POSITION INDICATION CONTROLS FOR DEVICE LOCATIONS

• US 20130131973A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kadous, Mohammed Waleed, Lookingbill, Andrew, Friedler, Sorelle Alaina
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to localizing mobile devices. In one example, a first location method associated with a first accuracy value may be used to estimate a location of the mobile device. A confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location is calculated. The confidence circle may be displayed on a mobile device. When other location methods become available, the size of the displayed confidence circle may be expanded based on information from an accelerometer of the client device or the accuracy of the other available location methods. This may be especially useful when the mobile device is transitioning between areas which are associated with different location methods that may be more or less accurate.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using, by a processor of a mobile device, a first location method associated with a first accuracy value to estimate a location of the mobile device;

calculating a confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location;

display the confidence circle on a display of the mobile device;

when a second location method associated with a second accuracy value less than the first accuracy value is available, increasing a size of the displayed confidence circle based on data from an accelerometer of the mobile device indicating that a step has been taken by a user associated with the mobile device; and

after a threshold period of time has passed since the second accuracy value became available, adjusting the size of the displayed confidence circle by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map;

wherein as the size of the displayed confidence confidence circle is increased based on the data from the accelerometer, the displayed location dot remains fixed relative to the map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map;

wherein as the size of the displayed confidence circle is adjusted by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value, the displayed location dot remains fixed relative to the map.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map; and

as the confidence circle is increased based on the data from the accelerometer, delaying re-displaying the location dot when the re-rendering would put the location dot in an invalid state relative to the map.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the invalid state is one or more of moving the location dot across a barrier without an associated exit or portal, within a wall or partition, and to another level in the absence of stairs, an elevator, or an escalator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map, the location dot being determined based on selecting a particle of a particle filter, the selected particle representing a relative location of the location dot to the map; and

removing the selected particle from consideration when the relative location of the selected particle would put the location dot in an invalid state relative to the map.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the invalid state is one or more of moving the location dot across a barrier without an associated exit or portal, within a wall or partition, and on another level or floor in the absence of stairs, an elevator, or an escalator.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map, the location dot being determined based on determining a mean location of the particles of the particle filter, the selected particle representing a relative location of the location dot to the map; and

removing the selected particle from consideration when the relative location of the selected particle would put the location dot in an invalid state relative to the map.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location method is an indoor location method using WiFi signals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location method is an outdoor location method using GPS signals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location method is a cellular tower based position.

17. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map;

wherein as the size of the displayed confidence confidence circle is increased based on the data from the accelerometer, the displayed location dot remains fixed relative to the map.

12. A method comprising:

using, by a processor of a mobile device, a first location method associated with a first accuracy value to estimate a location of the mobile device;

calculating a confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location;

display the confidence circle on a display of the mobile device;

when a second location method associated with a second accuracy value less than the first accuracy value is available, increasing a size of the displayed confidence circle based on data from an accelerometer of the mobile device indicating that a step has been taken by a user associated with the mobile device; and

when the second accuracy value becomes greater than the first accuracy value, adjusting the size of the displayed confidence circle by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map;

wherein as the size of the displayed confidence confidence circle is increased based on the data from the accelerometer, the displayed location dot remains fixed relative to the map.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map;

wherein as the size of the displayed confidence circle is adjusted by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value, the displayed location dot remains fixed relative to the map.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map; and

as the confidence circle is increased based on the data from the accelerometer, delaying re-displaying the location dot when the re-rendering would put the location dot in an invalid state relative to the map.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a display to providing information to a user of the mobile device;

a processor coupled to the display, the processor being configured to;

use a first location method associated with a first accuracy value to estimate a location of the mobile device;

calculate a confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location;

display, on the display, the confidence circle;

when a second location method associated with a second accuracy value less than the first accuracy value is available, increase a size of the displayed confidence circle based on data from an accelerometer of the mobile device indicating that a step has been taken by a user associated with the mobile device; and

after a threshold period of time has passed since the second accuracy value became available, adjust the size of the displayed confidence circle by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a location dot in the confidence circle relative to a map;

wherein as the size of the displayed confidence circle is adjusted by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value, the displayed location dot remains fixed relative to the map.

19. A mobile device comprising:

a display to providing information to a user of the mobile device;

a processor coupled to the display, the processor being configured to;

use a first location method associated with a first accuracy value to estimate a location of the mobile device;

calculate a confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location;

display, on the display, the confidence circle;

when a second location method associated with a second accuracy value less than the first accuracy value is available, increase a size of the displayed confidence circle based on data from an accelerometer of the mobile device indicating that a step has been taken by a user associated with the mobile device; and

when the second accuracy value becomes greater than the first accuracy value, adjust the size of the displayed confidence circle by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value.

20. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

using a first location method associated with a first accuracy value to estimate a location of the mobile device;

calculating a confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location;

display the confidence circle on a display of the mobile device;

when a second location method associated with a second accuracy value less than the first accuracy value is available, increasing a size of the displayed confidence circle based on data from an accelerometer of the mobile device indicating that a step has been taken by a user associated with the mobile device; and

after a threshold period of time has passed since the second accuracy value became available, adjusting the size of the displayed confidence circle by a fixed amount per second based on the second accuracy value.