Indoor and outdoor mapping and navigation utilizing RF bluetooth beacons

• US 9,204,257 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamba Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Gamba Group Ltd
• Inventors: Mendelson, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US14/285,273
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/246 provided with vehicle proximity-detectors detecting hidden masses, e.g. metal detectors, G01V, e.g. G01V3/00; proximity switches per se H03K17/00; traffic control systems G08G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A series of RF beacons deployed about a localized area to create an infrastructure for use with mapping, navigation, and marketing of merchants in the vicinity thereof. An application would utilize the RF beacons to determine a user'"'"'s location respective to a local area and inform the user of their location on an associated map. The application can employ the RF beacons for navigation through the local area. The application can utilize a beacon identifier that would be embedded within the beacon signal. The beacon identifier can be utilized to determine a user'"'"'s location, provide navigation, obtain marketing information for merchants associated with the specific beacon, etc. Receipt of the beacon signal could initiate a feature on the receiving device to transmit a request for information to a remote provider, which in turn, utilizes the beacon identifier to obtain information associated with the area and return the information accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of mapping a localized area comprising an interior of at least one enclosed structure, the method comprising steps of:

deploying a series of beacons about said localized area comprising at least one enclosed structure, wherein at least a portion of said series of beacons are located to transmit within an interior of said at least one enclosed structure;

broadcasting a beacon signal from each beacon of said series of beacons, wherein each said beacon signal includes information associated with a known physical location of said respective beacon;

determining a location of a mobile device in accordance with following steps;

scanning for any of said beacon signals using a mobile device,

detecting at least one of said broadcast beacon signals,

receiving at least one of said beacon signal by said mobile device, wherein said beacon signal is broadcast from a beacon of said series of beacons located proximate said mobile device,

decoding said beacon signal to obtain said included known respective beacon physical location information, and

determining a current location of said mobile device within said interior of an enclosed structure of said at least one enclosed structure, wherein said current location of said mobile device is determined based upon respective beacon physical location information decoded from said received beacon signal;

determining an indoor map associated with said localized area;

displaying said localized area indoor map; and

displaying said current location of said mobile device on said localized area indoor map.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, where the beacon signal is a short range radio frequency being at least one of a Bluetooth signal and a Wi-Fi signal, the method further comprising a step of:

transmitting said beacon signal as at least one of said Bluetooth signal and said Wi-Fi signal.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

utilizing beacon signals from said series of beacons to aid in navigation to said mobile device, when said mobile device is located within an interior of a structure where a global positioning system (GPS) is at least one of insufficiently accurate and ineffective.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of determining said current location of said mobile device is accomplished by utilizing a signal strength of said received beacon signal.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of determining said current location of said mobile device is accomplished by utilizing triangulation and at least two received beacon signals from at least two beacons.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said localized area indoor map is a floor plan image of said localized area.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said localized area indoor map is an indoor image of said localized area.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

overlaying a series a gradient concentric circles onto said localized area indoor map, wherein said series a gradient concentric circles provide a distance relationship between said mobile device and a secondary object.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

displaying each point of interest (POI) associated a beacon identifier determined from said beacon signal on at least one of said mobile device and said localized area indoor map on a display of said mobile device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

displaying each point of interest (POI) associated a beacon identifier determined from said beacon signal on said localized area indoor map;

selecting a beacon location from each displayed beacon location on said localized area indoor map;

obtaining information associated with each said point of interest (POI); and

displaying said local based services (LBS) information associated with each said point of interest (POI) on said mobile device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

customizing each beacon signal by embedding a beacon identifier within said beacon signal, wherein said beacon identifier distinguishes said beacon from said series of beacons;

broadcasting said respective beacon signal comprising said embedded beacon identifier from each beacon of said series of beacons;

scanning for any of said beacon signals using a mobile device;

detecting at least one of said broadcast beacon signals;

receiving at least one of said beacon signal by said mobile device

decoding said received beacon signal to determine said beacon identifier;

initiating a process for obtaining marketing information associated with said beacon identifier from a remote information provider;

transmitting a request for marketing information associated with said beacon identifier from said remote information provider;

obtaining said marketing information associated with said beacon identifier from said remote information provider; and

displaying said obtained marketing information associated with said beacon identifier on said mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising a step of:

changing the beacon identifier frequently and dynamically, where the step of changing the beacon identifier frequently and dynamically is accomplished by the user.

14. The method according to claim 12 further comprising a step of:

initiating direct contact between the mobile device and a remote contents provider, wherein said direct contact is provided by at least one of an Internet, a web site, and a cloud base program.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

determining a floor of said at least one enclosed structure on which said beacon signal is associated with;

identifying an associated floor map portion of a series of floor map portions of said localized area indoor map, wherein said associated floor map portion represents said floor associated with said beacon signal;

displaying said associated floor map portion of said localized area indoor map; and

displaying said current location of said mobile device on said associated floor map portion of said localized area indoor map.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

providing navigation to said user upon an emergency condition.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

providing navigation to assist said user in exiting said structure upon an emergency condition.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising a step of:

communicating with an E-911 network.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

initiating at least one location based service (LBS), wherein the location based service (LBS) is associated with said current location of said mobile device.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

initiating a direct link to a website.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

providing assistance to a wireless payment process using said mobile device.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

displaying said current user location depicted within a circle on a display of said mobile device.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

displaying the user location in the immediate area depicted within a circle having a radius representing an accuracy of said current user location of said mobile device.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

employing said mobile device for providing communication with at least one of;

social networking, emergency,

chat,

exchange messaging,

stationary location to vehicle communication,

vehicle communication to stationary location communication, and

vehicle to vehicle communication.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a first mobile device, further comprising at least two more mobile devices, wherein each at least two more mobile devices is in operation like said first mobile device,

wherein each of said first mobile device and said at least one more mobile device is adapted to change from a first communicate link with one mobile device to a second communication link with any other different mobile device of the at least two more mobile devices.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a first mobile device, further comprising at least one more mobile device, wherein each at least one more mobile device is in operation like said first mobile device,

wherein said first mobile device and said at least one more mobile device are adapted to communicate with one another forming a social network.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein one beacon of said plurality of beacons is adapted to communicate with other beacons of said plurality of beacons forming a social network, wherein said social network is established and supported by sharing beacon identifiers.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein said series of beacons is adapted to support at least one of:

marketing,

social networking,

a dating service,

vehicle to vehicle communication,

emergency,

locating an individual in one of an emergency condition or a disaster condition,

messaging associated with an emergency,

navigation to direct a user out of a structure during an emergency condition, and

operating within a mass transportation system.

8. A method of mapping a localized area comprising an interior of at least one enclosed structure, the method comprising steps of:

deploying a series of beacons about said localized area comprising at least one enclosed structure, wherein at least a portion of said series of beacons are located to transmit within an interior of said at least one enclosed structure;

broadcasting a beacon signal from each beacon of said series of beacons;

determining a location of a mobile device in accordance with following steps;

scanning for any of said beacon signals using a mobile device,

detecting at least one of said broadcast beacon signals,

receiving at least one of said beacon signal by said mobile device, wherein said beacon signal is broadcast from a beacon of said series of beacons located proximate said mobile device, and

determining a current location of said mobile device within said interior of an enclosed structure of said at least one enclosed structure, wherein said current location of said mobile device is determined based upon information collected from said received beacon signal;

determining an indoor map associated with said localized area;

displaying said localized area indoor map;

displaying said current location of said mobile device on said localized area indoor map;

traveling from said current location towards a subsequent location;

repeating said steps of determining a location of a mobile device to determine said subsequent location;

determining a path between said current location and said subsequent location; and

associating said current location and said subsequent location.

29. A method of mapping a localized area comprising an interior of at least one enclosed structure, the method comprising steps of:

deploying a series of beacons about said localized area comprising at least one enclosed structure, wherein at least a portion of said series of beacons are located to transmit within an interior of said at least one enclosed structure;

customizing each beacon signal by embedding a beacon identifier within a beacon signal, wherein said beacon identifier distinguishes said beacon from said series of beacons;

broadcasting said respective beacon signal comprising said embedded beacon identifier from each beacon of said series of beacons, wherein each said respective beacon signal includes information identifying a unique physical location of each respective beacon, wherein said identification information is associated with a known physical location of said respective beacon;

scanning for any of said beacon signals using a mobile device;

detecting at least one of said broadcast beacon signals;

receiving at least one of said beacon signal by said mobile device;

decoding said received beacon signal to obtain at least one of said beacon identifier and said included known respective beacon physical location information;

initiating a process for providing marketing information associated with said beacon identifier to said mobile device;

obtaining at least one of local based services program and said marketing information associated with said at least one of said beacon identifier and said included known respective beacon physical location information; and

displaying said obtained at least one of local based services program and said marketing information on said mobile device.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, where the beacon signal is a short range radio frequency being at least one of a Bluetooth signal and a Wi-Fi signal, the method further comprising a step of:

transmitting said beacon signal as at least one of said Bluetooth signal and said Wi-Fi signal.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising steps of:

determining a location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal; and

displaying said location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal on said mobile device.

32. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising steps of:

determining a location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal, wherein location is determined using at least one of;

signal strength of said beacon signal,

triangulation using two or more beacon signals, and

location information embedded within said beacon signal; and

displaying said location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal on said mobile device.

33. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising steps of:

determining a location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal;

obtaining a localized area map associated with said location of said beacon;

determining a location of each of said mobile device and said beacon on said localized area map;

displaying said location of said mobile device respective to said beacon identifier overlaid upon said localized area map on said mobile device.

34. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein said beacon associated with said received beacon signal is located within an enclosed structure, the method further comprising steps of:

determining a location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal;

obtaining a localized area indoor map associated with said location of said beacon;

determining a location of each of said mobile device and said beacon on said localized area indoor map;

displaying said location of said mobile device respective to said beacon associated with said received beacon signal overlaid upon said localized area map on said mobile device.

35. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising a step of:

utilizing beacon signals from said series of beacons to aid in navigation to said mobile device, when said mobile device is located within an interior of a structure where a global positioning system (GPS) is at least one of insufficiently accurate and ineffective.

36. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising a step of:

transmitting an arrival notification signal upon arrival proximate to one beacon of said series of beacons to notify at least one other party of arrival at said one beacon.