Estimating whether or not a wireless terminal is in a geographic zone using pattern classification

• US 9,247,516 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Polaris Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Bhattacharya, Tarun Kumar, Feuerstein, Martin, Gordon, Scot Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/844,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20080207222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,078 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-4566, 455/418, 455/421
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for estimating whether or not a wireless terminal is in a geographic zone. The illustrative embodiment employs a pattern classifier that is trained on traits of electromagnetic signals at various locations. A computer-executable program is then generated based on the trained pattern classifier, and the program is installed and executed on a subscribed identity module of the terminal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

training a pattern classifier on a plurality of input-output mappings, resulting in a trained pattern classifier, wherein each of said input-output mappings comprises

(i) an input that is based on one or more traits of one or more electromagnetic signals at a respective geo-location, and

(ii) a Boolean output that indicates whether the respective geo-location is inside a geographic zone Z; and

generating a computer-executable program based on the trained pattern classifier, wherein said computer-executable program is executable on a wireless terminal to correct measurements made by the wireless terminal and to estimate whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z, and

transmitting said computer-executable program to said wireless terminal via a wireless switching center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said computer-executable program is for local execution at a wireless terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said computer-executable program is based on a characteristic of said wireless terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in said geographic zone Z; and

generating a new computer-executable program based on the re-trained pattern classifier.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in a network comprising one or more electromagnetic signal transmitters; and

generating a new computer-executable program based on the re-trained pattern classifier.

6. A method comprising:

training a pattern classifier on a plurality of input-output mappings, resulting in a trained pattern classifier, wherein each of said input-output mappings comprises

(i) an input that is based on one or more traits of one or more electromagnetic signals at a respective geo-location, and

(ii) a Boolean output that indicates whether the respective geo-location is inside a geographic zone Z; and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the trained pattern classifier to a wireless terminal, wherein said one or more parameter values are used by the wireless terminal to correct measurements made by the wireless terminal and to determine whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said parameter values are for instantiating a computer-executable program that executes locally at said wireless terminal and that estimates whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in said geographic zone Z; and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the re-trained pattern classifier to said wireless terminal.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in a network comprising one or more electromagnetic signal transmitters; and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the re-trained pattern classifier to said wireless terminal.

10. A location server comprising:

a data-processing system for;

training a pattern classifier on a plurality of input-output mappings, resulting in a trained pattern classifier, wherein each of said input-output mappings comprises;

(i) an input that is based on one or more traits of one or more electromagnetic signals at a respective geo-location, and

(ii) a Boolean output that indicates whether the respective geo-location is inside a geographic zone Z;

generating a computer-executable program based on the trained pattern classifier, wherein said computer-executable program is executable on a wireless terminal to correct measurements made by the wireless terminal and to estimate whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z; and

communicating with a wireless switching center to transmit said computer-executable program to said wireless terminal.

11. The location server of claim 10 wherein said computer-executable program is for local execution at a wireless terminal.

12. The location server of claim 11 wherein said computer-executable program is based on a characteristic of said wireless terminal.

13. The location server of claim 10 wherein said data-processing system is also for:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in said geographic zone Z, and

generating a new computer-executable program based on the re-trained pattern classifier.

14. The location server of claim 10 wherein said data-processing system is also for:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in a network comprising one or more electromagnetic signal transmitters, and

generating a new computer-executable program based on the re-trained pattern classifier.

15. The location server of claim 10 wherein said communicating by said data-processing system comprises transmitting said computer-executable program to said wireless switching center.

16. The location server of claim 10 wherein said communicating by said data-processing system comprises transmitting said computer-executable program to said wireless switching center for transmission thereby to a wireless terminal, and wherein said computer-executable program is for local execution at said wireless terminal.

17. A location server comprising:

a data-processing system for;

training a pattern classifier on a plurality of input-output mappings, resulting in a trained pattern classifier, wherein each of said input-output mappings comprises;

(i) an input that is based on one or more traits of one or more electromagnetic signals at a respective geo-location, and

(ii) a Boolean output that indicates whether the respective geo-location is inside a geographic zone Z; and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the trained pattern classifier to a wireless terminal, wherein said one or more parameter values are used by the wireless terminal to correct measurements made by the wireless terminal and to determine whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z.

18. The location server of claim 17 wherein said parameter values are for instantiating a computer-executable program that executes locally at said wireless terminal and that estimates whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z.

19. The location server of claim 17 wherein said data-processing system is also for:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in said geographic zone Z, and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the re-trained pattern classifier to said wireless terminal.

20. The location server of claim 17 wherein said data-processing system is also for:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in a network comprising one or more electromagnetic signal transmitters, and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the re-trained pattern classifier to said wireless terminal.

21. A location server comprising:

a data-processing system for;

training a pattern classifier on a plurality of input-output mappings, resulting in a trained pattern classifier, wherein each of said input-output mappings comprises;

(i) an input that is based on one or more traits of one or more electromagnetic signals at a respective geo-location, and

(ii) a Boolean output that indicates whether the respective geo-location is inside a geographic zone Z;

generating a computer-executable program based on the trained pattern classifier, wherein said computer-executable program is executable on a wireless terminal to correct measurements made by the wireless terminal and to estimate whether said wireless terminal is inside said geographic zone Z; and

transmitting said computer-executable program to said wireless terminal via a wireless switching center.

22. The location server of claim 21 wherein said data-processing system is also for:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in said geographic zone Z, and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the re-trained pattern classifier to said wireless terminal.

23. The location server of claim 21 wherein said data-processing system is also for:

re-training said pattern classifier on a new plurality of input-output mappings in response to a change in a network comprising one or more electromagnetic signal transmitters, and

transmitting one or more parameter values of the re-trained pattern classifier to said wireless terminal.