Method, system and/or device for adjusting expected received signal strength signature values

• US 9,008,695 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Do, Ju-Yong, Venkatraman, Sai Pradeep, Gao, Weihua, Zhang, Gengsheng, Garin, Lionel Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US13/736,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20140194145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/422.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1331 Measuring real or reactive component, measuring apparent energy
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/06 TPC algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for application of determining position information for mobile devices. In specific implementations, measurement of a signal travel time and a signal'"'"'s strength may be combined to characterize a transmission power of the signal'"'"'s transmitter. The characterized transmission power may be applied to affect expected signal strength signature values for use of the signal'"'"'s transmitter may be updated in order to enhance a location based service where location may be effected by accuracy of a transmitter'"'"'s power.

Claims

1. A method for estimating transmission power comprising, at a mobile device:

obtaining a measurement of travel time of a first signal transmitted between the mobile device and a second device;

obtaining a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by said second device and received at the mobile device; and

computing an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is at least based on the measurement of the travel time and at least based on he measurement of the signal strength.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing of the estimated transmission power of the second device applies to one or more location based services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing of the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss based, at least in part, on said measurement of the signal strength and the measurement of the travel time, the method further comprising:

transmitting the computed estimated transmission power and the estimated path loss to a server for use in computing the adjusted one or more expected signal strength signature values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device has a receiver and wherein the computing of the estimated transmission power further comprises adjusting said measurement of said signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the computed estimated transmission power to a server for use in computing the adjusted one or more expected signal strength signature values.

8. A mobile device comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

obtain a measurement of travel time of a first signal transmitted between the mobile device and a second device;

obtain a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by said second device and received at the mobile device; and

compute an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is at least based on the measurement of the travel time and at least based on the measurement of the signal strength.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein said measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the mobile device has a receiver, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to compute the estimated transmission power by adjusting said measurement of said signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver of the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the computed estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss based, at least in part, on said measurement of the signal strength and the measurement of the travel time, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

initiate transmission of the computed estimated transmission power and the estimated path loss to a server for use in computing the adjusted one or more expected signal strength signature values.

13. An article comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by a mobile device to;

obtain a measurement of travel time of a first signal transmitted between the mobile device and a second device;

obtain a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by said second device and received at said mobile device; and

compute an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is at least based on the measurement of the travel time and at least based on the measurement of the signal strength.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein said measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

16. The article of claim 13, wherein the mobile device has a receiver and wherein the instructions are further executable by said mobile device to compute the estimated transmission power further by adjusting said measurement of said signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.

17. The article of claim 13, wherein the computed estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss based, at least in part, on said measurement of the signal strength and the measurement of the travel time, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the mobile device to:

initiate transmission of the computed estimated transmission power and the estimated path loss to a server for use in computing the adjusted one or more expected signal strength signature values.

18. A mobile device comprising:

means for obtaining a measurement of travel time of a first signal transmitted between the mobile device and a second device;

means for obtaining a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by said second device and received at the mobile device; and

means for computing an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is at least based on the measurement of the travel time and at least based on the measurement of the signal strength.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the means for computing the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss based, at least in part, on said measurement of the signal strength and the measurement of the travel time, the mobile device further comprising:

means for transmitting the computed estimated transmission power and the estimated path loss to a server for use in computing the adjusted one or more expected signal strength signature values.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

21. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein said measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

22. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the means for obtaining the measurement of the signal strength includes a receiver, and wherein said means for computing the estimated transmission power further comprises means for adjusting said measurement of said signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.