Creating and sharing private location databases

• US 8,914,043 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zelinka, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/450,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02523 Details of interaction of receiver with radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A mobile device receives signals from transmitting devices and generates sets of signal metrics based on the received signals. The mobile device also receives indicated locations, where each indicated location is associated with a respective set of signal metrics. The mobile device provides location-specific data to a transmitting device locating engine to estimate locations of the transmitting devices, where the location-specific data includes data representing the sets of signal metrics and data representing the indicated locations. The mobile device further receives an indication of sharing criteria via a user interface of the mobile device, and causes the estimated locations to be selectively shared with one or more other mobile devices based on the sharing criteria.

Claims

1. A system for creating and sharing a private location database, the system comprising:

a first mobile device associated with a first user, wherein the first mobile device is configured to;

collect location-specific data corresponding to one or more transmitting devices, and

cause a private location database storing location information indicative of locations of the one or more transmitting devices to be generated based on the collected location-specific data;

a sharing database storing permissions data specific to the private location database, wherein the permissions data associates the private location database with either a second user or a second group of which the second user is a member;

a second mobile device associated with the second user, wherein the second mobile device is configured to;

cause a location of the second mobile device to be determined utilizing the private location database, wherein the private location database is utilized in response to the association in the permissions data of the private location database with the second user or the second group; and

a location provider system configured to;

receive a plurality of identifiers from the second mobile device, wherein each identifier corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of transmitting devices, and wherein the plurality of identifiers includes at least a first identifier and a second identifier,

retrieve a first estimated location from a master location database, wherein the first estimated location corresponds to the first identifier,

determine whether location information stored in the private location database may be shared with the second mobile device,

in response to a determination that the location information stored in the private location database may be shared with the second mobile device, cause a second estimated location to be retrieved from the private location database, wherein the second estimated location corresponds to the second identifier, and

cause a location of the second mobile device to be determined based on at least the first estimated location and the second estimated location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-specific data includes at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) manually entered indications of locations of the one or more transmitting devices, (ii) manually entered indications of locations of the first mobile device, and (iii) signal metrics corresponding to wireless signals received from the one or more transmitting devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is configured to cause the location of the second mobile device to be determined utilizing the private location database at least in part by sending a location query to a server of the location provider system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a third estimated location in the master location database and a fourth estimated location in the private location database both correspond to a third identifier of the plurality of identifiers,

the location provider system is further configured to determine a best estimated location corresponding to the third identifier by applying one or more conflict resolution rules, and

the best estimated location is either the third estimated location or the fourth estimated location.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein applying the one or more conflict resolution rules includes comparing a first priority associated with the master location database to a second priority associated with the private location database.

6. A method in a mobile device, the method comprising:

obtaining, at the mobile device, a private location database indicator, wherein the private location database indicator corresponds to a private location database storing transmitting device locations, and wherein obtaining a private location database indicator includes (i) scanning a code corresponding to the private location database or (ii) receiving a manually entered code corresponding to the private location database;

receiving, at the mobile device, one or more signals from one or more transmitting devices, wherein the one or more signals include one or more identifiers corresponding to the one or more transmitting devices;

generating one or more signal metrics based on the one or more received signals;

gaining access to the private location database using the private location database indicator; and

determining a location of the mobile device using location information stored in the private location database and the generated one or more signal metrics.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining the private location database indicator includes scanning a QR code corresponding to the private location database or a bar code corresponding to the private location database.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining the private location database indicator includes receiving a manually entered code via a user interface of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein gaining access to the private location database using the private location database indicator includes transmitting the private location database indicator to a server of a location provider system.