Estimating the location of a wireless terminal despite apparently reasonable but misleading or erroneous empirical data
First Claim
1. A method of estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a location engine, a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1);
receiving, at the location engine, a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1);
receiving, at the location engine, a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2);
generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight;
generating, at the location engine, a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight;
generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and
generating, at the location engine, an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on;
(i) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1),(ii) the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), and(iii) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and
transmitting, from the location engine, the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application;
wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, and the fourth weight are all real non-negative numbers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A location engine is disclosed that estimates the location of a wireless terminal using (i) cell ID, (ii) triangulation, (iii) GPS, (iv) RF pattern-matching, or (v) any combination of them. The location engine is adept at discounting the contribution of apparently reasonable but erroneous data. The location engine receives data that are evidence of the location of a wireless terminal at each of a plurality of different times. The location engine then generates an initial hypothesis for the location of the wireless terminal at each time assuming that all of the data is correct and equally probative. Next, the location engine generates one alternative hypothesis for each initial hypothesis and each datum assuming that the datum is erroneous. Finally, the location engine generates the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at each time by determining which combination of initial hypotheses and alternative hypothesis is the most self-consistent.
10 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a location engine, a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); receiving, at the location engine, a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); receiving, at the location engine, a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2); generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; generating, at the location engine, a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight; generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and generating, at the location engine, an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on; (i) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), (ii) the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), and (iii) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and transmitting, from the location engine, the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application; wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, and the fourth weight are all real non-negative numbers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a location engine, a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); receiving, at the location engine, a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); receiving, at the location engine, a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2); generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; generating, at the location engine, a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight; generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and generating, at the location engine, an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on; (i) a measure of distance between the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2), and (ii) a measure of distance between the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and transmitting, from the location engine, the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application; wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, and the fourth weight are all real non-negative numbers. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a location engine, a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); receiving, at the location engine, a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); receiving, at the location engine, a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2); generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; generating, at the location engine, a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight; generating, at the location engine, a third hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having a fifth weight and the second signal value having a sixth weight, wherein the fifth weight equals the sixth weight; generating, at the location engine, a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and generating, at the location engine, an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on; (i) a measure of distance between the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the third hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), (ii) a measure of distance between the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the third hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), and (iii) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and transmitting, from the location engine, the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application; wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, the fourth weight, the fifth weight, and the sixth weight are all real non-negative numbers. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A location engine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the location engine comprising:
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a receiver for receiving; (i) a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); (ii) a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); and (iii) a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2); a processor for; (i) generating a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; (ii) generating a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight; (iii) generating a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and (iv) generating an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on; (1) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), (2) the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), and (3) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and a transmitter for transmitting the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application; wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, and the fourth weight are all real non-negative numbers. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A location engine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the location engine comprising:
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a receiver for receiving; (i) a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); (ii) a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); and (iii) a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2); a processor for generating; (i) a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; (ii) a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight; (iii) a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and (iv) an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on; (1) a measure of distance between the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2), and (2) a measure of distance between the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and a transmitter for transmitting the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application; wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, and the fourth weight are all real non-negative numbers. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A location engine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal, the location engine comprising:
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a receiver for receiving; (i) a first signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); (ii) a second signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(1); (iii) a third signal value whose value is evidence of the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2); a processor for generating; (i) a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having first weight and the second signal value having second weight, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; (ii) a second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having third weight and the second signal value having fourth weight, wherein the third weight is less than the fourth weight; (iii) a third hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) based on the first signal value having a fifth weight and the second signal value having a sixth weight, wherein the fifth weight equals the sixth weight; (iv) a first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on the third signal value; and (v) an estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) based on; (1) a measure of distance between the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the third hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), (2) a measure of distance between the second hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1) and the third hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(1), and (3) the first hypothesis for the location for the wireless terminal at time t(2); and transmitting, from the location engine, the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at time t(2) for use by a location-based application; wherein the first weight, the second weight, the third weight, the fourth weight, the fifth weight, and the sixth weight are all real non-negative numbers. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification