Method and apparatus for mobile terminal user-oriented precise location-based information services

• US 9,060,291 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Guangzhou Ucweb Computer Technology Company, Ltd.
• Inventors: Liang, Jie
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US14/155,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 455/456.2, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention provides a precise location-based information service method and apparatus for mobile terminal browser users. The method includes: acquiring at least two types of positioning references based upon a positioning service request from a user; establishing correlation relationships among the positioning references based on the acquired positioning references; and performing integrated positioning and cross-validation on a precise location of the user based on the correlation relationships to determine final positioning service information. This invention can implement precise location-based services (LBS) and precise Point of Interest (POI) push service by analysis and extraction of the user'"'"'s location information and behavioral data acquired and accumulated with the user'"'"'s consent. This satisfies the needs of the mobile phone browser user for precise LBS and personalized nearby information service.

Claims

1. A method for providing a precise location-based information service for a user of a mobile terminal browser, including:

acquiring at least two types of positioning references based upon a positioning service request from a user, the positioning references including Wireless Fidelity (WIFI) information and Global Positioning System (GPS) information, the WIFI information indicating coordinates of a WIFI access point providing services to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the WIFI access point being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal;

establishing correlation relationships among the positioning references based on the acquired positioning references; and

performing integrated positioning and cross-validation on a precise location of the user based on the correlation relationships among the positioning references to determine final positioning service information,

wherein the cross-validation further includes;

when a distance between coordinates of the WIFI information and coordinates of the GPS information exceeds an accuracy range of the WIFI information, replacing coordinates of the WIFI information with new coordinates based on the GPS coordinates;

wherein;

the positioning references further include base station information, the base station information indicating coordinates of a base station in a mobile phone network providing services to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the base station being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal; and

performing integrated positioning further includes;

when the at least two types of positioning references are acquired simultaneously, determining the precise location of the user by using;

the GPS information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references include the GPS information;

or

the WIFI information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references do not include the GPS information; and

when multiple base stations information or WIFI information is acquired simultaneously, using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple base stations information as the base station information, or using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple WIFI information as the WIFI information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further includes:

when the distance between coordinates of the WIFI information and coordinates of the GPS information exceeds about 100 meters, replacing coordinates of the WIFI information with new coordinates based on the GPS coordinates.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein adjacent relationships are established based on same base station information and neighboring WIFI information, and performing cross-validation further includes:

correcting the WIFI information based on WIFI adjacent relationships.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, after determining the final positioning service information, the method further includes:

accepting error correction of the final positioning service information from the user.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, after determining the final positioning service information, the method further includes:

based on the user'"'"'s mobile phone model, pushing information of a nearby business entity.

17. The method according to claim 1, further including:

providing the user with a location description of the base station, the location description including a place name having the most votes from a plurality of users during a time period when a user of the plurality of users votes by;

inputting a place name for a current position the user is located at within the coverage area of the base station;

or

choosing a place name voted by other users for the base station.

6. A method for providing a precise location-based information service for a user of a mobile terminal, including:

acquiring at least two types of positioning references based upon a positioning service request from the user, the positioning reference including Wireless Fidelity (WIFI) information and Global Positioning System (GPS) information, the WIFI information indicating coordinates of a WIFI access point providing services to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the WIFI access point being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal;

establishing correlation relationships among the positioning references based on the acquired positioning references; and

performing integrated positioning and cross-validation on a precise location of the user based on the correlation relationships to determine final positioning service information, wherein performing cross-validation further includes;

when a distance between coordinates of the WIFI information and coordinates of the GPS information exceeds an accuracy range of the WIFI information, replacing coordinates of the WIFI information with new coordinates based on the GPS coordinates;

wherein the positioning references further include base station information, the base station information indicating coordinates of a base station in a mobile phone network providing services to the mobile terminal, and the coordinates of the base station being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal;

wherein performing integrated positioning further includes;

when the at least two types of positioning references are acquired simultaneously, determining the precise location of the user by using;

the GPS information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references include the GPS information;

or

the WIFI information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references do not include the GPS information; and

when multiple base stations information or WIFI information is acquired simultaneously, using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple base stations information as the base station information, or using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple WIFI information as the WIFI information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method positioning further includes:

when the distance between coordinates of the WIFI information and coordinates of the GPS information exceeds about 100 meters, replacing coordinates of the WIFI information with new coordinates based on the GPS coordinates.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

adjacent relationships are established based on same base station information and neighboring WIFI information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein performing cross-validation further includes:

correcting the WIFI information based on WIFI adjacent relationships.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, after determining the final positioning service information, the method further includes:

accepting error correction of the final positioning service information from the user.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, after determining the final positioning service information, the method further includes:

based on the user'"'"'s behavioral parameters including a mobile phone model, pushing information of a nearby business entity.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s behavioral parameters further include:

the user'"'"'s gender, age, and key interest.

13. A mobile terminal, comprising a processor and a memory having computer programs thereon, wherein the computer programs cause the mobile terminal to perform a method for providing a precise location-based information service for a user of a mobile terminal browser, the method comprising:

acquiring at least two types of positioning references based upon a positioning service request from a user, the positioning references including Wireless Fidelity (WIFI) information and Global Positioning System (GPS) information, the WIFI information indicating coordinates of a WIFI access point providing services to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the WIFI access point being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal;

establishing correlation relationships among the positioning references based on the acquired positioning references; and

performing integrated positioning and cross-validation on a precise location of the user based on the correlation relationships among the positioning references to determine final positioning service information,

wherein the cross-validation further includes;

when a distance between coordinates of the WIFI information and coordinates of the GPS information exceeds an accuracy range of the WIFI information, replacing coordinates of the WIFI information with new coordinates based on the GPS coordinates;

wherein;

the positioning references further include base station information, the base station information indicating coordinates of a base station in a mobile phone network providing services to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the base station being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal; and

performing integrated positioning further includes;

when the at least two types of positioning references are acquired simultaneously, determining the precise location of the user by using;

the GPS information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references include the GPS information;

or

the WIFI information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references do not include the GPS information; and

when multiple base stations information or WIFI information is acquired simultaneously, using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple base stations information as the base station information, or using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple WIFI information as the WIFI information.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein:

the positioning references further include base station information, the base station information indicating coordinates of a base station in a mobile phone network providing services to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the base station being used as positioning information of the mobile terminal; and

the integrated positioning further includes;

when the at least two types of positioning references are acquired simultaneously, determining the precise location of the user by using;

the GPS information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references include the GPS information;

or

the WIFI information, when the acquired at least two types of positioning references do not include the GPS information; and

when multiple base stations information or WIFI information is acquired simultaneously, using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple base stations information as the base station information, or using a center point of multiple position coordinates of the multiple WIFI information as the WIFI information; and

the cross-validation further includes;

correcting the WIFI information based on WIFI adjacent relationships.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 14, wherein, after determining the final positioning service information, the computer programs cause the mobile terminal to perform:

accepting error correction of the final positioning service information from the user; and

based on the user'"'"'s mobile phone model, pushing information of a nearby business entity.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein the computer programs cause the mobile terminal to perform:

when the distance between coordinates of the WIFI information and coordinates of the GPS information exceeds about 100 meters, replacing coordinates of the WIFI information with new coordinates based on the GPS coordinates.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 14, wherein the computer programs cause the mobile terminal to perform:

providing the user with a location description of the base station, the location description including a place name having the most votes from a plurality of users during a time period when a user of the plurality of users votes by;

inputting a place name for a current position the user is located at within the coverage area of the base station;

or

choosing a place name voted by other users for the base station.