Methods and apparatuses for use in providing navigation assistance data to mobile stations

• US 9,137,639 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Garin, Lionel J., Gupta, Rajarshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/338,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20140335892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/330, 455/404, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/456.3, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 430/269, 430/381, 430/382, 370/338, 345/14.08, 345/633, 345/581
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided which may be implemented in various devices to provide navigation assistance data and/or the like to a mobile station with regard to at least one of a plurality of different indoor regions. For example, a computing platform of a map inference device may establish encoded metadata for at least a portion of an indoor region based, at least in part, on an electronic map, an access point locator, or some combination thereof, and provide such encoded metadata to a repository device that may provide at least a portion of the encoded metadata to a mobile station.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a computing platform of a map inference device:

obtaining, from a repository device, said repository device being indicated by a repository device identifier, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

establishing encoded metadata for said portion of at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof; and

transmitting said encoded metadata to said repository device, said repository device to provide at least a portion of said encoded metadata to a mobile station in response to a request for navigation assistance data received at the repository device from said mobile station,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising, at said map inference device:

encrypting said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

transmitting a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is established, at least in part, in response to a request received from said repository device.

58. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least a portion of at least one indoor region comprises indoor features including doors, hallways, entry ways, walls or any combination thereof, and points of interest, and wherein the at least a portion of the encoded metadata enables the mobile station overlay a current location of the mobile station in a displayed map.

59. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said encoded metadata is determined based, at least in part, on a request for a repository device identifier transmitted from said mobile station to a directory device, said request for a repository device identifier being indicative of a location estimate of said mobile station, the method further comprising receiving said repository device identifier from said directory device.

4. An apparatus for use at a map inference device, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining, from a repository device, said repository device being indicated by a repository device identifier, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

means for establishing encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof; and

means for transmitting said encoded metadata to said repository device, said repository device to provide at least a portion of said encoded metadata to a mobile station in response to a request for navigation assistance data received at the repository device from said mobile station,

wherein said means for establishing encoded metadata establishes said encoded metadata for use by said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, and further comprising, at said map inference device:

means for encrypting said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

means for transmitting a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said means for establishing encoded metadata establishes at least a portion of said encoded metadata in response to a request received from said repository device.

7. A computing platform for use at a map inference device, the computing platform comprising:

a network interface; and

a processing unit to;

obtain via said network interface, from a repository device, said repository device being indicated by a repository device identifier, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

establish encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof; and

initiate transmission of said encoded metadata to said repository device, said repository device to provide at least a portion of said encoded metadata to a mobile station in response to a request for navigation assistance data received at the repository device from said mobile station,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

8. The computing platform as recited in claim 7, said processing unit to further:

encrypt said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

initiate transmission of a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

9. The computing platform as recited in claim 7, said processing unit to establish said encoded metadata in response to a request received from said repository device via said network interface.

10. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer implementable instructions that are executable by a processing unit in a map inference device to;

obtain, from a repository device, said repository device being indicated by a repository device identifier, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

establish encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof; and

initiate transmission of said encoded metadata to said repository device, said repository device to provide at least a portion of said encoded metadata to a mobile station in response to a request for navigation assistance data received at the repository device from said mobile station,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

11. The article as recited in claim 10, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

encrypt said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

initiate transmission of a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

12. The article as recited in claim 10, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

establish said encoded metadata in response to a request received from said repository device.

13. A method comprising, at a directory device:

obtaining, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

establishing encoded metadata for at least said portion of at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof;

transmitting said encoded metadata to a repository device;

receiving a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station, said request for said repository device identifier being indicative of at least a first estimated location of said mobile station; and

in response to determining that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said at least said portion of at least one indoor region, transmitting a repository device identifier for said repository device to said mobile station,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, and further comprising, at said directory device:

in response to determining that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said at least said portion of at least one indoor region, further transmitting, to said mobile station, at least one identifier for said electronic map, said access point locator or said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, and further comprising, at said directory device:

encrypting said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

transmitting a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, and further comprising, at said directory device:

obtaining additional metadata for said portion of at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device; and

wherein establishing said encoded metadata further comprises establishing said encoded metadata based, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is established, at least in part, prior to receiving said request for said repository device identifier from said mobile station.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is established, at least in part, in response to said request for said repository device identifier from said mobile station or a request received from said repository device, or any combination thereof.

60. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least a portion of at least one indoor region comprises indoor features including doors, hallways, entry ways, walls or any combination thereof, and points of interest, and wherein the at least a portion of the encoded metadata enables the mobile station to overlay a current location of the mobile station in a displayed map.

61. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the obtaining of the at least one of the electronic map or the access point locator includes obtaining the at least one of the electronic map or the access point locator from a map inference device.

19. An apparatus for use in a directory device, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region,

an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

means for establishing encoded metadata for at least said portion of at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof;

means for transmitting said encoded metadata to a repository device;

means for receiving a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station, said request for said repository device identifier being indicative of at least a first estimated location of said mobile station; and

means for transmitting a repository device identifier for said repository device to said mobile station, in response to a determination that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said portion of at least one indoor region,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, and further comprising:

means for transmitting, to said mobile station, at least one identifier for said electronic map, said access point locator or said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof, in response to a determination that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said portion of at least one indoor region.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, and further comprising:

means for encrypting said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

means for transmitting a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, and further comprising:

means for obtaining additional metadata for said portion of at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device; and

means for establishing said encoded metadata based further, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said means for establishing said encoded metadata establishes said encoded metadata prior to said request for said repository device identifier being received from said mobile station.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said means for establishing said encoded metadata establishes said encoded metadata, at least in part, in response to receiving said request for said repository device identifier from said mobile station or a request received from said repository device, or any combination thereof.

62. The apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the means for obtaining the at least one of the electronic map or the access point locator includes means for obtaining the at least one of the electronic map or the access point locator from a map inference device.

25. A computing platform at a directory device comprising:

a network interface; and

a processing unit to;

obtain via said network interface, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

establish encoded metadata for at least said portion of at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof;

initiate transmission of said encoded metadata to a repository device via said network interface;

obtain a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station via said network interface, said request for said repository device identifier being indicative of at least a first estimated location of said mobile station; and

in response to a determination that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said portion of at least one indoor region, initiate transmission of a repository device identifier for said repository device to said mobile station via said network interface,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

26. The computing platform as recited in claim 25, said processing unit to further:

in response said determination that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said portion of at least one indoor region, initiate transmission, to said mobile station via said network interface, of at least one identifier for said electronic map, said access point locator or said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof.

27. The computing platform as recited in claim 25, said processing unit to further:

encrypt said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

initiate transmission of a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station via said network interface.

28. The computing platform as recited in claim 25, said processing unit to further:

obtain additional metadata for said portion of at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device via said network interface; and

establish said encoded metadata based further, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

29. The computing platform as recited in claim 25, said processing unit to further establish said encoded metadata prior said request for said repository device identifier being received from said mobile station.

30. The computing platform as recited in claim 25, said processing unit to further establish said encoded metadata, at least in part, in response to receiving said request for said repository device identifier from said mobile station or a request from said repository device via said network interface, or any combination thereof.

63. The computing platform as recited in claim 25 wherein the processing unit is further to obtain the at least one of the electronic map or the access point locator from a map inference device.

31. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer implementable instructions that are executable by a processing unit in a directory device to;

obtain, for at least a portion of at least one indoor region, an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof;

establish encoded metadata for at least said portion of at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof;

initiate transmission of said encoded metadata to a repository device;

obtain a request for a repository device identifier from a mobile station, said request for said repository device identifier being indicative of at least a first estimated location of said mobile station; and

initiate transmission of a repository device identifier for said repository device to said mobile station, in response to a determination that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said portion of at least one indoor region,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

32. The article as recited in claim 31, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

initiate transmission of, to said mobile station, at least one identifier for said electronic map, said access point locator or said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof, in response to said determination that said first estimated location of said mobile station corresponds to said portion of said at least one indoor region.

33. The article as recited in claim 31, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

encrypt said encoded metadata using an encryption key; and

initiate transmission of a decryption key corresponding to said encryption key to said mobile station.

34. The article as recited in claim 31, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

obtain additional metadata for said portion of at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device; and

establishing said encoded metadata based further, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

35. The article as recited in claim 31, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

establish said encoded metadata prior to obtaining said request for said repository device identifier from said mobile station.

36. The article as recited in claim 31, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

establish at least a portion of said encoded metadata in response to said request for said repository device identifier from said mobile station or a request received from said repository device, or any combination thereof.

64. The article as recited in claim 31 wherein said computer implementable instructions are further executable by said processing unit to obtain the at least one of the electronic map or the access point locator from a map inference device.

37. A method comprising, at a repository device:

obtaining encoded metadata for at least a portion of at least one indoor region corresponding to an electronic map or an access point locator, or any combination thereof, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is obtained from a directory device;

receiving a request for navigation assistance data for at least one indoor region from a mobile station; and

transmitting at least a portion of said navigation assistance data to said mobile station, said navigation assistance data comprising, at least in part, said encoded metadata and a portion of said electronic map or said access point locator corresponding to said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein obtaining said encoded metadata further comprises, at said repository device:

establishing at least a portion of said encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, and further comprising, at said repository device:

obtaining additional metadata for said at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device; and

wherein establishing said at least said portion of said encoded metadata further comprises establishing said at least said portion of said encoded metadata based, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

40. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata has been encrypted by said directory device.

41. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is established, at least in part, prior to receiving said request for navigation assistance data.

42. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is established, at least in part, in response to said request for navigation assistance data.

43. The method as recited in claim 37, and further comprising, at said repository device:

establishing said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one venue diagram for said at least one indoor region.

65. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least a portion of at least one indoor region comprises indoor features including doors, hallways, entry ways, walls or any combination thereof, and points of interest, and wherein the at least a portion of the encoded metadata enables the mobile station to overlay a current location of the mobile station in a displayed map.

66. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising obtaining said at least a portion of at least one of said electronic map or said access point locator from a map inference device.

44. An apparatus for use in a repository device, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining encoded metadata for at least a portion of at least one indoor region corresponding to at least one of an electronic map or an access point locator, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is obtained from a directory device;

means for receiving a request for navigation assistance data for at least one indoor region from a mobile station; and

means for transmitting at least a portion of said navigation assistance data to said mobile station, said navigation assistance data comprising, at least in part, said encoded metadata and at least a portion of said electronic map or said access point locator corresponding to said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in at a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

45. The apparatus as recited in claim 44, wherein said means for obtaining said encoded metadata further comprises:

means for establishing at least a portion of said encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof.

46. The apparatus as recited in claim 45, and further comprising:

means for obtaining additional metadata for said at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device; and

wherein said means for establishing said at least said portion of said encoded metadata further comprises;

means for establishing said at least said portion of said encoded metadata based, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

47. The apparatus as recited in claim 44, and further comprising:

means for establishing said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one venue diagram for said at least one indoor region.

67. The apparatus as recited in claim 44, further comprising means for obtaining said at least a portion of at least one of said electronic map or said access point locator from a map inference device.

48. A computing platform at a repository device, comprising:

a network interface; and

a processing unit to;

obtain encoded metadata for at least a portion of at least one indoor region corresponding to at least one of an electronic map or an access point locator, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is obtained from a directory device;

obtain a request for navigation assistance data for at least one indoor region from a mobile station via said network interface; and

initiate transmission of at least a portion of said navigation assistance data to said mobile station via said network interface, said navigation assistance data comprising, at least in part, said encoded metadata and said electronic map or said access point locator corresponding to said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

49. The computing platform as recited in claim 48, said processing unit to further:

establish at least a portion of said encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof.

50. The computing platform as recited in claim 49, said processing unit to further:

obtain additional metadata for said at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device via said network interface; and

establish said at least said portion of said encoded metadata based further, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

51. The computing platform as recited in claim 49, said processing unit to further:

establish at least said portion of said encoded, at least in part, in response to said request for navigation assistance data.

52. The computing platform as recited in claim 49, said processing unit to further:

establish said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one venue diagram for said at least one indoor region.

68. The computing platform as recited in claim 48, wherein the processing unit is further to obtain said at least a portion of at least one of said electronic map or said access point locator from a map inference device.

53. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer implementable instructions that are executable by a processing unit in a repository device to;

obtain encoded metadata for at least a portion of at least one indoor region corresponding to at least one of an electronic map or an access point locator, wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is obtained from a directory device;

obtain a request for navigation assistance data for at least one indoor region from a mobile station; and

initiate transmission of at least a portion of said navigation assistance data to said mobile station, said navigation assistance data comprising, at least in part, said encoded metadata and at least a portion of said electronic map or said access point locator corresponding to said encoded metadata, or any combination thereof,

wherein at least a portion of said encoded metadata is for use in said mobile station in a positioning function, a navigation function or a location based service function, or any combination thereof.

54. The article as recited in claim 53, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

establish at least a portion of said encoded metadata for at least said portion of said at least one indoor region based, at least in part, on said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof.

55. The article as recited in claim 54, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

obtain additional metadata for said at least one indoor region from a crowd-sourcing device; and

establish said at least said portion of said encoded metadata based further, at least in part, on at least a portion of said additional metadata.

56. The article as recited in claim 54, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

establish at least said portion of said encoded metadata, at least in part, in response to said request for navigation assistance data.

57. The article as recited in claim 54, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

establish said electronic map or said access point locator, or any combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one venue diagram for said at least one indoor region.

69. The article as recited in claim 53, wherein said computer implementable instructions are further executable by said processing unit to obtain said at least a portion of at least one of said electronic map or said access point locator from a map inference device.