Systems and Methods for Tracking a User's Location

• US 20140334264A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Thaker, Nikhil Vijay
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Techniques for tracking a current location of a user are described. According to various embodiments, an ambient noise signal proximate to a user device is detected using a microphone. Audio sample information may be accessed, where the audio sample information identifies various audio samples and, for each of the audio samples, a source of the corresponding audio sample. Thereafter, a specific audio sample corresponding to the ambient noise signal may be identified. Moreover, a current location of the user device may be determined, based on the source of the specific audio sample.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, using a microphone of a user device, an ambient noise signal proximate to the user device.

accessing audio sample information identifying a plurality of audio samples and, for each of the audio samples, a source of the corresponding audio sample;

identifying, from the audio sample information, a specific one of the audio samples that corresponds to the ambient noise signal; and

determining a current location of the user device, based on the source of the specific audio sample.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

estimating, based on global positioning system information, a position of the user device; and

accessing point of interest information identifying one or more points of interest at or proximate to the estimated position,

wherein the current location of the user device is determined by identifying a specific one of the points of interest that corresponds to the source of the specific audio sample.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating, based on global positioning system information, a position of the user device;

accessing point of interest information identifying one or more points of interest at or proximate to the estimated position; and

identifying, from the audio sample information, a subset of audio samples having sources corresponding to the points of interest,

wherein the specific audio sample is identified from the subset of audio samples.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio sample information identifies the source of each of the audio samples as any one of an indoor location and an outdoor location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining comprises:

determining that the current location of the user device is any one of the indoor location and the outdoor location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, using a temperature sensor of the user device, an ambient temperature proximate to the user device;

comparing the detected ambient temperature to a threshold temperature; and

determining that the user device is currently located indoors or outdoors, based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, using a temperature sensor of a user device, an ambient temperature proximate to the user device;

estimating, based on global positioning system information, a position of the user device;

accessing weather information indicating a current outdoor temperature for the estimated position of the user device;

comparing the detected ambient temperature to the current outdoor temperature; and

determining that the user device is currently located indoors or outdoors, based on the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a notification identifying the current location of the user device to a predetermined address.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification is any one of an email, a text message, and an instant message.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a microphone configured to detect an ambient noise signal proximate to a user device;

a determination module configured to;

access audio sample information identifying a plurality of audio samples and, for each of the audio samples, a source of the corresponding audio sample; and

identify, from the audio sample information, a specific one of the audio samples that corresponds to the ambient noise signal; and

determine a current location of the user device, based on the source of the specific audio sample.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determination module is further configured to:

estimate, based on global positioning system information, a position of the user device; and

access point of interest information identifying one or more points of interest at or proximate to the estimated position,

wherein the current location of the user device is determined by identifying a specific one of the points of interest that corresponds to the source of the specific audio sample.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determination module is further configured to:

estimate, based on global positioning system information, a position of the user device;

access point of interest information identifying one or more points of interest at or proximate to the estimated position; and

identify, from the audio sample information, a subset of audio samples having sources corresponding to the points of interest,

wherein the specific audio sample is identified from the subset of audio samples.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the audio sample information identifies the source of the audio sample as any one of an indoor location and an outdoor location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the determination module is further configured to:

determine that the current location of the user device is any one of the indoor location and the outdoor location.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature proximate to the user device,

wherein the determination module is further configured to;

compare the detected ambient temperature to a threshold temperature; and

determine that the user device is currently located indoors or outdoors, based on the comparison.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature proximate to the user device,

wherein the determination module is further configured to;

estimate, based on global positioning system information, a position of the user device;

access weather information indicating a current outdoor temperature for the estimated position of the user device;

compare the detected ambient temperature to the current outdoor temperature; and

determine that the user device is currently located indoors or outdoors, based on the comparison.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a notification module configured to transmit a notification identifying the current location of the user device to a predetermined address.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the notification is any one of an email, a text message, and an instant message.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

detecting, using a microphone of a user device, an ambient noise signal proximate to the user device.

accessing audio sample information identifying a plurality of audio samples and, for each of the audio samples, a source of the corresponding audio sample;

identifying, from the audio sample information, a specific one of the audio samples that corresponds to the ambient noise signal; and

determining a current location of the user device, based on the source of the specific audio sample.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, using global positioning system information, an estimated position of the user device; and

accessing point of interest information identifying one or more points of interest at or proximate to the estimated position,

wherein the current location of the user device is determined by identifying a specific one of the points of interest that corresponds to the source of the specific audio sample.