ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS FOR IMPROVED POWER CONSUMPTION AND RESPONSIVENESS IN POSITIONING DEVICES

• US 20140278054A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CRS Technologies, Inc. (DXP Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tidd, James Burgess, Rubin, Dimitri
• Granted Patent: US 9,121,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/01 Determining conditions which influence positioning, e.g. radio environment, state of motion or energy consumption
• 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 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems

Abstract

A system and method for switching a positioning device between using a first positioning technology and using a second positioning technology includes determining a location of the positioning device based on the first positioning technology, determining environment information corresponding to the location of the positioning device, and determining a location of a boundary where switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology should occur. The method also includes switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology prior to the positioning device crossing the boundary.

Claims

1. A method for switching a positioning device between a first positioning technique and a second positioning technique, the method comprising:

determining, by the positioning device, a value of a characteristic of the positioning device based on the first positioning technique;

determining, by the positioning device, environment information corresponding to the value of the characteristic of the positioning device;

determining, by the positioning device, a switching value of the characteristic at which switching from the first positioning technique to the second positioning technique should occur; and

switching, by the positioning device, from the first positioning technique to the second positioning technique, based on the environment information, prior to the characteristic of the positioning device having the switching value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the characteristic of the positioning device is a location of the positioning device;

the switching value is a boundary location; and

the first and second positioning techniques use respectively different first and second positioning technologies.

3. The method of claim 2, including:

determining an environment map based on the environment information, the environment map having at least two regions separated by the boundary,

determining, by the positioning device, the location of the positioning device on the environment map;

predicting, by the positioning device, when the positioning device will cross the boundary; and

switching, by the positioning device, from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology prior to the positioning device crossing the boundary.

4. The method of claim 2, including:

determining, while using the second positioning technology, the location of the positioning device based on information received from sensors on the positioning device.

5. The method of claim 2, including:

determining, while using the first positioning technology, the environment information based on physical properties of radio frequency (RF) signals received by the positioning device.

6. The method of claim 2, including:

switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology by predicting that the positioning device will cross the boundary based on the location and a velocity of the positioning device.

7. The method of claim 2, including:

predicting that the positioning device will cross the boundary; and

in response to the prediction, calibrating sensors used by the second positioning technology prior to switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology.

8. The method of claim 2, including:

predicting that the positioning device will cross the boundary; and

in response to the prediction, initializing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) used by the second positioning technology prior to switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second positioning techniques use a single positioning technology in respective first and second modes having respectively different power consumptions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the single positioning technology uses a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and the first and second modes calculate position fixes at respectively different rates;

11. A positioning device for switching between a first positioning technology and a second positioning technology, the positioning device comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and transmitting wireless signals to and from other wireless devices and for providing the received signals to one of the first and second positioning technologies;

sensors for sensing environment information and for providing environmental signals to at least one of the first and second positioning technologies; and

a processor configured to;

determine a location of the positioning device based on signals received by the first positioning technology;

determine environment information corresponding to the location of the positioning device, based on signals received from the transceiver or sensors;

determine at least one boundary where switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology should occur; and

switch from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology prior to the positioning device crossing the boundary.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an environment map based on the environment information, the environment map having at least two regions separated by the at least one boundary,

determine the location of the positioning device on the environment map;

predict when the positioning device will cross the at least one boundary; and

control the positioning device to switch from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology prior to the positioning device crossing the at least one boundary.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a navigation route based on a position of the device and a desired destination, the route traversing at least two regions separated by the at least one boundary,

determine the location of the positioning device on the route;

predict when the positioning device will cross the at least one boundary; and

control the positioning device to switch from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology prior to the positioning device crossing the at least one boundary.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein

the sensors include an accelerometer, and

the processor is further configured to:

determine the location of the positioning device based on signals received from the accelerometer.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein

the processor is further configured to:

determine the environment information based at least one of signal strength, frequency, phase of radio frequency (RF) signals received by the transceiver of the positioning device.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein

the sensors include a GNSS receiver and dead reckoning sensors, and

the processor is further configured to:

switch from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology by predicting that the positioning device will cross the at least one boundary based on the location and a velocity of the positioning device determined based on the signals provided by at least one of the GNSS sensors and dead reckoning sensors.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein

the first positioning technology is configured to receive signals from GNSS sensors,

the second positioning technology is configured to receive signals from dead reckoning sensors, and

the processor is further configured to:

power on and calibrate sensor errors of sensors used by the second positioning technology for dead reckoning prior to switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein

the first positioning technology is configured to receive signals from dead reckoning sensors,

the second positioning technology is configured to receive signals from GNSS sensors, and

the processor is further configured to:

power on and initialize the GNSS sensors used by the second positioning technology prior to switching from the first positioning technology to the second positioning technology.

19. A method for a positioning device to generate an environment map indicating when to switch between a first positioning technology and a second positioning technology, the method comprising:

determining a location of the positioning device;

determining, by the positioning device, environment information corresponding to the location of the positioning device;

determining an environment map based on the environment information, the environment map having at least two regions separated by at least one boundary,

wherein each of the at least two regions is associated with a respective one of the first positioning technology and the second positioning technology, and

wherein the boundary is defined such that a switch between the first positioning technology and the second positioning technology occurs prior to the positioning device crossing the at least one boundary.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

associating an uncertainty with the boundary and the location of the positioning device,

wherein the uncertainty of the boundary and the location of the positioning device indicate when the switch is to occur prior to the positioning device crossing the at least one boundary.

21. The method of claim 19, further including:

using, by the positioning device, environment information from other positioning devices to determine the environment map.

22. The method of claim 19, further including:

using, by a server, the environment information from the positioning device and other environment information from other positioning devices to determine the environment map; and

sending the environment map to the positioning device.

23. The method of claim 19, further including:

determining, by the positioning device, the environment information by using at least one of dead reckoning sensors integral to the positioning device and physical characteristics of signals received by the positioning device when operating in the first positioning technology.

24. The method of claim 19, further including:

determining, by a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver of the positioning device when operating in the first positioning technology, the environment information.