Position estimation of a wireless terminal in a structure using base station signal information

• US 8,903,421 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US14/183,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 340/539.2, 340/539.13, 340/525
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A wireless terminal, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The wireless terminal includes circuitry configured to receive a wireless signal transmitted from a base station; perform signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal; receive, via a graphical user interface, section information that identifies a section of a building structure for which the signal intensity measurement is to be performed; and transmit measurement information acquired by the signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal, base station identification information that indicates a base station of a transmission source of the wireless signal, and the section information. The measurement information is associated with the base station identification information and the section information. The circuitry is further configured to perform the signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal in response to a predetermined user input operation that is received after the section information.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive a wireless signal transmitted from a base station;

perform signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal;

receive, via a graphical user interface, section information that identifies a section of a building structure for which the signal intensity measurement is to be performed; and

transmit measurement information acquired by the signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal, base station identification information that indicates a base station of a transmission source of the wireless signal, and the section information, wherein

the measurement information is associated with the base station identification information and the section information, and

the circuitry is configured to perform the signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal in response to a predetermined user input operation that is received after the section information.

2. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

generate one or more display screens;

collect input from a user, the collection of input comprising causing the circuitry to generate the one or more display screens; and

transmit to a position estimation server registration request information comprising one or more of the section, a structure name, signal intensity information, and estimated distance information;

wherein the wireless terminal further comprises a display configured to display the one or more display screens generated by the circuitry.

3. The wireless terminal of claim 2, wherein the one or more display screens comprise a section information registration screen for registering information comprising the section information with the position estimation server, and a guidance screen.

4. The wireless terminal of claim 3, wherein the section information registration screen comprises an interface for inputting the structure name associated with the wireless terminal'"'"'s location.

5. The wireless terminal of claim 4, wherein the section information registration screen comprises an interface for inputting the section associated with the wireless terminal'"'"'s location, the section comprising a floor or a room.

6. The wireless terminal of claim 2, wherein the display comprises at least one of:

a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display device, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, an Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED) device, and a lamp.

7. The wireless terminal of claim 2, wherein the circuitry periodically transmits measurement information, or transmits the measurement information based on the predetermined user operation of the circuitry configured to collect input from the user.

8. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises one or more of:

a wireless communication function defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE);

a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication function defined by IEEE; and

a communication function associated with Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

9. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the circuitry communicates information comprising at least one of:

electronic mail, audio data, visual data, and program code.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal is one of:

a mobile phone, a personal computer, a home video processing device, a personal handyphone system, a mobile music playback device, a mobile video processing device, a personal digital assistant, a home game console, a mobile game console, and a household electrical appliance.

31. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the section information includes at least one of a name of a room, an organization, a haunted house, a cafeteria, a VVV area, and a carriage number.

11. A method for estimating the position of a wireless terminal comprising:

receiving a wireless signal transmitted from a base station;

measuring signal intensity of the received wireless signal;

receiving, via a graphical user interface, section information that identifies a section of a building structure for which the signal intensity is to be measured; and

transmitting the measured signal intensity, base station identification information indicating a base station of a transmission source of the wireless signal, and the section information, wherein

the measured signal intensity is associated with the base station identification information and the section information, and

the measuring step is performed in response to a predetermined user input operation that is received after the section information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating one or more display screens;

collecting input from a user, the collection of input comprising causing the generating the one or more display screens; and

transmitting to a position estimation server registration request information comprising one or more of the section, a structure name, signal intensity information, and estimated distance information;

wherein the wireless terminal further comprises a display configured to display the one or more display screens generated by the generating.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more display screens comprise a section information registration screen for registering information comprising the section information with the position estimation server, and a guidance screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the section information registration screen comprises an interface for inputting the structure name associated with the wireless terminal'"'"'s location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the section information registration screen comprises an interface for inputting the section associated with the wireless terminal'"'"'s location, the section comprising a floor or a room.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the display comprises at least one of:

a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display device, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, an Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED) device, and a lamp.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

periodically transmitting measurement information, or transmitting the measurement information based on the predetermined user operation.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless terminal comprises one or more of:

a wireless communication function defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE);

a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication function defined by IEEE; and

a communication function associated with Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating information comprising at least one of;

electronic mail, audio data, visual data, and program code.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless terminal is one of:

a mobile phone, a personal computer, a home video processing device, a personal handyphone system, a mobile music playback device, a mobile video processing device, a personal digital assistant, a home game console, a mobile game console, and a household electrical appliance.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions causing a computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving a wireless signal transmitted from a base station;

measuring signal intensity of the received wireless signal;

receiving, via a graphical user interface, section information that identifies a section of a building structure for which the signal intensity is to be measured; and

transmitting the measured signal intensity, base station identification information indicating a base station of a transmission source of the wireless signal, and the section information, wherein

the measured signal intensity is associated with the base station identification information and the section information, and

the measuring step is performed in response to a predetermined user input operation that is received after the section information.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

generating one or more display screens;

collecting input from a user, the collection of input comprising causing the generating the one or more display screens; and

transmitting to a position estimation server registration request information comprising one or more of the section, a structure name, signal intensity information, and estimated distance information;

wherein the computer further comprises a display configured to display the one or more display screens generated by the generating.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more display screens comprise a section information registration screen for registering information comprising the section information with the position estimation server, and a guidance screen.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the section information registration screen comprises an interface for inputting the structure name associated with the computer'"'"'s location.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the section information registration screen comprises an interface for inputting the section associated with the computer'"'"'s location, the section comprising a floor or a room.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the display comprises at least one of:

a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display device, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, an Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED) device, and a lamp.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

periodically transmitting measurement information, or transmitting the measurement information based on the predetermined user operation.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer comprises one or more of:

a wireless communication function defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE);

a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication function defined by IEEE; and

a communication function associated with Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

communicating information comprising at least one of;

electronic mail, audio data, visual data, and program code.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer is one of:

a mobile phone, a personal computer, a home video processing device, a personal handyphone system, a mobile music playback device, a mobile video processing device, a personal digital assistant, a home game console, a mobile game console, and a household electrical appliance.