MASHUP OF AP LOCATION AND MAP INFORMATION FOR WIFI BASED INDOOR POSITIONING

• US 20130257657A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garin, Lionel Jacques, Raman, Sundar
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/005 Map projections or methods associated specifically therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

An apparatus and method for merging a disjoint pair of maps comprising a digital building map that includes a floor plan and an access point (AP) map that includes identifiers for a plurality of access points is presented. In some embodiments, a first trajectory plot, of a mobile device, relative to the AP map, is received and a plurality of hypotheses is set, where each hypothesis defines a unique translation between the AP map and the building map. A plurality of costs may be computed for the first trajectory, where each cost of the first trajectory corresponds to a distinct hypothesis in the plurality of hypotheses. The hypothesis where the first trajectory has the lowest cost relative to the other hypotheses may be selected.

Claims

1. A processor implemented method for merging disjoint maps, the method comprising:

receiving a digital file comprising a pathway map;

receiving a transmitter map comprising identifiers for a plurality of transmitters;

receiving a first trajectory plot, of a mobile device, relative to the transmitter map;

setting a plurality of hypotheses each defining a unique translation between the transmitter map and the pathway map;

computing, in the processor, a plurality of costs, wherein each cost of the plurality of costs comprises a cost of the first trajectory plot through the pathway map based on a respective one of the plurality of hypotheses; and

selecting one hypothesis from the plurality of hypotheses, based on a minimum of the plurality of costs.

2. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pathway map comprises a building map comprising a floor plan.

3. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter map comprises an access point (AP) map, and wherein the plurality of transmitters comprises identifiers for a plurality of access points.

4. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein a source of the transmitter map is independent from a source of the pathway map.

5. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source of the pathway map comprises a source related to a venue operator.

6. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source of the pathway map comprises a source without knowledge of locations of the plurality of transmitters.

7. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pathway map further comprises a geo-location anchoring at least one point of the pathway map to the geo-location.

8. The processor implemented method of claim 1, further comprising quantizing the pathway map to a set of discrete nodes.

9. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter map comprises an RSSI (received signal strength indication) map.

10. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter map comprises an RTT (round-trip time) map.

11. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter map further comprises a geo-location anchoring at least one of the plurality of transmitters to the geo-location.

12. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter map comprises a SLAP (self-locating access points) set of devices.

13. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of access transmitter comprises at least part of a managed network.

14. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unique translation between the transmitter map and the pathway map comprises a relative rotation between the map and the pathway map.

15. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unique translation between the transmitter map and the pathway map comprises a relative scaling between the map and the pathway map.

16. The processor implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a plurality of trajectory plots relative to the transmitter map.

17. The processor implemented method of claim 11, wherein the cost of the first trajectory plot through the pathway map based on the respective one of the plurality of hypotheses comprises a cost of the first of trajectory plots through the set of discrete nodes based on the respective one of the plurality of hypotheses.

18. The processor implemented method of claim 1, further comprising applying the one hypothesis selected as a best fit of the trajectory plot and the pathway map to form a merged map.

19. The processor implemented method of claim 1, further comprising producing a merged map based on the one hypothesis selected, the transmitter map and the pathway map.

20. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein

the pathway map further comprises a first geo-location anchoring at least one point of the pathway map to the first geo-location, wherein the first geo-location has a first uncertainty;

the transmitter map further comprises a second geo-location anchoring at least one of the plurality of access points to the second geo-location, wherein the second geo-location has a second uncertainty; and

the merged map comprises a third uncertainty less than the first uncertainty plus the second uncertainty.

21. The processor implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented on at least one of:

a computing device;

or

a mobile device;

or

an access point;

or

an intelligent access point.

22. A mobile device for merging disjointed maps, the device comprising:

means for receiving a digital file comprising a route map;

means for receiving a transmitter map comprising identifiers for a plurality of transmitters;

means for receiving a first trajectory plot, of a mobile device, relative to the transmitter map;

means for setting a plurality of hypotheses each defining a unique translation between the transmitter map and the route map;

means for computing a plurality of costs, wherein each cost of the plurality of costs comprises a cost of the first trajectory plot through the route map based on a respective one of the plurality of hypotheses; and

means for selecting one hypothesis from the plurality of hypotheses, based on a minimum of the plurality of costs.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein a source of the transmitter map is independent from a source of the route map.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising quantizing the route map to a set of discrete nodes.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the transmitter map comprises an RSSI (received signal strength indication) map.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein the transmitter map comprises an RTT (round-trip time) map.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein the unique translation between the transmitter map and the route map comprises a relative rotation between the map and the route map.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the unique translation between the transmitter map and the route map comprises a relative scaling between the map and the route map.

29. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for receiving a plurality of trajectory plots relative to the transmitter map.

30. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for applying the one hypothesis selected as a best fit of the trajectory plot and the route map to form a merged map.

31. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for producing a merged map based on the one hypothesis selected, the transmitter map and the route map.

32. A device comprising a processor and a memory for merging disjointed maps, wherein the memory includes software instructions for:

receiving a digital file comprising a route map;

receiving transmitter map comprising identifiers for a plurality of transmitters;

receiving a first trajectory plot, of a mobile device, relative to the transmitter map;

setting a plurality of hypotheses each defining a unique translation between the transmitter map and the route map;

computing a plurality of costs, wherein each cost of the plurality of costs comprises a cost of the first trajectory plot through the route map based on a respective one of the plurality of hypotheses; and

selecting one hypothesis from the plurality of hypotheses, based on a minimum of the plurality of costs.

33. The device of claim 32, further comprising applying the one hypothesis selected as a best fit of the trajectory plot and the route map to form a merged map.

34. The device of claim 32, further comprising producing a merged map based on the one hypothesis selected, the transmitter map and the route map.

35. The device of claim 32, wherein the device is at least one of:

a computing device;

or

a mobile device;

or

an access point;

or

an intelligent access point.

36. A computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon, comprising program code for:

receiving a digital file comprising a route map;

receiving a transmitter map comprising identifiers for a plurality of transmitters;

receiving a first trajectory plot, of a mobile device, relative to the transmitter map;

setting a plurality of hypotheses each defining a unique translation between the transmitter map and the route map;

computing, in a processor, a plurality of costs, wherein each cost of the plurality of costs comprises a cost of the first trajectory plot through the route map based on a respective one of the plurality of hypotheses; and

selecting one hypothesis from the plurality of hypotheses, based on a minimum of the plurality of costs.