Apparatus and method for integrated positioning

• US 8,918,276 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Eung Sun, Park, Do Hyung, Kim, Ki Ho, Cheong, Yoon Chae
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/368,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method associated with a location based service, and an apparatus for integrated positioning that may sense positioning-associated information that is in proximity to a user. The apparatus may hierarchically classify the sensed positioning-associated information into multiple categories of accuracy based on a predetermined criterion, and estimate the location of the user in order of low accuracy information to more precise accuracy information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for integrated positioning, the apparatus comprising:

a positioning information sensor configured to sense positioning-associated information that is in proximity to the apparatus, wherein the positioning-associated information is sensed using a plurality of different sensing technologies;

a classifier configured to classify the sensed positioning-associated information into at least two types of information based on an accuracy, wherein the accuracy is based on a type of the plurality of different sensing technologies that are used to provide the positioning-associated information to the sensor; and

a location estimator configured to estimate the location of the apparatus sequentially from the at least two types of information,

wherein each of the at least two types of information indicates a different error range between the estimated location of the apparatus and an actual location of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two types of information include first information, second information, and third information, and wherein the first information provides a location accuracy of an X meter radius, the second information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Y meter radius, the third information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Z meter radius, and a value of X is greater than a value of Y, and the value of Y is greater than a value of Z.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the location estimator is configured to estimate a first location of the apparatus based on the first information, estimate a second location of the apparatus based on the second information within an area of the first information, and estimate a third location of the apparatus based on the third information within an area of the second information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the location estimator comprises:

an accuracy calculator configured to calculate an accuracy of the estimated third location of the apparatus; and

a cooperative positioning determiner configured to determine whether a cooperative positioning is to be performed with a relative positioning device, based on the calculated accuracy.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooperative positioning determiner is configured to determine whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the third information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when an average interval of the calculated accuracy is at least Z meters.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooperative positioning determiner is configured to determine whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the third information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when a predetermined target is located within a relative region of the relative positioning device.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooperative positioning determiner is configured to determine to perform the cooperative positioning based on the third information and relative location information, by continuously activating the relative positioning device.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the relative positioning device is configured to measure a movement direction and a movement distance of a terminal using an inertial sensor of the terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the relative positioning device is configured to measure a relative distance and direction from a terminal to a predetermined target.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooperative positioning performer configured to estimate the location of the apparatus based on the third information and relative location information measured from a relative positioning device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning-associated information comprises map information indicating a location of an access point (AP) used for measuring the location of the apparatus or a location of a sensor for sensing a radio frequency (RF) signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning-associated information comprises geomagnetic-associated map information indicating geomagnetic-associated information of a building where the apparatus is located.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a location updater configured to update a location of the apparatus in motion, based on the positioning-associated information within a predetermined discovery range centered on the estimated location of the apparatus, in response to an estimation of the location of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location estimator is configured to estimate a first location of the apparatus based on a first sensing technology, estimate a second location of the apparatus based on a second sensing technology within an area sensed using the first sensing technology, and estimate a third location of the apparatus based on a third sensing technology within an area sensed using the second sensing technology.

15. A method of apparatus for integrated positioning, the method comprising:

sensing, using a sensor, positioning-associated information that is in proximity to the apparatus, wherein the positioning-associated information is sensed using a plurality of different sensing technologies;

classifying the sensed positioning-associated information into at least two types of information based on an accuracy, wherein the accuracy is based on a type of the plurality of different sensing technologies that are used to provide the positioning-associated information; and

estimating the location of the apparatus sequentially from the at least two types of information,

wherein each of the at least two types of information indicates a different error range between the estimated location of the apparatus and an actual location of the apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least two types of information include first information, second information, and third information, and

wherein the first information provides a location accuracy of an average of an X meter radius, the second information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Y meter radius, the third information provides a location accuracy of an average of a Z meter radius, and a value of X is greater than a value of Y, and the value of Y is greater than a value of Z.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the estimating comprises estimating a first location of the apparatus based on the first information, estimating a second location of the apparatus based on the second information within an area of the first information, and estimating a third location of the apparatus based on the third information within an area of the second information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the estimating comprises:

calculating an accuracy of the estimated third location of the apparatus; and

determining whether a cooperative positioning is to be performed with a relative positioning device based on the calculated accuracy.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining comprises determining whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the third information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when an average interval of the calculated accuracy is at least Y meters.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining comprises determining whether to perform the cooperative positioning based on the third information and relative location information, by activating the relative positioning device when a predetermined target is located within a relative region of the relative positioning device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein determining comprises determining to perform the cooperative positioning based on the third information and relative location information, by continuously activating the relative positioning device.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

estimating the location of the apparatus based on the third information and relative location information measured from the relative positioning device.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

updating a location of the apparatus in motion, based on the positioning-associated information within a predetermined discovery range centered on the estimated location of the apparatus, in response to an estimation of the location of the apparatus.

24. An apparatus for integrated positioning, the apparatus comprising:

a positioning information sensor configured to sense positioning-associated information that is in proximity to a apparatus, wherein the position-associated information is sensed using a plurality of different sensing technologies;

a classifier configured to classify the sensed positioning-associated information into a plurality types of information based on an accuracy, wherein the accuracy is based on a type of the plurality of different sensing technologies that are used to provide the positioning-associated information to the sensor; and

a location estimator configured to estimate the location of the apparatus sequentially from the plurality types of information,

wherein each of the plurality types of information indicates a different error range between the estimated location of the apparatus and an actual location of the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the location estimator is further configured to estimate the location of the apparatus based on increasing accuracy of the plurality types of information.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality types of accuracy information includes a first information and a second information having a different accuracy than the first information.