Sub room level indoor location system using wideband power line positioning

• US 8,494,762 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Patel, Shwetak N., Abowd, Gregory D., Reynolds, Matthew S., Robertson, Thomas, Stuntebeck, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/560,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/430, 701/431, 701/433, 701/434, 701/449, 701/450, 701/472, 701/494, 701/495, 701/469, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 342/450, 342/463, 342/464, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.14, 340/539.16
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map

Abstract

An indoor location system uses an electrical power line, power line signal injection devices, and portable position receivers (tags) to generate location data relating to positions of the tags in a structure such as a residence or business. The indoor location system fingerprinting of multiple signals transmitted along the power line to achieve sub-room-level localization of the positioning receivers. In one embodiment, the fingerprinting techniques utilizes wideband power line positioning (WPLP) that injects up to 44 different frequencies into the power line infrastructure of a structure. The WPLP technique improves upon overall positioning accuracy, improved temporal stability and may be implemented in commercial indoor spaces.

Claims

1. An indoor location apparatus for use with an electrical power line infrastructure disposed in a structure, the apparatus comprising:

at least one injector device electrically couplable to the electrical power line infrastructure at an electrical node within the electrical power line infrastructure, the at least one injector device configured to inject a plurality of injected signals into the electrical power line infrastructure;

at least one positioning tag configured to detect the plurality of injected signals emanating from the electrical power line infrastructure when the at least one positioning tag is not electrically coupled and is not physically coupled to the electrical power line infrastructure; and

a software module configured to run on a processor and further configured to receive first data related to the plurality of injected signals, the software module is further configured to process the first data to determine a first location proximate to the electrical power line infrastructure of the at least one positioning tag.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one injector device comprises a signal generator capable of generating the plurality of injected signals, wherein three or more of the plurality of injected signals have different frequencies.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the at least one injector device further comprises an amplifier coupled to an output of the signal generator for amplifying the plurality of injected signals generated by the signal generator.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the at least one injector device further comprises the processor for providing control signals to the signal generator.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

the control signals provided to the signal generator by the processor defined at least one of an amplitude, a duration or a frequency of the plurality of injected signals generated by the signal generator.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the at least one positioning tag comprises an antenna configured to receive the plurality of injected signals emanating from the electrical power line infrastructure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the at least one positioning tag further comprises an analog to digital converter operably coupled to an output of the antenna for converting received signals of the plurality of injected signals into the first data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the at least one positioning tag further comprises a software radio operably coupled to an output of the analog to digital converter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the at least one positioning tag further comprises the processor operably coupled to an output of the software radio.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the at least one injector device is configured to inject more than two signals having different frequencies into the electrical power line infrastructure; and

the plurality of injected signals comprise the more than two signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one injector device is configured to inject a number of signals having different frequencies into the electrical power line infrastructure, the number of signals is within a range of 3 to 44; and

the plurality of injected signals comprise the number of signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one injector device is configured to inject a number of signals having different frequencies into the electrical power line infrastructure, the number of signals is within a range of 5 to 35; and

the plurality of injected signals comprise the number of signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the plurality of injected signals injected into the electrical power line infrastructure by the at least one injector device have frequencies in a range of 400 kHz to 20 MHz.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one injector device is configured to inject the plurality of injected signals into the electrical power line infrastructure sequentially.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one injector device is configured to inject the plurality of injected signals into the electrical power line infrastructure sequentially in a recurring pattern.

16. A method comprising:

injecting more than two electromagnetic signals into an electrical power line infrastructure of a structure;

wirelessly detecting at least some of the more than two electromagnetic signals using at least one positioning tag;

processing the at least some of the more than two electromagnetic signals detected by the at least one positioning tag to generate a signal fingerprint that is associated with the at least one positioning tag; and

processing the signal fingerprint from the at least one positioning tag to identify a location in the structure associated with the at least one positioning tag.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

processing the signal fingerprint comprises;

processing the signal fingerprint remotely from the at least one positioning tag to identify the location in the structure associated with the at least one positioning tag.

18. The method recited in claim 16 wherein:

the signal fingerprint comprises at least a signal strength of the at least some of the more than two electromagnetic signals.

19. The method recited in claim 16 wherein:

the signal fingerprint comprises at least a relative phase difference between two of the at least some of the more than two electromagnetic signals.

20. The method recited in claim 16 wherein:

the signal fingerprint comprises at least a phase shift between successive detected signals of the at least some of the more than two electromagnetic signals.

21. An apparatus for determining at least one location in a structure or proximate to the structure, the structure comprising an electrical power line infrastructure located in the structure, the apparatus comprising:

two or more injector devices configured to couple to the electrical power line infrastructure at different portions of the electrical powerline infrastructure, the two or more injector devices further configured to inject at least three first electrical signals into the electrical power line infrastructure such that the electrical power line infrastructure emanates radiated energy from the at least three first electrical signals;

at least one positioning tag configured to wirelessly receive the radiated energy from the at least three first electrical signals in the electrical power line infrastructure; and

a software module configured to receive first data about the radiated energy from the at least three first electrical signals, the software module is further configured to process the first data to determine a first location proximate to the electrical power line infrastructure of the at least one positioning tag, wherein;

each of the at least three first electrical signals have a different frequency;

the at least one positioning tag is not electrically coupled and is not physically coupled to the electrical power line infrastructure while wirelessly receiving the radiated energy;

the at least one location comprises the first location; and

the software module is configured to run on at least one of a computer or the at least one positioning tag.