Providing indoor location, position, or tracking of a mobile computer using a room dimension

• US 8,842,496 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: HJ Laboratories, LLC
• Inventors: Vartanian, Harry, Jurikson-Rhodes, Jaron
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US13/776,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 367/99, 367/96, 702/156, 324/357.31, 324/357.32
• US Class Current: 367/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/466 by Trilateration, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the antennas or sensors, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/465 by Trilateration, i.e. two transducers determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the transducers, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/015 between indoor and outdoor environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/907 : Coordinate determination

Abstract

Providing indoor location, position, or tracking of a mobile computer is disclosed. Outdoor location, indoor location, and determined motion information is used to track the mobile computer indoors.

Claims

1. A mobile computer characterized in that:

a processor is configured to determine, by utilization of satellite based positioning information, outdoor location of the mobile computer;

the mobile computer is configured to determine, in part, a location of a room in a building where it is located;

the mobile computer is further configured to track, in part by utilization of the location, data, and estimated motion information, movement in the building;

wherein the location is determined by utilization of accuracy information associated with a probability;

wherein the data is a combination of the outdoor location, Wi-Fi information, and environmental sensor information; and

wherein the estimated motion information is based on accelerometer information and gyroscope information.

2. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the mobile computer is a smartphone or telephone.

3. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein a gyroscope determines an orientation of the mobile computer in the room.

4. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the location of the room is utilized to determine a user context for an application on the mobile computer.

5. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the location of the room is utilized to guide any one of emergency personnel or a firefighter.

6. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the outdoor location is utilized to determine a side of the building where the mobile computer is located.

7. The mobile computer of claim 1 further characterized in that:

the mobile computer is further configured to determine altitude; and

wherein the altitude assists in determining a floor of the building where the mobile computer is located.

8. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein any one of audible information, compass information, camera based information, radio frequency identification (REID) information, Bluetooth information, ranging information, Wi-Fl based ranging information, femtocell information, or picocell information is utilized to determine the location or the estimated motion information of the mobile computer.

17. The mobile computer of claim 1 wherein the data includes a location state that comprises any one of the mobile computer being in a conveyance or the mobile computer being in an elevator.

9. A method performed by a mobile computer, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor utilizing satellite based positioning information, outdoor location of the mobile computer;

determining, in part by the mobile computer, a location of a room in a building where it is located;

tracking, in part by the mobile computer utilizing the location, data, and estimated motion information, movement in the building;

wherein the location is determined by utilizing accuracy information associated with a probability;

wherein the data is a combination of the outdoor location, Wi-Fi information, and environmental sensor information; and

wherein the estimated motion information is based on accelerometer information and gyroscope information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the mobile computer is a smartphone or telephone.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein a gyroscope determines an orientation of the mobile computer in the room.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the location of the room is utilized to determine a user context for an application on the mobile computer.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the location of the room is utilized to guide any one of emergency personnel or a firefighter.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the outdoor location is utilized to determine a side of the building where the mobile computer is located.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining, by the mobile computer, altitude; and

wherein the altitude assists in determining a floor of the building where the mobile computer is located.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein any one of audible information, compass information, camera based information, radio frequency identification (RFID) information, Bluetooth information, ranging information, Wi-Fi based ranging information, femtocell information, or picocell information is utilized to determine the location or the estimated motion information of the mobile computer.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the data includes a location state that comprises any one of the mobile computer being in a conveyance or the mobile computer being in an elevator.