Determining a location or position using information from multiple location and positioning technologies and applications using such a determined location or position

• US 7,904,244 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sarmo Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sarmo Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Sugla, Binay
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/990,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/224, 701300-301, 455/456.1, 342/357.09, 342/450, 342/453, 342/357.01, 342/454, 342/457, 342/451, 340/539.1, 725/76, 725 63- 64
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement

Abstract

A location may be determined by accepting location information from at least two sources using at least two location technologies, for each set of location information from each source, adjusting the location information using at least one of (A) confidence in the source, (B) error range of the source, (C) an error model for the source, and (D) application-specific context information, and combining adjusted locations to generate a final location these location technologies assume a degree of cooperation. The location technologies may include a combination of a “tag” that is placed on the object to be tracked, and one or more receivers/transmitters that work in concert with the tag to locate the object.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a machine, perform a method comprising:

a) receiving multiple pieces of location information for an item, the received multiple pieces of location information being sourced from multiple different location systems using different types of location technologies;

b) receiving application-specific context information;

c) receiving information for interpreting an accuracy of each of the received multiple pieces of location information based on the type of location technology used by the respective location system from which the piece of location information was sourced;

d) combining the received multiple pieces of location information using both (1) the received application-specific context information and (2) the received information for interpreting an accuracy of each of the received multiple pieces of location information, in accordance with a unified model which combines error and probability distribution models for each of the different types of the location systems, to generate a refined location estimate for the item;

e) accepting application-specific requirements for further refinement of a location for the item; and

f) sending instructions to direct or configure at least one of the multiple different location systems to provide additional location information.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the multiple pieces of location information are multiple indoor location information corresponding to various different indoor location systems.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a) receiving multiple pieces of location information for an item, the received multiple pieces of location information being sourced from multiple different location systems using different types of location technologies ;

b) receiving application-specific context information;

c) receiving information for interpreting an accuracy of each of the received multiple pieces of location information based on the type of location technology used by the respective location system from which the piece of location information was sourced;

d) combining the received multiple pieces of location information using both (1) the received application-specific context information and (2) the received information for interpreting an accuracy of each of the received multiple pieces of location information, in accordance with a unified model which combines error and probability distribution models for each of the different types of the location systems, to generate a refined location estimate for the item;

e) accepting application-specific requirements for further refinement of a location for the item; and

f) sending instructions to direct or configure at least one of the multiple different location systems to provide additional location information.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the multiple pieces of location information are multiple indoor location information corresponding to various different indoor location systems.

5. Apparatus for determining a location using location information from multiple location systems of different types, the apparatus comprising:

a) means for accepting multiple location information corresponding to various different location and positioning systems for one or more devices;

b) means for estimating and recording the accuracy of the received location information;

c) means for interpreting the received location information using a unified model;

d) means for combining the location information pieces with contextual information based on an application;

e) means for accepting requirements from the application for further refinement of location and position; and

f) means for directing and configuring the various location and positioning systems to carry out further actions to locate the desired target object.