Wireless node location mechanism featuring definition of search region to optimize location computation
First Claim
1. A method comprisingcollecting signal strength values, detected at a plurality of radio receivers, corresponding to Radio Frequency (RF) signals transmitted by a wireless node;
- accessing a plurality of RF coverage maps, wherein each RF coverage map corresponds to a radio receiver of the plurality of radio receivers and characterizes signal strength values for locations in a physical region out to a threshold signal strength level;
defining a search region to include only a region that is covered by all of the plurality of RF coverage maps; and
searching for, confined within the defined search region, the estimated location of the wireless node based on the collected signal strength values and the RF coverage maps corresponding to the plurality of radio receivers.
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Abstract
A wireless node location mechanism that defines a search region to optimize the computations associated with estimating the location of a given wireless node. According to one implementation, a coverage map associated with each radio receiver that records signal strength data is defined out to a threshold signal strength level. Before computing the estimated location of a given wireless nodes, a search region is defined based on the intersection of the coverage maps associated with each radio receiver that detects the wireless node. Some implementations use information provided by the fact that certain radio receivers did not detect the wireless node to further optimize the location estimate. By defining a search region, which is a generally small area relative to the space encompassed by an entire RF environment, the present invention provides several advantages, such as reducing the processing time and/or power to compute estimated locations for wireless nodes.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising
collecting signal strength values, detected at a plurality of radio receivers, corresponding to Radio Frequency (RF) signals transmitted by a wireless node; -
accessing a plurality of RF coverage maps, wherein each RF coverage map corresponds to a radio receiver of the plurality of radio receivers and characterizes signal strength values for locations in a physical region out to a threshold signal strength level; defining a search region to include only a region that is covered by all of the plurality of RF coverage maps; and searching for, confined within the defined search region, the estimated location of the wireless node based on the collected signal strength values and the RF coverage maps corresponding to the plurality of radio receivers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus facilitating the location of a wireless node, comprising
a plurality of radio receivers each comprising at least one antenna, the plurality of radio receivers operative to detect the strength of Radio Frequency (RF) signals transmitted by wireless nodes and provide the detected signal strengths to a wireless node location module; - and
a wireless node location module operative to receive signal strength values, detected at the plurality of radio receivers, corresponding to RF signals transmitted by a wireless node; access a plurality of RF coverage maps, wherein each RF coverage map corresponds to a radio receiver of the plurality of radio receivers and characterizes signal strength values for locations in a physical region out to a threshold signal strength level; define a search region to include only a region that is covered by all of the plurality of RF coverage maps; and search for, confined within the defined search region, the estimated location of the wireless node based on the collected signal strength values and the RF coverage maps corresponding to the plurality of radio receivers. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification