Indoor localization of mobile devices

• US 9,204,259 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogale, Abhijit S., Rivlin, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPATA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/069,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure provide systems and methods for generating models of a wireless network environment in an indoor space which may be used to predict an indoor location. The disclosure relates to collecting wireless network access point identifier information and power level observed at various locations are collected to generate various signal maps. The signal maps may be used to generate models of the indoor space. In one example, a voting model may use a probability distribution of a plurality of signal maps in order to identify a location with a highest probability of overlap with current signals received at a client device. Once a location has been identified, it may be used to assist with any number of navigational functions, such as providing turn by turn directions to another indoor location, for example, a conference room or exit, or simply providing information about the current location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, one or more wireless network access point identifiers and signal strengths associated with the one or more wireless network access point identifiers for a geographic area;

quantizing, by the one or more processors, the received signal strengths into a plurality of quantized received signal strengths for each associated received wireless network access point identifiers;

generating, by the one or more processors, a set of voting maps of signal strengths for each received wireless network access point identifiers and quantized received signal strength;

receiving, by the one or more processors, information identifying one or more wireless network access point identifiers and associated signal strengths;

quantizing, by the one or more processors, the signal strengths of the identified one or more wireless network access point identifiers to obtain quantized identified signal strengths;

selecting, by the one or more processors, one or more voting maps of the set of received voting maps based upon the identified one or more wireless network access point identifiers; and

identifying, by the one or more processors, the current location of a client device based on the selected one or more voting maps.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request, from the client device, for the set of voting maps.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining the selected one or more voting maps into a cumulative voting map;

normalizing the cumulative voting map to obtain a probability distribution over location;

propagating the probability distribution from a previous timestamp using a motion model; and

identifying the current location of the client device further based on the propagated distribution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each voting map corresponds to a cell of a grid that represents an area within the geographic area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each quantized signal strength of the plurality of quantized signal strengths for a given received wireless network access point identifier represents a range of signal strength measurements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic area corresponds to a particular floor of a building such that the set of voting maps also correspond to the particular floor.

7. A system comprising:

memory and one or more processors configured to;

receive one or more wireless network access point identifiers and signal strengths associated with the one or more wireless network access point identifiers for a geographic area;

quantize the received signal strengths into a plurality of quantized received signal strengths for each associated received wireless network access point identifiers;

generate a set of voting maps of signal strengths for each received wireless network access point identifiers and quantized received signal strengths;

receive information identifying one or more wireless network access point identifiers and associated signal strengths;

quantize the signal strengths of the identified one or more wireless network access point identifiers to obtain quantized identified signal strengths;

select one or more voting maps of the set of received voting maps based upon the identified one or more wireless network access point identifiers; and

identify the current location of a client device based on the selected one or more voting maps.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a request, from the client device, for the set of voting maps.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

combine the selected one or more voting maps into a cumulative voting map;

normalize the cumulative voting map to obtain a probability distribution over location;

propagate the probability distribution from a previous timestamp using a motion model; and

identify the current location of the client device further based on the propagated distribution.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein each voting map corresponds to a cell of a grid that represents an area within the geographic area.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein each quantized signal strength of the plurality of quantized signal strengths for a given received wireless network access point identifier represents a range of signal strength measurements.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the geographic area corresponds to a particular floor of a building such that the set of voting maps also correspond to the particular floor.

13. A non-transitory, tangible machine readable medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving one or more wireless network access point identifiers and signal strengths associated with the one or more wireless network access point identifiers for a geographic area;

quantizing the received signal strengths into a plurality of quantized received signal strengths for each associated received wireless network access point identifiers;

generating a set of voting maps of signal strengths for each received wireless network access point identifiers and quantized received signal strength;

receiving information identifying one or more wireless network access point identifiers and associated signal strengths;

quantizing the signal strengths of the identified one or more wireless network access point identifiers to obtain quantized identified signal strengths;

selecting one or more voting maps of the set of received voting maps based upon the identified one or more wireless network access point identifiers; and

identifying the current location of a client device based on the selected one or more voting maps.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

combining the selected one or more voting maps into a cumulative voting map;

normalizing the cumulative voting map to obtain a probability distribution over location;

propagating the probability distribution from a previous timestamp using a motion model; and

identifying the current location of the client device further based on the propagated distribution.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein each voting map corresponds to a cell of a grid that represents an area within the geographic area.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein each quantized signal strength of the plurality of quantized signal strengths for a given received wireless network access point identifier represents a range of signal strength measurements.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein the geographic area corresponds to a particular floor of a building such that the set of voting maps also correspond to the particular floor.