Method and system for determining a position fix indoors

• US 8,831,507 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, Dave, Abraham, Charles, Buer, Mark, Garrett, David, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Lundgren, David
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/732,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/456.1, 455/561, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/41.3, 455/575.1, 455/562.1, 455/16, 455/456.3, 455/41.1, 455/456.5, 437/277, 342/357.51, 342/356, 342/352, 342/357.57, 407/91, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals

Abstract

Whenever a mobile device in a building is within proximity of a RF communication device, the mobile device may be operable to receive location information transmitted, for example by broadcasting it, from a RF communication device. The transmitted location information comprises altitude information of the RF communication device. At least an altitude of the mobile device may be determined based on the received altitude information of the RF communication device. The RF communication device may be located in an elevator car and/or on a particular floor in the building. Whenever the RF communication device is located in the elevator car, the altitude information of the RF communication device may be received by the RF communication device from an elevator controller. In instances when the RF communication device also transmits its latitude/longitude (LAT/LON), the mobile device may be operable to determine a 3-dimentional (3D) location of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for communication in a building, the method comprising:

communicating, by a mobile device, with a radio frequency (RF) communication device in said building for a purpose other than for requesting location information;

receiving location information, at said mobile device as part of a communication from said RF communication device,

wherein said location information is transmitted wirelessly from said RF communication device while said mobile device is moving and while said RF communication device is stationary, when said mobile device is within proximity of said RF communication device;

obtaining, by said mobile device, altitude information and a latitude and longitude (LAT/LON) of said RF communication device from said location information; and

calculating, by said mobile device, a 3-dimensional (3D) location of said mobile device based on said altitude information and said LAT/LON for use in a location based service.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said RF communication device comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) device that is located in an elevator car.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting, by said WLAN device, said altitude information that is received from an elevator controller.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said RF communication device comprises a Bluetooth device that is located in an elevator car.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting, by said Bluetooth device, said altitude information that is received from an elevator controller.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said RF communication device is located on a particular floor of said building.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said RF communication device comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth device;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag; and

a near field communication (NFC) device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving comprises:

broadcasting said location information from said RF communication device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by said mobile device, said location information from said RF communication device before receiving said location information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said location based service comprises an enhanced 911 service, the method further comprising:

using said calculated 3D location of said mobile device in said enhanced 911 service.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information is pre-set in said RF communication device or received at said RF communication device from an altimeter.

9. A mobile device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a radio frequency (RF) communication device in a building for a purpose other than for requesting location information and to receive, as part of a communication from said RF communication device, location information transmitted wirelessly from said RF communication device while said mobile device is moving and while said RF communication device is stationary, when said mobile device is within proximity of said RF communication device;

a location module configured to obtain altitude information and a latitude and longitude (LAT/LON) of said RF communication device and to calculate a 3-dimensional (3D) location of said mobile device based on said obtained altitude information and LAT/LON for use in a location based service; and

a processor configured to control operation of said transceiver and said location module.

12. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein said RF communication device comprises a Bluetooth device that is located in an elevator car.

13. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said Bluetooth device is configured to transmit said altitude information that is received from an elevator controller.

14. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein said RF communication device is located on a particular floor of said building.

15. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein said RF communication device comprises a Bluetooth device that is located on a particular floor of said building.

16. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein said RF communication device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag that is located on a particular floor of said building.

17. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein said RF communication device comprises a near field communication (NFC) device that is located on a particular floor of said building.

18. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein said RF communication device is configured to broadcast said location information.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless local area network (WLAN) device located in an elevator car in a building for a purpose other than for requesting location information and to receive, as part of a communication from said WLAN device, location information transmitted wirelessly from said WLAN device while said mobile device is moving and while said WLAN device is stationary with respect to said elevator car, when said mobile device is within proximity of said WLAN device;

wherein said transmitted location information comprises altitude information of said WLAN device;

a location module configured to calculate an altitude of said mobile device based on said received location information for use in a location based service; and

a processor configured to control operation of said transceiver and said location module.

11. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein said WLAN device is configured to transmit said altitude information that is received from an elevator controller.