APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATED POSITIONING

• US 20120203451A1
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Eung Sun, PARK, Do Hyung, KIM, Ki Ho, CHEONG, Yoon Chae
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method associated with a location based service, and an apparatus for integrated positioning that may sense positioning-associated information that is in proximity to a user. The apparatus may hierarchically classify the sensed positioning-associated information into multiple categories of accuracy based on a predetermined criterion, and estimate the location of the user in order of low accuracy information to more precise accuracy information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for integrated positioning, the apparatus comprising:

a positioning information sensing unit configured to sense positioning-associated information that is in proximity to a user;

a classification unit configured to classify the sensed positioning-associated information into low accuracy information, medium accuracy information, and precise accuracy information, based on a predetermined criterion; and

a location estimating unit configured to estimate the location of the user in order of the low accuracy information, the medium accuracy information, and the precise accuracy information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low accuracy information provides a location accuracy of an X meter radius, the medium accuracy information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Y meter radius, the precise accuracy information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Z meter radius, and a value of X is greater than a value of Y, and the value of Y is greater than a value of Z.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location estimating unit is configured to estimate a first location of the user based on the low accuracy information, estimate a second location of the user based on the medium accuracy information within an area of the low accuracy information, and estimate a third location of the user based on the precise accuracy information within an area of the medium accuracy information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the location estimating unit comprises:

an accuracy calculator configured to calculate an accuracy of the estimated third location of the user; and

a cooperative positioning determining unit configured to determine whether a cooperative positioning is to be performed with a relative positioning device, based on the calculated accuracy.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooperative positioning determining unit is configured to determine whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when an average interval of the calculated accuracy is at least Z meters.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooperative positioning determining unit is configured to determine whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when a predetermined target is located within a relative region of the relative positioning device.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooperative positioning determining unit is configured to determine to perform the cooperative positioning based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information, by continuously activating the relative positioning device.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the relative positioning device is configured to measure a movement direction and a movement distance of a terminal using an inertial sensor of the terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the relative positioning device is configured to measure a relative distance and direction from a terminal to a predetermined target.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooperative positioning performing unit configured to estimate the location of the user based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information measured from a relative positioning device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning-associated information comprises map information indicating a location of an access point (AP) used for measuring the location of the user or a location of a sensor for sensing a radio frequency (RF) signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning-associated information comprises geomagnetic-associated map information indicating geomagnetic-associated information of a building where the user is located.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a location updating unit configured to update a location of a user in motion, based on the positioning-associated information within a predetermined discovery range centered on the estimated location of the user, in response to an estimation of the location of the user.

14. A method for integrated positioning, the method comprising:

sensing positioning-associated information that is in proximity to a user;

classifying the sensed positioning-associated information into low accuracy information, medium accuracy information, and precise accuracy information based on a predetermined criterion; and

estimating the location of the user in order of the low accuracy information, the medium accuracy information, and the precise accuracy information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the low accuracy information provides a location accuracy of an average of an X meter radius, the medium accuracy information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Y meter radius, the precise accuracy information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Z meter radius, and a value of X is greater than a value of Y, and the value of Y is greater than a value of Z.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the estimating comprises estimating a first location of the user based on the low accuracy information, estimating a second location of the user based on the medium accuracy information within an area of the low accuracy information, and estimating a third location of the user based on the precise accuracy information within an area of the medium accuracy information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the estimating comprises:

calculating an accuracy of the estimated third location of the user; and

determining whether a cooperative positioning is to be performed with a relative positioning device based on the calculated accuracy.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises determining whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when an average interval of the calculated accuracy is at least Y meters.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises determining whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when a predetermined target is located within a relative region of the relative positioning device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining comprises determining to perform the cooperative positioning based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information, by continuously activating the relative positioning device.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

estimating the location of the user based on the precise accuracy information and relative location information measured from the relative positioning device.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

updating a location of a user in motion, based on the positioning-associated information within a predetermined discovery range centered on the estimated location of the user, in response to an estimation of the location of the user.

23. An apparatus for integrated positioning, the apparatus comprising:

a positioning information sensing unit configured to sense positioning-associated information that is in proximity to a user;

a classification unit configured to classify the sensed positioning-associated information into a plurality of accuracy information based on a predetermined criterion; and

a location estimating unit configured to estimate the location of the user based on the plurality of accuracy information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the location estimating unit is further configured to estimate the location of the user based on increasing accuracy of the plurality of accuracy information.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein plurality of accuracy information includes a first accuracy information and a second accuracy information having a different accuracy than the first accuracy information.