Method and apparatus for transmitting indoor context information

• US 8,897,814 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Rajarshi, Wachter, Andreas Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US13/958,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• 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: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for determining indoor context information relating to a location of a mobile device. Indoor context information may be utilized by a mobile device or a network element to obtain an estimate of a location of the mobile device within an indoor environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining information relating to a location of a mobile device based at least in part on one or more signals received by the mobile device;

transmitting, from the mobile device, the information relating to the location of the mobile device to one or more first network elements;

receiving from one or more second network elements, at the mobile device, indoor context information for an indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

receiving information identifying a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information from an entity related to the indoor environment or a second mobile device;

sending from the mobile device the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points to the one or more second network elements;

receiving, at the mobile device, updated indoor context information from the one or more second network elements; and

obtaining an estimate of the location of the mobile device based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device and the updated indoor context information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the entity related to the in the indoor environment is a server associated with the indoor environment.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to determine information relating to a location of a mobile device based at least in part on one or more signals received by the mobile device;

memory;

a transmitter configured to send the information relating to the location of the mobile device to one or more first network elements;

a receiver configured to;

receive, from one or more second network elements, indoor context information for an indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment; and

receive information identifying a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information from an entity related to the indoor environment or a second mobile device;

the transmitter being further configured to send the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points to the one or more second network elements;

the receiver being further configured to receive updated indoor context information from the one or more second network elements; and

the processor being further configured to obtain an estimate of the location of the mobile device based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device and the updated indoor context information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the information identifying the position of each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the entity related to the in the indoor environment is a server associated with the indoor environment.

11. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining information relating to a location of a mobile device based at least in part on one or more signals received by the mobile device;

means for transmitting the information relating to the location of the mobile device to one or more first network elements;

means for receiving from one or more second network elements indoor context information for an indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

means for receiving information identifying a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information from an entity related to the indoor environment or a second mobile device;

means for sending the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points to the one or more second network elements;

means for receiving updated indoor context information from the one or more second network elements; and

means for obtaining an estimate of the location of the mobile device based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device and the updated indoor context information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the entity related to the in the indoor environment is a server associated with the indoor environment.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions configured to cause a computer to:

determine information relating to a location of a mobile device based at least in part on one or more signals received by the mobile device;

transmit the information relating to the location of the mobile device to one or more first network elements;

receive from one or more second network elements indoor context information for an indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

receive information identifying a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information from an entity related to the indoor environment or a second mobile device;

send the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points to the one or more second network elements;

receive updated indoor context information from the one or more second network elements; and

obtain an estimate of the location of the mobile device based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device and the updated indoor context information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the entity related to the in the indoor environment is a server associated with the indoor environment.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network element, information relating to a location of a mobile device within an indoor environment;

determining, at the network element, information relating to indoor context information for the indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the information relating to the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

receiving, at the network element, from the mobile device, information associated with a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information;

generating updated indoor context information by updating the information relating to the indoor context information to include the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points; and

sending the updated indoor context information to the mobile device from the network element.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to determine information relating to a location of a mobile device based at least in part on one or more signals received by the mobile device;

memory;

a transmitter configured to send the information relating to the location of the mobile device to one or more first network elements; and

a receiver configured to receive information relating to the location of the mobile device within an indoor environment;

the processor being further configured to determine information relating to indoor context information for the indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the information relating to the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

the receiver being further configured to receive, from the mobile device, information associated with a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information;

the processor being further configured to generate updated indoor context information by updating the information relating to the indoor context information to include the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points; and

the transmitter being further configured to send the updated indoor context information to the mobile device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

29. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving information relating to a location of a mobile device within an indoor environment;

means for determining information relating to indoor context information for the indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the information relating to the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

means for receiving, from the mobile device, information associated with a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information;

means for generating updated indoor context information by updating the information relating to the indoor context information to include the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points; and

means for sending the updated indoor context information to the mobile device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions configured to cause a computer to:

receive information relating to a location of a mobile device within an indoor environment;

determine information relating to indoor context information for the indoor environment based at least in part on the information relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the information relating to the indoor context information includes information identifying a position of each of one or more first wireless access points within the indoor environment;

receive, from the mobile device, information associated with a position of each of one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information;

generate updated indoor context information by updating the information relating to the indoor context information to include the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points; and

send the updated indoor context information to the mobile device.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the updated indoor context information includes position information for at least one of the one or more second wireless access points.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises map information for the indoor environment comprising the position of the one or more second wireless access points in the indoor environment.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the information identifying the position of the each of the one or more second wireless access points not included with the indoor context information comprises a link to map information for the indoor environment.