PROVIDING INDOOR LOCATION, POSITION, OR TRACKING OF A MOBILE COMPUTER USING A ROOM DIMENSION

• US 20130178227A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: HJ Laboratories, LLC
• Inventors: Vartanian, Harry, Jurikson-Rhodes, Jaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/465 by Trilateration, i.e. two transducers determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the transducers, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/907 : Coordinate determination

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing indoor location, position, or tracking of a mobile computer using range finding measurements. A dimension of a building is determined based on a range finding measurement. The dimension is used to determine the location of the mobile computer in the building.

Claims

1. A mobile computer comprising:

circuitry configured to perform at least one range measurement to a surface to determine when the mobile computer is in a building;

circuitry configured to determine at least one dimension of the building based on the at least one range measurement to the surface;

circuitry configured to send, over a wireless network, the at least one dimension to a server; and

circuitry configured to receive, from the server over the wireless network, location information that indicates where the mobile computer is located in the building.

2. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the at least one range measurement is based on at least one of an ultrasound signal, light signal, a near visible light signal, or a laser signal transmitted or received by the mobile computer.

3. The mobile computer of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry configured to send global positioning system (GPS) or cellular triangulation assistance information to the server, wherein the location information is determined based on the GPS or cellular triangulation assistance information.

4. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the location information is used to determine a user context for an application on the mobile computer.

5. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the circuitry configured to perform the at least one range measurement to the surface is in an add-on device or attachment device of the mobile computer.

6. The mobile computer of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry configured to determine momentum information of the mobile computer, wherein the momentum information is used to track the mobile computer in the building.

7. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the circuitry configured to perform the at least one range measurement is a speaker and a microphone on the mobile computer.

8. The mobile computer of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry configured to determine environmental information, wherein the environmental information is sent to the server to determine the location information.

9. The mobile computer of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry configured to generate an image of the surface, wherein the image is sent to the server to determine the location information.

10. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein a determined outdoor location or Wi-Fi information is used to determine the location information.

11. A method performed by a mobile computer, the method comprising:

performing, by the mobile computer, at least one range measurement to a surface to determine when the mobile computer is in a building;

determining, by the mobile computer, at least one dimension of the building based on the at least one range measurement to the surface;

sending, by the mobile computer over a wireless network, the at least one dimension to a server; and

receiving, by the mobile computer from the server over the wireless network, location information indicating where the mobile computer is located in the building.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one range measurement is based on at least one of an ultrasound signal, light signal, a near visible light signal, or a laser signal transmitted or received by the mobile computer.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

sending, by the mobile computer, global positioning system (GPS) or cellular triangulation assistance information to the server, wherein the location information is determined based on the GPS or cellular triangulation assistance information.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the performing the at least one range measurement to the surface is by an add-on device or attachment device of the mobile computer.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining momentum information of the mobile computer, wherein the momentum information is used to track the mobile computer in the building.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the performing the at least one range measurement is performed by a speaker and a microphone on the mobile computer.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining, by the mobile computer, environmental information, wherein the environmental information is sent to the server to determine the location information.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating, by the mobile computer, an image of the surface, wherein the image is sent to the server to determine the location information.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein a determined outdoor location or Wi-Fi information is used to determine the location information.

20. A device in a network, the device comprising:

circuitry configured to receive, over a wireless network, at least one dimension of a building, wherein at least one range measurement is performed by a mobile computer in the building to determine the at least one dimension; and

circuitry configured to send, to the mobile computer over the wireless network, location information that indicates where the mobile computer is located in the building.