Method, apparatus, and computer program product for distributed indoor three-dimensional radiomap

• US 9,234,958 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Syrjarinne, Jari Tapani, Wirola, Lauri Johannes, Laine, Tommi Antero
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEIBER, SHANTELL LAKETA
• Application Number:
  US13/450,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/014 Identifying transitions between environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02526 using non-dedicated equipment, e.g. user equipment or crowd-sourcing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02527 Detecting or resolving anomalies in the radio frequency fingerprints of the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments provide wireless position determination. According to an example embodiment, a method comprises generating in a mobile wireless device, grid nodes representing one or more floor areas in an enclosed space, based on a map of the enclosed space; estimating locations along a path of motion of a user of the mobile wireless device traversing the one or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the mobile wireless device and map information; generating a radiomap of the one or more floor areas by making radio measurements with the mobile wireless device, at the estimated locations along the path of motion, mapping the measurements to the generated grid nodes that are closest to the estimated locations; and compiling a fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, including observation elements representing the radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

dynamically generating in a mobile wireless device, grid nodes representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, based on a map of the enclosed space;

estimating in the mobile wireless device, locations along a path of motion of a user of the mobile wireless device traversing the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the mobile wireless device and map information;

generating a radiomap of the two or more floor areas by making radio measurements at time instances with the mobile wireless device, at the estimated locations along the path of motion, and mapping the measurements to the generated grid nodes that are closest to the estimated locations;

compiling in the mobile wireless device, a three dimensional fingerprint data structure of the radiomap of the two or more floor areas, including observation elements representing the radio measurements made at the time instances at the mapped grid nodes;

repeating making radio measurements at later time instances with the mobile wireless device, at locations along a repeated path of motion of the user of the mobile wireless device repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by the motion sensor in the mobile wireless device along the repeated path of motion; and

combining in the mobile wireless device, the repeated radio measurements made at the later time instances, with the radio measurements represented by the observation elements of the three dimensional fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, to learn a refined radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the path of motion of a user of the mobile wireless device traverses floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building and the radiomap and fingerprint data structure represent the floor areas in the two or more stories of the multistory building.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurements are at least one of MAC addresses, received signal strength indication (RSSI), radio frequency (F), electromagnetic field strength, electromagnetic radiation intensity and power.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the fingerprint data structure of the radiomap to two or more global servers for combining at the server with radiomaps of the two or more floor areas, from other mobile wireless devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request to a global server for a fingerprint data structure of a radiomap of representing floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building; and

receiving information representing at least one of a fingerprint data structure or models of a radiomap representing the requested floor areas, which is a representation of a combination of two or more radiomaps from other mobile wireless devices.

6. A method, comprising:

generating in a mobile wireless device, grid nodes representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, based on a map of the enclosed space;

estimating in the mobile wireless device, locations along a path of motion of a user of the mobile wireless device traversing the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the mobile wireless device and map information;

generating a radiomap of the two or more floor areas by making radio measurements with the mobile wireless device, at the estimated locations along the path of motion, and mapping the measurements to the generated grid nodes that are closest to the estimated locations;

compiling in the mobile wireless device, a fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, including observation elements representing the radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes;

accessing the fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, including observation elements representing the radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes;

learning more accurate position information by repeating estimating in the mobile wireless device, locations along a repeated path of motion of the user of the mobile wireless device repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the mobile wireless device;

repeating making radio measurements with the mobile wireless device, at the estimated repeated locations along the repeated path of motion, mapping the repeated measurements to grid nodes of a grid template that are closest to the estimated repeated locations; and

combining in the mobile wireless device, the repeated measurements with the measurements represented by the observation elements of the fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, to learn a refined radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving at a server, a first three dimensional fingerprint data structure of a first radiomap representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, from a first mobile wireless device at locations along a path of motion of the first mobile wireless device, the first fingerprint data structure including observation elements representing first radio measurements at mapped grid nodes of two or more floor areas;

receiving at the server, a second three dimensional fingerprint data structure of a second radiomap representing the two or more floor areas in the enclosed space, from a second mobile wireless device at locations along a repeated path of the path of motion of the first mobile wireless device, the second mobile wireless device repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, the second fingerprint data structure including observation elements representing second radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes of the two or more floor areas; and

combining at the server, the received first and second three dimensional fingerprint data structures with radiomaps of the two or more floor areas, received from other mobile wireless devices, to generate a crowd-sourced radiomap, by combining the observation elements of the first and second three dimensional fingerprint data structures combined with observation elements of the radiomaps received from the other mobile wireless devices, to generate a crowd-sourced three dimensional fingerprint data structure representing a refined crowd-sourced radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the received radiomap and the radiomaps received from other mobile wireless devices, represent floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the observation elements represent radio measurements that are of at least one of MAC addresses, received signal strength indication (RSSI), radio frequency (F), electromagnetic field strength, and electromagnetic radiation intensity and power.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile wireless device for a fingerprint data structure of a radiomap of representing floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building; and

transmitting to the mobile wireless device representing at least one of a fingerprint data structure or models of a radiomap representing the requested floor areas, which is a representation of a combination of two or more radiomaps from other mobile wireless devices.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

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

dynamically generate grid nodes representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, based on a map of the enclosed space;

estimate locations along a path of motion of a user of the apparatus traversing the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the apparatus and map information;

generate a radiomap of the two or more floor areas by making radio measurements at time instances with the apparatus, at the estimated locations along the path of motion, and mapping the measurements to the generated grid nodes that are closest to the estimated locations;

compile a three dimensional fingerprint data structure of the radiomap of the two or more floor areas, including observation elements representing the radio measurements made at the time instances at the mapped grid nodes;

repeat making radio measurements at later time instances, at locations along a repeated path of motion of the user of the apparatus repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by the motion sensor in the apparatus along the repeated path of motion; and

combine the repeated radio measurements made at the later time instances, with the radio measurements represented by the observation elements of the three dimensional fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, to learn a refined radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the path of motion of a user of the apparatus traverses floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building and the radiomap and fingerprint data structure represent the floor areas in the two or more stories of the multistory building.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radio measurements are at least one of MAC addresses, received signal strength indication (RSSI), radio frequency (F), electromagnetic field strength, and electromagnetic radiation intensity and power.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

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

transmit the fingerprint data structure of the radiomap to a global server for combining at the server with radiomaps of the two or more floor areas, from other mobile wireless devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

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

send a request to a global server for a fingerprint data structure of a radiomap of representing floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building; and

receive information representing a fingerprint data structure of a radiomap representing the requested floor areas, which is a representation of a combination of two or more radiomaps from other mobile wireless devices.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

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

generate grid nodes representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, based on a map of the enclosed space;

estimate locations along a path of motion of a user of the apparatus traversing the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the apparatus and map information;

generate a radiomap of the two or more floor areas by making radio measurements with the apparatus, at the estimated locations along the path of motion, and mapping the measurements to the generated grid nodes that are closest to the estimated locations;

compile a fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, including observation elements representing the radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes;

access the fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, including observation elements representing the radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes;

learn more accurate position information by repeating estimating locations along a repeated path of motion of the user of the apparatus repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the apparatus;

repeat making radio measurements with the apparatus, at the estimated repeated locations along the repeated path of motion, and

map the repeated measurements to grid nodes that are closest to the estimated repeated locations; and

combine the repeated measurements with the measurements represented by the observation elements of the fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, to learn a refined radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

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

receive a first three dimensional fingerprint data structure of a first radiomap representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, from a first mobile wireless device at locations along a path of motion of the first mobile wireless device, the first fingerprint data structure including observation elements representing first radio measurements at mapped grid nodes of two or more floor areas;

receive a second three dimensional fingerprint data structure of a second radiomap representing the two or more floor areas in the enclosed space, from a second mobile wireless device at locations along a repeated path of the path of motion of the first mobile wireless device, the second mobile wireless device repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, the second fingerprint data structure including observation elements representing second radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes of the two or more floor areas; and

combine the received first and second three dimensional fingerprint data structures with radiomaps of the two or more floor areas, received from other mobile wireless devices, to generate a crowd-sourced radiomap, by combining the observation elements of the first and second three dimensional fingerprint data structures combined with observation elements of the radiomaps received from the other mobile wireless devices, to generate a crowd-sourced three dimensional fingerprint data structure representing a refined crowd-sourced radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the received radiomap and the radiomaps received from other mobile wireless devices, represent floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the observation elements represent radio measurements that are of at least one of MAC addresses, received signal strength indication (RSSI), radio frequency (F), electromagnetic field strength, and electromagnetic radiation intensity and power.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

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

receive a request from a mobile wireless device for a fingerprint data structure of a radiomap of representing floor areas in two or more stories of a multistory building; and

transmit to the mobile wireless device information representing a fingerprint data structure of a radiomap representing the requested floor areas, which is a representation of a combination of two or more radiomaps from other mobile wireless devices.

21. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium including computer executable program code recorded thereon, the computer executable program code, when executed by a computer, performs the actions comprising:

dynamically generating in a mobile wireless device, grid nodes representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, based on a map of the enclosed space;

estimating in the mobile wireless device, locations along a path of motion of a user of the mobile wireless device traversing the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by a motion sensor in the mobile wireless device and map information;

generating a radiomap of the two or more floor areas by making radio measurements at time instances with the mobile wireless device, at the estimated locations along the path of motion, and mapping the measurements to the generated grid nodes that are closest to the estimated locations;

compiling in the mobile wireless device, a three dimensional fingerprint data structure of the radiomap of the two or more floor areas, including observation elements representing the radio measurements made at the time instances at the mapped grid nodes;

repeating making radio measurements at later time instances with the mobile wireless device, at locations along a repeated path of motion of the user of the mobile wireless device repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, based on motion observations made by the motion sensor in the mobile wireless device along the repeated path of motion; and

combining in the mobile wireless device, the repeated radio measurements made at the later time instances, with the radio measurements represented by the observation elements of the three dimensional fingerprint data structure of the radiomap, to learn a refined radiomap of the two or more floor areas.

22. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium including computer executable program code recorded thereon, the computer executable program code, when executed by a computer, performs the actions comprising:

receiving at a server, a first three dimensional fingerprint data structure of a first radiomap representing two or more floor areas in an enclosed space, from a first mobile wireless device at locations along a path of motion of the first mobile wireless device, the first fingerprint data structure including observation elements representing first radio measurements at mapped grid nodes of two or more floor areas;

receiving at the server, a second three dimensional fingerprint data structure of a second radiomap representing the two or more floor areas in the enclosed space, from a second mobile wireless device at locations along a repeated path of the path of motion of the first mobile wireless device, the second mobile wireless device repeating a traverse of the two or more floor areas, the second fingerprint data structure including observation elements representing second radio measurements at the mapped grid nodes of the two or more floor areas; and

combining at the server, the received first and second three dimensional fingerprint data structures with radiomaps of the two or more floor areas, received from other mobile wireless devices, to generate a crowd-sourced radiomap, by combining the observation elements of the first and second three dimensional fingerprint data structures combined with observation elements of the radiomaps received from the other mobile wireless devices, to generate a crowd-sourced three dimensional fingerprint data structure representing a refined crowd-sourced radiomap of the two or more floor areas.