Indoor magnetic field based location discovery

• US 9,151,621 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IndoorAtlas Oy
• Original Assignee: IndoorAtlas Oy
• Inventors: Haverinen, Janne
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/739,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 701/525, 701/409, 702/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/08 involving use of the magnetic field of the earth
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02522 The radio-map containing measured values of non-radio values
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/02 operating with propagation of electric current

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is caused to acquire a location estimate of a positioning device that is to determine its location inside a building, wherein the location estimate is acquired on the basis of an indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system; access an indoor Earth'"'"'s magnetic field, EMF, map of plurality of buildings, wherein the indoor EMF map represents at least one of magnitude and direction of the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field affected by the local structures of a corresponding building; and select a part of the indoor EMF map on the basis of the location estimate of the positioning device, wherein the selected part of the indoor magnetic field map includes the indoor EMF map for the area in which the positioning device currently is.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

acquire an initial location estimate of a positioning device that is to determine its location inside a building, wherein the location estimate is acquired on the basis of an indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system;

access an indoor Earth'"'"'s magnetic field, EMF, map for a plurality of floors of buildings, wherein the indoor EMF map represents magnitude and direction of the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field affected by the local structures of a corresponding building;

select at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map on the basis of the acquired initial location estimate of the positioning device, wherein the at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map selected is an area of the indoor EMF map corresponding to the acquired initial location estimate; and

perform at least one of the following;

provide, on request, the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map to the positioning device in order to allow the positioning device to use the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map in locating itself;

or

acquire at least one measured EMF vector value from the positioning device, and apply the at least one measured EMF vector value and the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map in an indoor EMF map-based location determination of the positioning device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

indicate the determined location of the positioning device to the positioning device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

determine probabilities for possible locations of the positioning device on the basis of the acquired initial location estimate; and

limit a search space for the indoor EMF map-based location determination of the positioning device on the basis of the determined probabilities.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein limiting the search space comprises applying a probability distribution in the indoor EMF map-based location determination of the positioning device, the probability distribution emphasizing those locations in the indoor EMF map which are most probable locations of the positioning device according to the determined probabilities.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

apply the probability distribution to the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

select the at least one sub-part from the indoor EMF map on the basis of the initial location estimate and the determined probabilities.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system utilizes an indoor radio frequency base station based location discovery system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the indoor radio frequency base station based location discovery system applies a wireless local area network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system utilizes at least one air pressure sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system utilizes radio frequency identification.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

identify, on the basis of the initial location estimate, the building, among a plurality of buildings, in which the positioning device currently is located, wherein the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map includes the indoor EMF map for the identified building.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

identify, on the basis of the initial location estimate, a floor of a multi-story building in which the positioning device currently is located, wherein the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map includes the indoor EMF map for the identified floor of the multi-story building.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the selected at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map includes the indoor EMF map for the identified floor of the multi-story building and in addition the indoor EMF map for a predetermined number of adjacent floors.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

detect the current location of the positioning device in the building, wherein the current location is known on the basis of at least part of the indoor EMF map and magnetic field vector measurements performed by the positioning device;

acquire at least one measurement parameter value related to the indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system at the detected current location of the positioning device; and

apply the acquired at least one measurement parameter value for an update of a map of the indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

perform an update of a radio map on the basis of the acquired at least one measurement parameter value, wherein the at least one measurement parameter value comprises received signal strength of radio frequency signals.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus further to:

adjust the acquired initial location estimate further on the basis of at least one of the following;

the topology or layout of the building in which the positioning device is located, and a detected identity of the positioning device.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system comprises at least one of the following:

(i) an indoor radio frequency base station based location discovery system;

(ii) a system comprising at least one camera image;

(iii) a system applying BLUETOOTHTM;

(iv) a system applying radio frequency identification;

(v) a system comprising an air pressure sensor;

(vi) an indoor radio frequency base station based location discovery system applying a wireless local area network WLAN or Wi-Fi;

(vii) an indoor radio frequency base station based location discovery system applying a cellular network base station;

(viii) a location discovery system applying a low range data transfer; and

(ix) a location discovery system applying a machine readable bar code.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a positioning device at least to;

acquire information related to an initial location estimate of the positioning device in a building from an indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system;

cause a transmission of the acquired information related to the initial location estimate to a database entity;

cause a reception of at least one sub-part of an indoor Earth'"'"'s magnetic field, EMF, map of the building, wherein the received at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map is selected on the basis of the initial location estimate of the positioning device, and the at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map selected is an area of the indoor EMF map corresponding to the acquired initial location estimate; and

acquire at least one measured EMF vector value; and

apply the at least one measured EMF vector value and the received at least one sub-part of the indoor EMF map in an indoor EMF map-based location determination of the positioning device in the building.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a positioning device at least to;

acquire information related to an initial location estimate of the positioning device in a building from an indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system;

cause a transmission of the acquired information related to the initial location estimate to a database entity;

cause a transmission of at least one measured magnetic field vector value to the database entity in order to enable the database entity to determine a location of the positioning device on the basis of the received at least one measured magnetic field vector value and an indoor EMF map stored in the database entity, a selected part of the indoor EMF map corresponding to the acquired initial location estimate; and

cause a reception of the determined location of the positioning device from the database entity.