured signal characteristics and the determined position of the mobile wireless device; and

code for causing said at least one computer to transmit a prediction parameter update signal including at least one of;

(i) the adjusted prediction parameter, (ii) adjusted statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) the adjusted distribution of a prediction parameter, to another mobile wireless device or a network device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said prediction parameter which is adjusted is a prediction parameter which was used in determining the position of the mobile wireless device.

15. A mobile wireless device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

measure signal characteristics of received signals;

determine a position of the mobile wireless device based on the measured signal characteristics;

adjust at least one of;

(i) a prediction parameter which can be used in generating a prediction map, (ii) statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) a distribution of a prediction parameter, based on one or more of the measured signal characteristics and the determined position of the mobile wireless device; and

transmit a prediction parameter update signal including at least one of;

(i) the adjusted prediction parameter, (ii) adjusted statistics of a prediction parameter, or (iii) the adjusted distribution of a prediction parameter, to another mobile wireless device or a network device; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

16. The mobile wireless device of claim 15, wherein said prediction parameter which is adjusted is a prediction parameter which was used in determining the position of the mobile wireless device.

17. The mobile wireless device of claim 15, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a prediction parameter update signal; and

generate a first prediction map using parameter information included in said prediction parameter update signal.

18. The mobile wireless device of claim 17, wherein the received prediction parameter update signal is from another mobile wireless device.

19. The mobile wireless device of claim 17, wherein the received prediction parameter update signal includes parameter update information generated by multiple different mobile wireless devices and is from a network device which aggregated the parameter update information from said multiple different mobile wireless devices.

20. The mobile wireless device of claim 17,

wherein said at least one processor is further configured to generate said first prediction map prior to determining a position of the mobile wireless device;

and wherein said at least one processor is configured to use the generated first prediction map and said measured signal characteristics to determine the position of the mobile wireless device, as part of being configured to determine the position of the mobile wireless device.