SYSTEM FOR RELATIVE POSITIONING OF ACCESS POINTS IN A REAL TIME LOCATING SYSTEM

• US 20130260792A1
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accentrue Global Services Limited
• Inventors: Johnson, Ernest K. Jr., Davisson, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,019,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air gaseous biological material G01N33/497; exhaust gas of internal combustion engines G01M15/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system is described for relative positioning of tags in a real time locating system. The system may include a memory and a processor in communication with the memory. The memory may store layout information for a work area which includes architectural and infrastructure attributes. The processor may determine a number of access points to position in the work area. The processor may determine a placement of a tag in the work area based on readings gathered by the access points. The processor may further determine a level of accuracy for a location of the tag within the work area. The processor may provide a graphical representation of the positioning of the access points in the work area, as well as an indication of the accuracy of the tag within the work area.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method for indicating positioning of tags in a real time locating system, the method comprising:

receiving layout information of a work area;

determining, by a processor, a positioning of a plurality of access points in the work area, wherein the positioning promotes at least an accuracy of locating a tag in the work area;

determining a location of the tag based on readings gathered by at least one of the plurality of access points.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the layout information of the work area comprises architectural attributes of the work area including at least one of a number of levels of the work area, a height of a level, an average amount of foot traffic in portions of the work area, a wireless frequency of the work area, or a square footage of the work area, and

wherein the layout information of the work area comprises infrastructure attributes of the work area including at least one of a location of power outlets or a location of wired Ethernet outlets.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving information for a physical location of the tag in the work area;

determining a level of accuracy for the location of the tag by comparing the physical location information of the tag to an expected location of the tag;

displaying the work area to include the layout information, and

displaying an indicator indicating the level of accuracy for the location of the tag in the work area.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether the level of accuracy for the location of the tag satisfies an accuracy threshold, and

displaying a threshold indicator when the level of accuracy for the location of the tag fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the threshold indicator provides an indication that the level of accuracy for the location of the tag fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold and that one or more access points are to be re-positioned or added.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the accuracy threshold is satisfied when the expected location of the tag is within a set distance from the physical location of the tag.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

displaying additional access points added to the work area when the level of accuracy for the location of the tag fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein displaying the indicator comprises:

displaying one or more ranges of accuracy for the location of the tag in the work area.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more ranges of accuracy are provided in terms of ranges of distance.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether the positioning of the tag in the work area satisfies a coverage threshold for the work area.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the coverage threshold is satisfied when the tag receives coverage from at least a set number of access points.

36. An apparatus for indicating relative positioning of tags in a real time locating system, the system comprising:

a memory configured to store layout information of a work area;

a processor operatively connected to the memory, the processor configured to;

receive the layout information of the work area;

determine a number of access points in the work area, and a position of the access points in the work area;

determine an expected location of the tag based on readings gathered by at least one of the access points.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive information for a physical location of the tag in the work area; and

determine a level of accuracy for a location of the tag by comparing the physical location information of the tag to an expected location of the tag;

display the work area to include the layout information, and

display an indicator indicating the level of accuracy for the location of the tag in the work area.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the level of accuracy for the location of the tag satisfies an accuracy threshold, and

display a threshold indicator when the level of accuracy for the location of the tag fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the threshold indicator provides an indication that the level of accuracy for the location of the tag fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold and that one or more access points are to be re-positioned or added.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the accuracy threshold is satisfied when the expected location of the tag is within a set distance from the physical location of the tag.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the positioning of the tag in the work area satisfies a coverage threshold for the work area, wherein the coverage threshold is satisfied when the tag receives coverage from at least a set number of access points.

42. A method for mapping out a work area, the method comprising:

receiving layout information of a work area;

determining, by a processor, a positioning of a plurality of access points in the work area, wherein the positioning promotes at least an accuracy of locating a tag in the work area;

receiving information for a physical location of the tag in the work area;

determining an expected location of the tag based on readings gathered by at least one of the plurality of access points;

determining a level of accuracy for a location of the tag by comparing the physical location information of the tag to the expected location of the tag;

displaying the work area to include the layout information, and

displaying an indicator indicating the level of accuracy for the location of the tag in the work area.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

determining whether the level of accuracy for the location of the tag satisfies an accuracy threshold, and

displaying a threshold indicator when the level of accuracy for the location of the tag fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

determining whether the positioning of the tag in the work area satisfies a coverage threshold for the work area, wherein the coverage threshold is satisfied when the tag receives coverage from at least a set number of access points.