METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ALTITUDE IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20130325385A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SHIN, Gyejoong, CHUNG, Dohyoung
• Granted Patent: US 9,500,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/94
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means

Abstract

A method of measuring an altitude in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes receiving a reference altitude from an information providing device fixed and installed at a certain point, measuring a current atmospheric pressure of the certain point, calculating an altitude of the certain position using the measured current atmospheric pressure and a reference atmospheric pressure, and storing a difference between the reference altitude and the calculated altitude of the certain point as an altitude error.

Claims

1. A method of measuring an altitude in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a reference altitude from an information providing device fixed and installed at a certain point;

measuring a current atmospheric pressure of the certain point;

calculating an altitude of the certain position using the measured current atmospheric pressure and a reference atmospheric pressure; and

storing a difference between the reference altitude and the calculated altitude of the certain point as an altitude error.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding an altitude of a current position calculated according to a movement of the portable terminal to the altitude error; and

correcting the calculated altitude of the current position.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the correcting of the calculated altitude of the current position includes:

determining validity of the altitude error;

correcting the calculated altitude of the current position if the altitude error is valid; and

removing the altitude error if the altitude error is not valid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the validity of the altitude error includes at least one of:

determining whether a preset time is elapsed from a time point when the altitude error is stored; and

determining whether the portable terminal is deviated from a position where the altitude error is stored by more than a preset distance.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving additional information for the certain point.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

extracting an altitude of a moved floor from altitude information for each floor included in the additional information when a floor movement is sensed;

comparing whether the extracted altitude of the moved floor coincides with the corrected altitude of the current position; and

re-correcting the corrected altitude of the current position as the extracted altitude of the moved floor if the extracted altitude of the moved floor does not coincide with the corrected altitude of the current position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the reference altitude includes one of:

receiving the reference altitude through a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) communication;

receiving the reference altitude through a Near Field Communication (NFC); and

receiving the reference altitude through photographing a Quick Response (QR) code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the reference altitude includes:

receiving an address of a web server for providing the reference altitude through one of a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) communication, a Near Field Communication (NFC) communication and a Quick Response (QR) code photography; and

receiving the reference altitude from the web server by connecting to the web server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference altitude is extracted from a previously agreed information field area based on a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) communication standard, a Near Field Communication (NFC) communication standard and a Quick Response (QR) code communication standard.

10. An apparatus for measuring an altitude of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a local wireless communication unit configured to receive a reference altitude from an information providing device fixed and installed at a certain point;

an atmospheric pressure measurement unit configured to measure an atmospheric pressure; and

a controller configured to calculate an altitude of the certain position using a current atmospheric pressure measured through the atmospheric pressure measurement unit and a reference atmospheric pressure, and to set a difference between the reference altitude and the calculated altitude of the certain point as an altitude error.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a camera for photographing a Quick Response (QR) code for providing the reference altitude.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to add an altitude of a current position calculated according to a movement of the portable terminal to the altitude error, and to correct the calculated altitude of the current position.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, when correcting the calculated altitude of the current position, the controller is configured to determine validity of the altitude error, and to correct the calculated altitude of the current position if the altitude error is valid and removes the altitude error if the altitude error is not valid.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the altitude error is not valid if one of a preset time is elapsed from a time point when the altitude error is stored and the portable terminal is deviated from a position where the altitude error is stored by more than a preset distance.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a display unit configured to indicate that the altitude error is not valid if the altitude error is not valid, and to display a message to request an update of the altitude error.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to connect to a web server for proving the reference altitude received through the local wireless communication unit or photographed by the camera, using an address of the web server, and to receive the reference altitude from the web server.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the local wireless communication unit is one of a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) communication module and a Near Field Communication (NFC) module.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the local wireless communication unit or the wireless communication unit further receives additional information for the certain point.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to extract an altitude of a moved floor from altitude information for each floor included in the additional information when a floor movement is sensed, to compare whether the extracted altitude of the moved floor coincides with the corrected altitude of the current position, and to re-correct the corrected altitude of the current position as the extracted altitude of the moved floor if the extracted altitude of the moved floor does not coincide with the corrected altitude of the current position.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the reference altitude is stored in a previously agreed information field area based on a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) communication standard, a Near Field Communication (NFC) communication standard and a Quick Response (QR) code communication standard.