Method for WLAN localization and location based service supply

• US 8,644,275 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonbuch Verlag HANS Müller GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Telefonbuch Verlag HANS Müller GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Baier, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Kao, Jutai
• Application Number:
  US12/742,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20100272085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method is for WLAN localization and corresponding location based service supply. By providing a WLAN data set as an actual WLAN fingerprint of a geographical unit for the usage in a mobile device the user is enabled to localize himself self-sustained. Thereby the mobile device receives WLAN signals from at least three WLAN senders for the localization. Due to self-sustained identifying of the WLAN senders by the mobile device on basis of the received WLAN signals the mobile device may calculate the actual geographical position of the mobile device. The calculation is done on basis of the WLAN data set and on basis of the received WLAN signals from the at least three different WLAN senders. Furthermore a location based service is supplied by the mobile device the a user of the mobile device on basis of the calculated actual position.

Claims

1. A method for WLAN localization and location based service supply, comprising:

storing a WLAN data set of a geographical unit on a mobile device for the usage in the mobile device;

receiving WLAN signals by the mobile device from at least three WLAN senders;

self-sustained identifying of the WLAN senders by the mobile device on basis of the received WLAN signals;

calculating an actual position of the mobile device by the mobile device by comparing the WLAN data set with the received WLAN signals from the WLAN senders;

updating the WLAN data set as a function of the received WLAN signals, wherein the updating comprises;

comparing the WLAN data set with received WLAN signals with respect to the actual position;

sending a renewing signal with new WLAN data to a storing site of the WLAN data set in case of a deviation after the comparing; and

replacing data of the WLAN data set by the new WLAN data in case of a deviation after the comparing;

receiving an user demand for a location based service;

searching for at least one supply in a service data set by the mobile device on basis of the calculated actual position; and

supplying a location based service by the mobile device to a user of the mobile device on basis of the calculated actual position,

wherein the WLAN Data set is a WLAN fingerprint of the geographical unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the updating steps comprises the following substeps:

sending a confirmation signal with a time stamp by the mobile device to the storing site in case of no deviation after the comparing; and

assigning the WLAN data set with a time stamp in case of no deviation after the comparing.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a range of the received WLAN signals on basis of the WLAN signals and on basis of surrounding of the actual position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying and the calculating of the actual position of the mobile device does not need any web access.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the actual position tolerates a defined deviation of the received WLAN signals compared to the WLAN data set.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location based service is supplied from a service data set and wherein the service data set is downloadable from a server to the mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location based service is from a business chosen from the following group comprising at least one of restaurants, hotels, taxi services, medical services, pharmacy, cultural entertainment, fleet management, logistics, supply chain management, guided tours for persons, localization of public transport vehicles, mobile marketing, public relations and friend finding.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing map data for the mobile device;

displaying at least a part of the geographical unit to the user by using the map data; and

displaying the actual position to the user on a display.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the at least one supply on a display to the user.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a speed and a direction of movement of the mobile device on basis of multiple calculated positions during a period of time.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

supplying a location based service by the mobile device on basis of the calculated speed and direction of movement of the mobile device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the actual position is done by a first algorithm on the mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the actual position is a three dimensional localization of the mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating the WLAN data set by gauging the geographical unit with respect to WLAN signals.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the generation of the WLAN data set comprises the following substeps:

identifying each receivable WLAN sender at a chosen geographical position within the geographical unit on basis of WLAN signals sent by each sender;

gauging WLAN field intensities of each receivable WLAN sender at the chosen geographical position;

gauging GPS coordinates of the chosen geographical position;

assigning the gauged GPS coordinates to the gauged WLAN field intensities resulting in a data pair for each receivable WLAN sender and for the chosen geographical position; and

storing the data pair for each receivable WLAN sender and for the geographical position in the WLAN data set.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

assigning the data pair of each receivable WLAN sender with time stamps resulting in time data pairs.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

defining a further geographical position within the geographical unit;

scanning the geographical unit by performing the following step at the defined further geographical position;

identifying each receivable WLAN sender at a chosen geographical position within the geographical unit on basis of WLAN signals sent by each sender;

gauging WLAN field intensities of each receivable WLAN sender at the chosen geographical position;

gauging GPS coordinates of the chosen geographical position;

assigning the gauged GPS coordinates to the gauged WLAN field intensities resulting in a data pair for each receivable WLAN sender and for the chosen geographical position; and

storing the data pair for each receivable WLAN sender and for the geographical position in the WLAN data set.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generation of the WLAN data set is done by a second algorithm on a gauging device.

19. A mobile device for WLAN localization and location based service supply, comprising:

a memory arrangement storing a WLAN data set of a geographical unit, the WLAN data set being a WLAN fingerprint of the geographical unit;

a WLAN receiver configured to receive WLAN signals;

a processor configured to calculate an actual position of the mobile device by comparing the WLAN data set with the received WLAN signals; and

a display configured to provide a location based service to a user of the mobile device on basis of the calculated actual position,

wherein the mobile device is configured at least for (a) receiving a user demand for the location based service and (b) searching for at least one supply in a service data set on basis of the calculated actual position,

wherein the mobile device is configured to (a) compare the WLAN data set with the received WLAN signals with respect to the actual position, (b) send a renewing signal with new WLAN data to a storing site of the WLAN data set in case of a deviation after the comparing, and (c) replace data of the WLAN data set by the new WLAN data in case of a deviation after the comparing.

20. The mobile device according to claim 19, further comprising:

a sending unit configured to send an updating signal to a storing site of the WLAN data set on basis of the comparison.

21. A computer readable non-transitory medium including a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions operable to:

storing a WLAN data set of a geographical unit on a mobile device for the usage in the mobile device;

receiving WLAN signals by the mobile device from at least three WLAN senders;

self-sustained identifying of the WLAN senders by the mobile device on basis of the received WLAN signals;

calculating an actual position of the mobile device by the mobile device by comparing the WLAN data set with the received WLAN signals from the WLAN senders;

updating the WLAN data set as a function of the received WLAN signals, wherein the updating comprises;

comparing the WLAN data set with the received WLAN signals with respect to the actual position;

sending a renewing signal with new WLAN data to a storing site of the WLAN data set in case of a deviation after the comparing; and

replacing data of the WLAN data set by the new WLAN data in case of a deviation after the comparing;

receiving an user demand for a location based service;

searching for at least one supply in a service data set by the mobile device on basis of the calculated actual position; and

supplying a location based service by the mobile device to a user of the mobile device on basis of the calculated actual position,

wherein the WLAN Data set is a WLAN fingerprint of the geographical unit.