System and method for mapping an indoor environment

• US 9,170,113 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neill, Thomas Germano, Smith, Carl Ferman, Fong, Alena, Kadous, Mohammed Waleed, Heywood, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/404,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 701/434, 701/450, 701/451, 345/649, 434/150
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system and method for mapping an indoor environment. A client device may receive an indication of a starting point on a floor plan. The client device may prompt the user to travel in a particular direction and indicate when the user can no longer travel in that direction. As the user travels from the starting point in the designated direction, the client device may gather information about the indoor environment. For example, the client device may gather wireless signal strength data, cellular tower strength data, or video image data while the user travels in the designated direction. The client device may associate the gathered information with the path the user traveled from the starting point to the ending point. The client device may indicate the area for which valid location information is available based on the path the user traveled and the information the user collected.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for mapping of an indoor location, the method comprising:

displaying a floor plan image corresponding to the indoor location;

receiving a first input to indicate a first location on the floor plan image;

gathering initial location information at the first location;

generating an indoor map, using a processor, using the initial location information wherein the indoor map includes an association of the initial location information with the first location; and

providing a visual indication on the floor plan image of a path, wherein the visual indication indicates an area of the indoor map where additional location information identifies a particular location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the location information gathering process at a new location to associate new location information with the new location in the indoor map.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

gathering additional location information as a user travels from the first location to a second location;

receiving a second input to indicate the second location on the floor plan image;

determining a path from the first location to the second location; and

associating the additional location information with at least one location within the map corresponding to the path.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising inducing a user to walk at a constant speed by at least one of vibration or playing an audio tone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising identifying the user'"'"'s direction of travel by at least one of determining a relative orientation using the first location and the second location, or using at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a compass.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising verifying the indoor map by gathering data when traveling in one or more paths perpendicular to at least one path used to generate the indoor map.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to walk in a straight line when traveling from the first location to the second location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to a user to travel in a particular direction.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises wireless signal data associated with one or more wireless nodes.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first input includes performing a selection operation with an indicator placed on the floor plan image.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the building floor plan is received from a remote server.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining an approximate location;

providing the approximate location to the remote server;

receiving a list of floor plans associated with indoor environments proximate to the approximate location; and

selecting the building floor plan from the list.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location precision for a data gathering operation; and

using the location precision to determine a location resolution for the indoor map.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the location precision is determined using a number of available wireless access points for which signal strength data is available.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the location precision determines at least one of the size of an indicator for indicating the current location, or the width of a stripe for indicating an area of the indoor map for which the location information has been gathered.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a coverage level of the indoor map compared to the floor plan image; and

identifying the indoor map as complete when the coverage level is greater than a predetermined threshold.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

displaying a floor plan image corresponding to an indoor location;

receiving a first input to indicate a first location on the floor plan image;

gathering initial location information at the first location;

generating an indoor map, using a processor, using the initial location information wherein the indoor map includes an association of the initial location information with the first location; and

providing a visual indication on the floor plan image of a path, wherein the visual indication indicates an area of the indoor map where additional location information identifies a particular location.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise repeating the location information gathering process at a new location to associate new location information with the new location in the indoor map.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise:

gathering additional location information as a user travels from the first location to a second location;

receiving a second input to indicate the second location on the floor plan image;

determining a path from the first location to the second location; and

associating the additional location information with at least one location within the map corresponding to the path.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the location information is wireless signal data associated with one or more wireless nodes.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first input includes performing a selection operation with an indicator placed on the floor plan image.

22. A processing system for mapping an indoor environment, the processing system comprising:

a memory, coupled to at least one processor, for storing location information and an indoor map of an indoor environment, wherein the indoor map comprises an association of the location information with at least a location within the indoor map; and

the at least one processor being configured to;

provide a floor plan image corresponding to the indoor environment;

receive a first input to indicate a first location on the floor plan image;

gather the location information at the first location;

generate the indoor map by associating the location information with the first location in the indoor map; and

provide a visual indication on the floor plan image of a path, wherein the visual indication indicates an area of the indoor map where additional location information identifies a particular location.

23. The processing system of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to repeat the location information gathering process at a new location to associate new location information with the new location in the indoor map.

24. The processing system of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

gather additional location information as a user travels from the first location to a second location;

receive a second input to indicate the second location on the floor plan image;

determine a path from the first location to the second location; and

associate the additional location information with at least one location within the indoor map corresponding to the path.

25. The processing system of claim 22, further comprising a wireless receiver, wherein:

the location information comprises wireless signal strength data; and

the at least one processor is further configured to gather the wireless signal strength data using the wireless receiver.

26. The processing system of claim 22, further comprising at least one of an accelerometer, a compass, or a gyroscope to identify at least one of a direction or speed of travel.

27. The processing system of claim 22, further comprising a display for displaying the floor plan image, and the at least one processor is further configured to display an indicator on the floor plan image to indicate at least one of the first location or the second location.

28. The processing system of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a location precision for the location information; and

use the location precision to determine a location resolution for the indoor map.

29. The processing system of claim 28, wherein the location precision is determined using a number of available wireless access points for which signal strength data is available.

30. The processing system of claim 28, wherein the location precision determines at least one of the size of an indicator for indicating the current location, or the width of a stripe for indicating an area of the indoor map for which the location information has been gathered.