Device and method for localizing terminal devices

• US 8,320,938 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Meyer, Steffen, Hupp, Juergen, Vaupel, Thorsten, Loidl, Karin
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/530,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

When localizing terminal devices an updating measure of reference ambient information allocated to surroundings of the terminal device is executed when a deviation of ambient information determined by means of the terminal device from reference ambient information allocated to a position of the terminal device is detected.

Claims

1. A method for localizing terminal devices, comprising:

determining ambient information by means of the terminal device;

determining a position of the terminal device based on the ambient information;

determining a deviation of the ambient information from reference ambient information allocated with the position of the terminal device; and

undertaking an updating measure when a deviation is determined, the method further comprising managing reference ambient information of surroundings of a terminal device, comprising;

receiving update information of the surroundings of the terminal device;

assessing a reliability of the update information;

changing the reference ambient information of the surroundings of the terminal device when a reliability criterion is fulfilled when assessing the reliability,

wherein assessing the reliability of the update information comprises assessing a value of trust of the terminal device, and

wherein a value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when update information of the terminal device were correct in the past, or wherein the value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when an accuracy of the position determination of the terminal device is improved when considering the update information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the ambient information comprises the determination of received parameters of a wireless communication device located in surroundings of the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determination of the ambient information comprises the determination of the received field strength of the wireless communication device.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determination of ambient information comprises identifying the wireless communication device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of ambient information comprises the determination of received parameters of several wireless communication devices located in surroundings of the terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a decrease or an increase of a number of communication devices that may be identified using the ambient information is determined as a deviation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the deviation comprises:

determining the reference ambient information using reference data comprising ambient information for predetermined reference positions.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the reference ambient information is determined using the ambient information which is allocated with the reference positions in surroundings of the position of the terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the reference ambient information is determined by interpolation of the ambient information of the reference positions.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein undertaking an updating measure comprises generating and/or transmitting and/or storing update information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the update information comprises parts of the ambient information.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the update information comprises the determined deviation.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein undertaking the updating measure comprises:

determining changed reference data such that, using the changed reference data, determined reference ambient information corresponds to the determined ambient information within a tolerance range.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein undertaking the updating measure comprises transmitting and/or storing the changed reference data.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the updating measure comprises replacing the reference data by the changed reference data.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the updating measure is undertaken when a criterion of trust is fulfilled.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the criterion of trust is fulfilled when a further deviation equivalent to the determined deviation is determined at the position of the terminal device.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the criterion of trust is fulfilled when a deviation of ambient information equivalent to the determined deviation is determined by a further terminal device which is in communicative contact with the terminal device.

19. A method for managing reference ambient information of surroundings of a terminal device, comprising:

receiving update information of the surroundings of the terminal device;

assessing a reliability of the update information;

changing the reference ambient information of the surroundings of the terminal device when a reliability criterion is fulfilled when assessing the reliability,

wherein assessing the reliability of the update information comprises assessing a value of trust of the terminal device,

wherein a value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when update information of the terminal device were correct in the past, or wherein the value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when an accuracy of the position determination of the terminal device is improved when considering the update information

wherein changing the reference ambient information comprises updating reference data comprising ambient information for predetermined reference positions in the surroundings of the terminal device, and

wherein updating reference data comprises changing the ambient information of the reference positions using a reference data model, so that at a position of the terminal device reference ambient information determined using the changed reference data corresponds to ambient information observed by the terminal device within a tolerance range.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the reliability criterion is fulfilled when further update information equivalent to the acquired update information is acquired.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the reliability criterion is fulfilled when further update information equivalent to the acquired update information is acquired by a further terminal device.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

transferring updated reference data to the terminal device.

23. A computer program product having a program code stored on a tangible machine readable carrier for executing a method for localizing terminal devices, comprising:

determining ambient information by means of the terminal device;

determining a position of the terminal device based on the ambient information;

determining a deviation of the ambient information from reference ambient information allocated with the position of the terminal device; and

undertaking an updating measure when a deviation is determined,

wherein the program code is further for executing a method for managing reference ambient information of surroundings of a terminal device, comprising;

receiving update information of the surroundings of the terminal device;

assessing a reliability of the update information;

changing the reference ambient information of the surroundings of the terminal device when a reliability criterion is fulfilled when assessing the reliability,

wherein assessing the reliability of the update information comprises assessing a value of trust of the terminal device, and

wherein a value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when update information of the terminal device were correct in the past, or wherein the value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when an accuracy of the position determination of the terminal device is improved when considering the update information.

24. A computer program product having a program code stored on a tangible machine readable carrier for executing a method for managing reference ambient information of surroundings of a terminal device, comprising:

receiving update information of the surroundings of the terminal device;

assessing a reliability of the update information;

changing the reference ambient information of the surroundings of the terminal device when a reliability criterion is fulfilled when assessing the reliability,

wherein assessing the reliability of the update information comprises assessing a value of trust of the terminal device,

wherein a value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when update information of the terminal device were correct in the past, or wherein the value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when an accuracy of the position determination of the terminal device is improved when considering the update information,

wherein changing the reference ambient information comprises updating reference data comprising ambient information for predetermined reference positions in the surroundings of the terminal device, and

wherein updating reference data comprises changing the ambient information of the reference positions using a reference data model, so that at a position of the terminal device reference ambient information determined using the changed reference data corresponds to ambient information observed by the terminal device within a tolerance range.

25. A reference data manager for managing reference information in the surroundings of a terminal device, comprising:

an updater for receiving update information of the surroundings of the terminal device;

an assessor for assessing a reliability of the update information;

an integrator for changing the reference ambient information of the surroundings of the terminal device when it is determined by the assessor that a reliability criterion is fulfilled when assessing the reliability,

wherein assessing the reliability of the update information comprises assessing a value of trust of the terminal device, wherein a value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when update information of the terminal device were correct in the past, or wherein the value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when an accuracy of the position determination of the terminal device is improved when considering the update information,

wherein changing the reference ambient information comprises updating reference data comprising ambient information for predetermined reference positions in the surroundings of the terminal device, and

wherein updating reference data comprises changing the ambient information of the reference positions using a reference data model, so that at a position of the terminal device reference ambient information determined using the changed reference data corresponds to ambient information observed by the terminal device within a tolerance range.

26. A localization system for localizing terminal devices, comprising:

a localizer for localizing a terminal device, comprising;

an ambient information detector for detecting ambient information;

a position determiner for determining a position of the terminal device based on the ambient information; and

an observer for determining a deviation of the ambient information from reference ambient information allocated with the position of the terminal device and for undertaking an updating measure when a deviation is determined; and

a reference data manager for managing reference information in the surroundings of a terminal device, comprising;

an updater for receiving update information of the surroundings of the terminal device;

an assessor for assessing a reliability of the update information;

an integrator for changing the reference ambient information of the surroundings of the terminal device when it is determined by the assessor that a reliability criterion is fulfilled when assessing the reliability,

wherein assessing the reliability of the update information comprises assessing a value of trust of the terminal device, wherein a value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when update information of the terminal device were correct in the past, or wherein the value of trust signalizes a high trustworthiness when an accuracy of the position determination of the terminal device is improved when considering the update information.