METHOD, AN APPARATUS AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR POSITIONING

• US 20180275261A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 09/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: KHAN, Muhammad Irshan, SYRJARINNE, Jari, IVANOV, Pavel
• Granted Patent: US 10,481,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

The invention relates to determination of a location of a device of a user. In a methods, information of signal strength of one or more wireless signals and information of signal strength distribution of wireless signals is obtained by a device. The information of signal strength and the information of signal strength distribution are used to determine at least one likelihood whether the device is inside an area. In the method radio maps representing signal strength distribution in the building may be used.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

obtain information of signal strength of one or more wireless signals by a device;

obtain information of signal strength distribution of wireless signals; and

use the information of signal strength and the information of signal strength distribution to determine at least one likelihood for the device being inside an area.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, the area representing an indoor area, wherein said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine a first likelihood that the device is indoors.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, the area representing an outdoor area, wherein said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine a second likelihood that the device is outdoors.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determining a first likelihood that the device is indoors;

determining a second likelihood that the device is outdoors;

concluding that the device is indoors, if the first likelihood is greater than the second likelihood, and

concluding that the device is outdoors, if the second likelihood is greater than the first likelihood.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, the indoor area covering two or more buildings, wherein said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine in which building the device is, if it was concluded that the device is indoors.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

obtain information of identities of the one or more access points; and

use the identities to find out one or more radio maps which comprise information of signal strength distribution of the one or more access points.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the radio maps comprise information on a plurality of signal strength measurements.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate for each radio map a sum of differences between the obtained signal strength of an access point and signal strength measurements of the radio map; and

use the sum of differences to determine which radio map provides the greatest likelihood that the device is within the area represented by the radio map.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

compare the obtained signal strength with signal strength measurements of the radio map; and

use location information associated with the signal strength measurement of the radio map which is closest to the obtained signal strength as an assumed location of the device; and

determine likelihood that the assumed location corresponds with the actual location of the device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, said memory including computer program code, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

examine if the radio map is stored in the device; and

request the radio map from a server, if the examination reveals that the radio map is not stored in the device.

25. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the wireless signal is one of WLAN signal, Bluetooth signal, Bluetooth low energy signal, cellular signal, Pseudolite signal and DigitalTV signal.

26. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the area is formed from one or more buildings forming an indoor area.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a radio map is formed for each floor of the one or more buildings.

28. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein it is incorporated in a mobile terminal.

54. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a radio map covers one or more buildings and a part of an outdoor area.

29-53. -53. (canceled)

55. A method comprising:

obtaining information of signal strength of one or more wireless signals by a device;

obtaining information of signal strength distribution of wireless signals; and

using the information of signal strength and the information of signal strength distribution to determine at least one likelihood for the device being inside an area.

56. The method according to claim 55, the area representing an indoor area, wherein the method comprises:

determining a first likelihood that the device is indoors.

57. The method according to claim 55, the area representing an outdoor area, wherein the method comprises:

determining a second likelihood that the device is outdoors.

58. The method according to claim 56, further comprising:

determining a first likelihood that the device is indoors;

determining a second likelihood that the device is outdoors;

concluding that the device is indoors, if the first likelihood is greater than the second likelihood; and

concluding that the device is outdoors, if the second likelihood is greater than the first likelihood.

59. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, cause an apparatus or a system to:

obtain information of signal strength of one or more wireless signals by a device;

obtain information of signal strength distribution of wireless signals; and

use the information of signal strength and the information of signal strength distribution to determine at least one likelihood whether the device is inside an area.