Sensor data collection

• US 8,788,205 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Jyh-Han, Wang, Chih-Wei, DiAcetis, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US13/716,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701409-460, 701/533, 455/355
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

Example apparatus and methods concern rigorous survey-plan based sensor data collection where physical survey locations are correlated to logical locations rather than being tightly coupled to physical map locations. An embodiment includes accessing a venue map and a survey plan associated with the venue map. A survey plan includes a survey path defined by one or more logical survey points. A logical survey point includes a unique co-ordinate free identifier, a description of a recognizable location in the venue, and a co-ordinate configured to register the logical survey point to the corresponding venue map. A surveyor surveys the venue using the survey plan. Surveying the venue includes following the survey plan and acquiring sensor fingerprints at sensor reading points along the survey path. A fingerprint observation data store is populated with survey points that are registered to the survey plan. Survey points include sensor fingerprint data and correlation data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing a venue map associated with a venue;

accessing a survey plan associated with the venue map, where the survey plan includes a survey path defined by a starting logical survey point and an ending logical survey point, where a logical survey point comprises a persistent unique co-ordinate free identifier, a description of a recognizable location in the venue, and a co-ordinate configured to register the logical survey point relative to the venue map;

providing the survey plan to a surveyor;

receiving a sensor fingerprint at a sensor reading point along the survey path;

producing a sensor reading point data structure based, at least in part, on the sensor fingerprint, the sensor reading point, and the starting logical survey point;

creating a registered survey point by registering the sensor reading point data structure with the venue map; and

updating a fingerprint observation data store with the registered survey point.

2. The method of claim 1, where accessing the venue map includes acquiring information concerning one or more of:

a name of the venue, a name of the venue map, an identifier of the venue, an identifier of the venue map, a location of the venue, a space represented by the venue map, an element in the space, or a symbolic depiction of relationships between elements in the space.

3. The method of claim 1, where accessing the survey plan includes acquiring information concerning one or more of:

a name of the survey plan, an identifier of the survey plan, or a venue map to which the survey plan applies.

4. The method of claim 1, where the description of the recognizable location includes a sensor-based description of the recognizable location.

5. The method of claim 1, where the survey plan is embedded in metadata associated with the venue map.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising embedding the survey plan in metadata associated with the venue map.

7. The method of claim 1, where the surveyor is one of:

a human surveyor, an automated surveyor, and a robotic surveyor and where providing the survey plan includes one or more of;

producing a visual display, generating a voice instruction, or generating a machine instruction.

8. The method of claim 1, where receiving a sensor fingerprint includes receiving a signal from one or more of:

an accelerometer, a barometer, a compass, a gyroscope, or an infrared device.

9. The method of claim 1, where creating the registered survey point comprises establishing a first relationship between the sensor fingerprint and the sensor reading point, and establishing a second relationship between the sensor reading point and the survey plan.

10. The method of claim 9, where establishing the first relationship comprises populating a survey point data store with the sensor fingerprint, with information describing the sensor reading point, and with information that correlates the sensor reading point to the sensor fingerprint, and

where establishing the second relationship comprises populating the survey point data store with information describing the sensor reading point, with information describing the survey plan, and with information that correlates the sensor reading point to the survey plan.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising updating the fingerprint observation data store with a registered survey point produced at a second, different time as part of a second, different survey.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer control the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

controlling the computer to acquire a venue map data set that describes a venue for which a survey is to be performed;

controlling the computer to extract a survey plan data set for the venue from the venue map data set;

controlling the computer to identify a survey path from the survey plan data set;

controlling the computer to identify a logical survey point located at the start of the survey path;

controlling the computer to identify a logical survey point located at the end of the survey path;

controlling the computer to produce instructions for positioning a surveyor at the logical survey point located at the start of the survey path and for directing the surveyor along the survey path to the logical survey point located at the end of the survey path;

providing the instructions to the surveyor;

controlling the computer to receive a set of sensor data from a sensor reading point on the survey path traversed by the surveyor; and

populating a fingerprint observation data store with the set of sensor data, with information describing the sensor reading point, and with information for correlating the set of sensor data with the sensor reading point and the venue.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a set of logics configured to perform sensor data collection as controlled by a decoupled survey plan; and

an interface to connect the processor, the memory, and the set of logics;

the set of logics comprising;

a first logic configured to access the decoupled survey plan for surveying an area located in a global positioning system dead zone, where the decoupled survey plan includes a point for which there is a co-ordinate based ground truth available and where the point is described with reference to a visual landmark without reference to the co-ordinate based ground truth;

a second logic configured to produce a radio frequency sensor based survey for the area located in the global positioning system dead zone based, at least in part, on the decoupled survey plan; and

a third logic configured to register the radio frequency sensor based survey to a map representing the area located in the global positioning dead zone.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the first logic being configured to provide information concerning the decoupled survey plan as one of:

a visual display on the apparatus, an audible transmission from the apparatus, or as instructions for directing the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the second logic being configured to produce the radio frequency sensor based survey by acquiring a series of sensor readings at a series of points along a path described in the decoupled survey plan, where the sensor readings include information from which a relative distance to the point for which a ground truth is available can be computed for members of the series of points.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, the third logic being configured to register the radio frequency sensor based survey to a second, different map representing an area located in the global positioning system dead zone as a function of a relationship between the point for which there is a ground truth, members of the series of points, and a point on the second, different map.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising a fourth logic configured to selectively update the radio frequency sensor based survey using sensor data acquired during two or more different survey plan based sensor data collections of data from the global positioning system dead zone, where the two or more different survey plan based sensor data collections were performed at two or more different times as part of two or more different surveys.