Methods and apparatuses for use in determining a location of a mobile device within a multi-level physical structure

• US 8,805,413 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Rajarshi, Das, Saumitra Mohan, Jeong, Min-Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US13/783,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20130172009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 4554561-457, 340988-996, 342450-465
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02522 The radio-map containing measured values of non-radio values
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided that may be implemented in a mobile device to determine that the mobile device is located within a particular level of a multi-level physical structure based, at least in part, on a comparison of measured wireless signals and stored measurements of wireless signals.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a mobile device:

receiving stored measurements of wireless signals corresponding to at least two different levels within a multi-level physical structure, said measurements being indicative of a baseline set of parameters for wireless signals received from a plurality of transmitters assigned to specific levels of the multi-level physical structure, the baseline set of parameters comprising a baseline probability distribution;

measuring wireless signals from two or more of the plurality of transmitters;

determining a variation between the baseline set of parameters and at least one corresponding parameter for at least one of the measured wireless signals; and

in response to a determination that the variation satisfies a threshold variation, determining that the mobile device is located within a particular level of the multi-level physical structure based, at least in part, on the variation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

determining a first variation between the baseline probability distribution and a first probability distribution for wireless signals received from a first set of transmitters assigned to a first level of the multi-level physical structure;

determining a second variation between the baseline probability distribution and a second probability distribution for wireless signals received from a second set of transmitters assigned to a second level of the multi-level physical structure; and

determining whether the mobile device is located on the first level or the second level based, at least in part, on a comparison of the first variation and the second variation.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein determining whether the mobile device is located within the first level or the second level further comprises:

determining that the mobile device is located within the first region if the first variation is less than the second variation, and

determining that the mobile device is located within the second region if the second variation is less than the first variation.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein determining whether the mobile device is located within the first level or the second level further comprises:

verifying that at least one of the first variation or the second variation satisfies the threshold variation.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first probability distribution is based, at least in part, on signal strengths for the wireless signals received from the first set of transmitters.

6. An apparatus for use in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving stored measurements of wireless signals corresponding to at least two different levels within a multi-level physical structure, said measurements being indicative of a baseline set of parameters for wireless signals received from a plurality of transmitters assigned to specific levels of the multi-level physical structure, the baseline set of parameters comprising a baseline probability distribution;

means for measuring wireless signals from two or more of the plurality of transmitters;

means for determining a variation between the baseline set of parameters and at least one corresponding parameter for at least one of the measured wireless signals; and

means for determining that the mobile device is located within a particular level of the multi-level physical structure, in response to a determination that the variation satisfies a threshold variation, based, at least in part, on the variation.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, and further comprising:

means for determining a first variation between the baseline probability distribution and a first probability distribution for wireless signals received from a first set of transmitters assigned to a first level of the multi-level physical structure;

means for determining a second variation between the baseline probability distribution and a second probability distribution for wireless signals received from a second set of transmitters assigned to a second level of the multi-level physical structure; and

means for determining whether the mobile device is located on the first level or the second level based, at least in part, on a comparison of the first variation and the second variation.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, and further comprising:

means for determining that the mobile device is located within the first region if the first variation is less than the second variation, and

means for determining that the mobile device is located within the second region if the second variation is less than the first variation.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, and further comprising:

means for verifying that at least one of the first variation or the second variation satisfies the threshold variation.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the first probability distribution is based, at least in part, on signal strengths for the wireless signals received from the first set of transmitters.

11. A mobile device comprising:

a network interface; and

a processing unit to;

receive, via the network interface, stored measurements of wireless signals corresponding to at least two different levels within a multi-level physical structure, said measurements being indicative of a baseline set of parameters for wireless signals received from a plurality of transmitters assigned to specific levels of the multi-level physical structure, the baseline set of parameters comprising a baseline probability distribution;

measure wireless signals via the network interface from two or more of the plurality of transmitters;

determine a variation between the baseline set of parameters and at least one corresponding parameter for at least one of the measured wireless signals; and

in response to a determination that the variation satisfies a threshold variation, determine that the mobile device is located within a particular level of the multi-level physical structure based, at least in part, on the variation.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, the processing unit to further:

determine a first variation between the baseline probability distribution and a first probability distribution for wireless signals received from a first set of transmitters assigned to a first level of the multi-level physical structure;

determine a second variation between the baseline probability distribution and a second probability distribution for wireless signals received from a second set of transmitters assigned to a second level of the multi-level physical structure; and

determine whether the mobile device is located on the first level or the second level based, at least in part, on a comparison of the first variation and the second variation.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, the processing unit to further:

determine that the mobile device is located within the first region if the first variation is less than the second variation, and

determine that the mobile device is located within the second region if the second variation is less than the first variation.

14. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, the processing unit to further:

verify that at least one of the first variation or the second variation satisfies the threshold variation.

15. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein the first probability distribution is based, at least in part, on signal strengths for the wireless signals received from the first set of transmitters via the network interface.

16. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processing unit in a mobile device to;

receive stored measurements of wireless signals corresponding to at least two different levels within a multi-level physical structure, said measurements being indicative of a baseline set of parameters for wireless signals received from a plurality of transmitters assigned to specific levels of the multi-level physical structure, the baseline set of parameters comprising a baseline probability distribution;

measure wireless signals from two or more of the plurality of transmitters;

determine a variation between the baseline set of parameters and at least one corresponding parameter for at least one of the measured wireless signals; and

in response to a determination that the variation satisfies a threshold variation, determine that the mobile device is located within a particular level of the multi-level physical structure based, at least in part, on the variation.

17. The article as recited in claim 16, the instructions being further executable by the processing unit to:

determine a first variation between the baseline probability distribution and a first probability distribution for wireless signals received from a first set of transmitters assigned to a first level of the multi-level physical structure;

determine a second variation between the baseline probability distribution and a second probability distribution for wireless signals received from a second set of transmitters assigned to a second level of the multi-level physical structure; and

determine whether the mobile device is located on the first level or the second level based, at least in part, on a comparison of the first variation and the second variation.

18. The article as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing unit to:

determine that the mobile device is located within the first region if the first variation is less than the second variation, and

determine that the mobile device is located within the second region if the second variation is less than the first variation.

19. The article as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing unit to:

verify that at least one of the first variation or the second variation satisfies the threshold variation.

20. The article as recited in claim 17, wherein the first probability distribution is based, at least in part, on signal strengths for the wireless signals received from the first set of transmitters.