Audio-based environment awareness

• US 8,812,014 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Do, Ju-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US12/871,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

A method of determining a position of a mobile device in a wireless communication network includes: accessing mobile device audio information from the mobile device; analyzing the mobile device audio information to determine an environmental characteristic of a present environment of the mobile device; and using the environmental characteristic to affect a determination of the position of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position of a mobile device in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

accessing mobile device audio information from the mobile device;

analyzing the mobile device audio information to determine an environmental characteristic indicating at least one of a corresponding environment type or a specific location in which the mobile device currently resides; and

using the environmental characteristic indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides to affect a determination of the position of the mobile device, wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises selecting, based on the environmental characteristic determined from the mobile device audio information and indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides, one or more location information sensors of the mobile device to obtain information for determining the position of the mobile device,

wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises setting a position determination formula parameter based on the environmental characteristic, and wherein the position of the mobile device is determined using the position determination formula parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the mobile device audio information comprises comparing the mobile device audio information with a statistical model of audio patterns and corresponding environment types.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises changing the determination of the position based on a change of the environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises using a position associated with the environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides as a seed position.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the mobile device audio information comprises accessing noise level information and analyzing the mobile device audio information comprises comparing the accessed noise level information with noise levels associated with different environmental characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the mobile device audio information comprises accessing spectral characteristics and analyzing the mobile device audio information comprises comparing the accessed spectral characteristics with spectral characteristics associated with different environments.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the mobile device audio information comprises obtaining mobile device audio information from multiple microphones of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing non-audio sensor information and analyzing the non-audio sensor information in conjunction with the mobile device audio information to determine the environmental characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises analyzing a look-up table of combinations of examples of environmental characteristic and determination information for affecting the determination of the position, and using the determination information in the determination of the position of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the look-up table comprises a region-specific look-up table based on a region presently containing the mobile device, the method further comprising downloading the look-up table to the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the look-up table is downloaded to the mobile device in response to determining the region presently containing the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the mobile device audio information from the mobile device comprises obtaining noise information from a noise canceling mechanism.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises affecting a search of a positioning device based on the environmental characteristic.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein affecting the search of the positioning device comprises at least one of:

(1) altering a search procedure for a satellite or a WLAN access point;

(2) affecting which satellites or WLAN access points are searched for;

or (3) setting a threshold used in searching for the satellite or WLAN access point.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the mobile device audio information comprises analyzing the mobile device audio information for specific sounds or frequencies associated with known environments.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is one of (1) a mobile standalone method wherein the analyzing is performed by the mobile device, (2) a mobile-assisted method wherein the analyzing is performed by the mobile device and the method further comprises wirelessly downloading by the mobile device of at least portions of statistical models for use in the analyzing, and (3) a server-based method wherein the mobile device audio information is wirelessly uploaded from the mobile device and the analyzing is performed by a server displaced from the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic further comprises using the environmental characteristic to select one or more positioning methods for determining the position of the mobile device based on the environmental characteristic.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein selecting the one or more positioning methods comprises selecting an order of positioning methods to use for determining the position of the mobile device based on, for each of the one or more positioning methods, at least one of expected signal availability, positioning accuracy, time to fix, or power consumption.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic further comprises using the environmental characteristic to select, based on the environmental characteristic, a filter type for determining the position of the mobile device, the filter type comprising at least one of a Kalman filter, a Weighted Least Square filter or a particle filter.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein using the environmental characteristic comprises:

determining an estimated movement speed associated with the environmental characteristic; and

adjusting a rate for determining the position of the mobile device based on the estimated movement speed.

21. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

access mobile device audio information from a mobile device in a wireless telecommunication network;

analyze the mobile device audio information to determine an environmental characteristic indicating at least one of a corresponding environment type or a specific location in which the mobile device currently resides;

use the environmental characteristic indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides to affect a determination of a position of the mobile device at least in part by selecting, based on the environmental characteristic, determined from the mobile device audio information and indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides, one or more location information sensors of the mobile device to obtain information for determining the position of the mobile device; and

use the environmental characteristic to set a position determination formula parameter based on the environmental characteristic, and to determine the position of the mobile device using the position determination formula parameter.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to analyze the mobile device audio information are configured to cause the processor to compare the mobile device audio information with a statistical model of audio patterns and corresponding environment types.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to use the environmental characteristic are configured to cause the processor to use a position associated with the environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides as a seed position.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to access non-audio sensor information and to analyze the non-audio sensor information in conjunction with the mobile device audio information to determine the environmental characteristic.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to access region-specific associations of mobile device audio information and environmental characteristics corresponding to a region presently containing the mobile device.

26. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to access the mobile device audio information are configured to cause the processor to obtain noise information, from a noise canceling mechanism, as the mobile device audio information.

27. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to use the environmental characteristic are configured to cause the processor to affect a search of a positioning device based on the environmental characteristic by at least one of:

(1) altering a search procedure for a satellite or a WLAN access point;

(2) affecting which satellites or WLAN access points are searched for;

or (3) setting a threshold used in searching for the satellite or WLAN access point.

28. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the processor-readable medium resides in at least one of the mobile device or a server displaced from the mobile device.

29. An apparatus for determining a position of a mobile device in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a memory storing records of audio sensor information and associated environmental characteristics for a plurality of sample environments; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive mobile device audio information collected by an audio sensor of the mobile device;

compare the received mobile device audio information with the stored audio sensor information to select a stored record of audio sensor information corresponding to the received mobile device audio information and an associated environmental characteristic indicating at least one of a corresponding environment type or a specific location in which the mobile device currently resides; and

use the associated environmental characteristic of the selected record, indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides, to determine the position of the mobile device at least in part by selecting, based on the environmental characteristic, determined from the mobile device audio information and indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides, one or more location information sensors of the mobile device to obtain information for determining the position of the mobile device,

wherein the processor is configured to use the associated environmental characteristic of the selected record to set a position determination formula parameter based on the associated environmental characteristic, and to determine the position of the mobile device using the position determination formula parameter.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the processor is configured to compare at least one of a noise level or a spectral characteristic of the received mobile device audio information with noise levels or spectral characteristics, respectively, of the stored audio sensor information.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus is the mobile device and the mobile device further comprises multiple microphones disposed, coupled, and configured to obtain and provide the mobile device audio information to the processor.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the memory further stores non-audio information and the processor is further configured to receive non-audio sensor information from the mobile device and analyze the non-audio sensor information in conjunction with the mobile device audio information to determine the associated environmental characteristic.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the processor is configured to request records of mobile device audio information that are associated with a present position of the mobile device.

34. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus is the mobile device and the apparatus further comprises a noise cancellation module coupled to the processor and configured to filter background noise from sensed audio resulting in filtered background noise and to provide the filtered background noise to the processor as the mobile device audio information collected by an audio sensor of the mobile device.

35. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the processor is configured to use the associated environmental characteristic to at least one of:

(1) select a search procedure for a satellite or a WLAN access point;

(2) select which satellites or WLAN access points are searched for;

or (3) set a threshold used in searching for the satellite or WLAN access point.

36. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus comprises one of (1) the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate in a mobile standalone mode, (2) the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate in a mobile-assisted mode and further comprises a transceiver configured to receive wirelessly at least portions of the stored audio sensor information, or (3) a server further comprising the transceiver configured to receive the mobile device audio information collected by the audio sensor of the mobile device.

37. An apparatus for determining a position of a mobile device in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing mobile device audio information from the mobile device;

analyzing means for analyzing the mobile device audio information to determine an environmental characteristic indicating at least one of a corresponding environment type or a specific location in which the mobile device currently resides; and

processing means for using the environmental characteristic indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides to affect a determination of the position of the mobile device at least in part by selecting, based on the environmental characteristic, determined from the mobile device audio information and indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides, one or more location information sensors of the mobile device to obtain information for determining the position of the mobile device, wherein the processing means are configured to set a position determination formula parameter based on the environmental characteristic and to determine the position of the mobile device using the position determination formula parameter.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the analyzing means are configured to compare the mobile device audio information with a statistical model of audio patterns and corresponding environment types.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the means for accessing and the analyzing means are configured to access at least one of noise level information or spectral characteristics and to compare at least one of the accessed noise level information or accessed spectral characteristics with noise levels or spectral characteristics associated with different environmental characteristics.

40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the means for accessing are configured to access non-audio sensor information and the analyzing means are configured to analyze the non-audio sensor information in conjunction with the mobile device audio information to determine the environmental characteristic.

41. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the means for accessing are configured to access region-specific combinations of mobile device audio information and corresponding environmental characteristics based on a region presently containing the mobile device.

42. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the means for accessing the mobile device audio information comprises a noise canceling mechanism.

43. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the processing means are configured to affect a search of a positioning device based on the environmental characteristic.

44. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the apparatus comprises one of (1) the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate in a mobile standalone mode, (2) the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate in a mobile-assisted mode and further comprises a transceiver configured to receive wirelessly at least portions of the stored audio sensor information, or (3) a server further comprising the transceiver configured to receive the mobile device audio information collected by an audio sensor of the mobile device.

45. An apparatus for determining a position of a mobile device in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing mobile device audio information;

categorizing means for determining an environmental category indicating at least one of a corresponding environment type or a specific location in which the mobile device currently resides based on the mobile device audio information;

selecting means for selecting, based on the environmental category, determined based on the mobile device audio information and indicating the at least one of the corresponding environment type or the specific location in which the mobile device currently resides, a location information sensor of the mobile device to sense information for determining the position of the mobile device, and

setting a position determination formula parameter based on the environmental characteristic and to determine the position of the mobile device using the position determination formula parameter.