ACTIVATING AND DEACTIVATING SENSORS FOR DEAD RECKONING

• US 20130018581A1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sidhu, Gursharan S., Agarwal, Sharad
• Granted Patent: US 9,470,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/469
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/188 for accumulated errors, e.g. by coupling inertial systems with absolute positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An identification is made as to when a device is at an anchor location, which can be a proximity zone along an edge of a dead zone or a location where a signal from a beacon is detected. In response to the device being at the anchor location, one or more inertial sensors can be activated and data from the one or more inertial sensors collected to determine a position of the device using dead reckoning. Alternatively, in response to the device being at the anchor location, a determination is made as to when to deactivate one or more inertial sensors from which data is collected to determine the position of the device using dead reckoning.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, in a device, that the device is at an anchor location;

activating, in response to the device being at the anchor location, one or more inertial sensors; and

collecting data from the one or more inertial sensors to determine a position of the device using dead reckoning.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, the anchor location comprising a proximity zone along an edge of a dead zone.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, the anchor location comprising a location where a signal from a beacon is detected.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, the one or more inertial sensors being included as part of the device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising deactivating the one or more inertial sensors in response to the dead reckoning not providing an acceptable estimated accuracy of the position of the device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising deactivating the one or more inertial sensors in response to both the device no longer being at the anchor location and a global navigation satellite system of the device providing an acceptable estimated accuracy of the position of the device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising deactivating the one or more inertial sensors a threshold amount of time after determining that the device is no longer within a dead zone.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising deactivating the one or more inertial sensors, then again activating the one or more inertial sensors in response to receiving a signal from a beacon.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, the beacon comprising a beacon in a dead zone.

10. A method comprising:

identifying, in a device, that the device is at an anchor location; and

determining, based at least in part on the device being at the anchor location, when to deactivate one or more inertial sensors from which data is collected to determine the position of the device using dead reckoning.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, the anchor location comprising a proximity zone along an edge of a dead zone.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, the anchor location comprising a location where a signal from a beacon is detected.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, the one or more inertial sensors being included as part of the device.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, each of the one or more inertial sensors detecting movement and/or direction of the device.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, the determining comprising determining to deactivate the one or more inertial sensors in response to the dead reckoning not providing an acceptable estimated accuracy of the position of the device.

16. A method as recited in claim 10, the determining comprising determining to deactivate the one or more inertial sensors in response to both the device no longer being at the anchor location and a global navigation satellite system of the device providing an acceptable estimated accuracy of the position of the device.

17. A method as recited in claim 10, the determining comprising determining to deactivate the one or more inertial sensors a threshold amount of time after determining that the device is no longer within a dead zone.

18. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising activating the one or more inertial sensors in response to receiving a signal from a beacon.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, the beacon comprising a beacon in a dead zone.

20. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to:

identify, in the device, that the device is at a first anchor location, the first anchor location being a proximity zone along an edge of a dead zone or a location where a signal from a beacon is detected;

activate, in response to the device being at the first anchor location, one or more inertial sensors;

collect data from the one or more inertial sensors to determine a position of the device using dead reckoning;

identify, in the device, when the device is at a second anchor location, the second anchor location being a proximity zone along an edge of a dead zone or a location where a signal from a beacon is detected; and

determine, based at least in part on whether the device is at the second anchor location, when to deactivate one or more inertial sensors.