Structure access characteristics determined from mobile unit data

• US 9,253,606 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Modica, Leo, Stenneth, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US13/784,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• 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 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system receives mobile device data from a plurality of mobile devices. The system compares the mobile device data with cartographic data representing a structure and determines a structure access characteristic based on the comparison. The structure access characteristic may be the location of an entrance or exit to the structure. The structure access characteristic may also be a structure access type, a structure access status, a structure access schedule, or any other structure access characteristic.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving mobile device data from a plurality of mobile devices located in an outdoor geographic area external to a structure;

comparing, with a controller, the mobile device data with data representing the structure to create comparison data; and

determining a structure access characteristic based on the comparison data and based on applying a machine learning algorithm to the mobile device data to determine patterns of mobile device data indicating the structure access characteristic,

wherein the access characteristic comprises a type of the structure access, the access type comprises a revolving door a swinging door, or a recessed door.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises applying a clustering analysis to the mobile device data to locate data clusters, wherein the structure access characteristic comprises a location of an entrance or an exit of the structure, and wherein the location is determined from an analysis of a located data cluster.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the structure access characteristic further comprises a size of the entrance or the exit of the structure, and the size is determined using any combination of an access center or an access edge determined from the analysis of the located data cluster.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the structure is a building, an amphitheater, a park, or a multi-building facility.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing further comprises:

determining a spatial banding scheme; and

associating the mobile device data with the spatial banding scheme to create spatially banded mobile device data,

wherein applying the machine learning algorithm comprises;

applying the machine learning algorithm to the spatially banded mobile device data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access characteristic comprises a structure access status determined from a comparison between historical data and the mobile device data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the structure access status is active or inactive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access characteristic comprises a structure access schedule determined from an analysis of a plurality of densities of mobile device data received from a geographic area, wherein the plurality of densities are associated with a time of day.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the structure access schedule comprises hours of operation for the structure or an organization associated with the structure.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by a processor to:

receive mobile device data from a plurality of mobile devices located in an outdoor geographic area surrounding a structure;

compare the mobile device data with cartographic data of the structure; and

determine an access characteristic of the structure as a function of the comparison and based on applying a machine learning algorithm to the mobile device data to determine patterns of mobile device data indicating the access characteristic of the structure,

wherein the access characteristic comprises a type of the structure access, the access type comprises a revolving door a swinging door, or a recessed door.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further operable to:

determine the existence of a data cluster having a cluster center;

wherein the access characteristic comprises an access location and a center of the access location determined using the cluster center.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the access location is a location of an entrance or a location of an exit of the structure.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the entrance or the exit further comprise a size determined from an analysis of the data cluster.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the access characteristic further comprises an access schedule determined from an analysis of a plurality of densities of mobile device data received from a geographic area comprising the access location, wherein the plurality of densities are associated with a time of day.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store structural data representing external geographic boundaries of a structure, and mobile device data representing locations and movements of a plurality of mobile devices external to the geographic boundaries; and

a processor configured to determine an access characteristic of the structure based on a comparison of the structural data and the mobile device data, the comparison based on machine learning algorithm applied to the mobile device data to determine patterns of mobile device data indicating the access characteristic of the structure,

wherein the access characteristic comprises a size and type of the structure access, the access type comprises a revolving door a swinging door, or a recessed door.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the access characteristic further comprises the location of an access to the structure.