Method to reduce power consumption of static wireless beacons and cost of infrastructure

• US 7,548,731 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anver, Ahamed S., Smart, William R., Stefanek, Anton, Willingham, Gavin P., Fletcher, Timothy J., Jellard, Edward G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam; Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US12/182,664
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/522, 455/524, 455/13.4, 455/41.2, 455 69- 70, 455443-444, 455/446, 455/449, 455/453, 370/318, 370/328, 370/338, 342/126, 342/125, 342450-458, 342463-465
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters

Abstract

The present invention provides for reducing power consumption of a positioning system having wireless beacons. A wireless transmitter static beacon is provided, which has a known position, signal strength, and range. A mobile device is positioned within the range of the static beacon and its position is determined based on a signal from the static beacon. Foreign wireless transmitter devices and their locations are detected. The immobility of the foreign devices is evaluated by periodically determining their positions and calculating the frequency with which their positions change, and by determining the devices'"'"' types. A subset of the foreign devices that are immobile are selected and amalgamated into the positioning system based on device type and position-changing frequency. The signal strength of the static beacon is reduced, which in turn reduces the range of the static beacon. The mobile device is no longer positioned in the static beacon'"'"'s range, but it is positioned within the range of the new subset of foreign devices. The mobile device'"'"'s position is determined with increased accuracy based on a signal from the subset of new foreign devices.

Claims

1. A method for reducing power consumption of a positioning system having wireless beacons, comprising:

providing a static beacon, said static beacon being a wireless transmitter having a known position, signal strength, and range, wherein a mobile device is positioned within the range of the static beacon and a position of the mobile device is determined based on a signal therefrom;

detecting and identifying a plurality of foreign wireless transmitter devices, including obtaining a location for each of the plurality of foreign devices;

evaluating the immobility of each of the plurality of foreign devices, including;

periodically determining a position of each of the plurality of foreign devices and calculating a duration for which each foreign device remains stationary based thereon

determining a device type for each of the plurality of devices;

selecting and amalgamating into the positioning system a subset of the plurality of foreign devices that are immobile, said subset selected based on the device type and the duration for which each foreign device remains stationary; and

reducing the signal strength of said static beacon thereby reducing the range of the static beacon such that the mobile device is no longer positioned therein, wherein the mobile device is positioned within a range of said subset of the plurality of foreign devices that are immobile.