Modifying a history of geographic locations of a computing device

• US 9,258,679 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Brian Patrick, Stogaitis, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US13/941,726
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and systems for modifying a location history of a computing device are described. An example method may include receiving sensor data collected by one or more sensors of a computing device, and receiving a history of geographic locations of the computing device determined based on the sensor data collected by the computing device and additional data from one or more sources. The method may also include receiving updated additional data from the one or more sources, and reprocessing at least a portion of the sensor data with the updated additional data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device. The method may further include modifying the history of geographic locations of the computing device based on the one or more updates to provide an updated history of geographic locations of the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving sensor data collected by one or more sensors of a computing device and a timestamp indicative of a time at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device;

receiving a history of geographic locations of the computing device determined based on the sensor data collected by the computing device and additional data from one or more sources;

receiving updated additional data from the one or more sources, wherein the updated additional data corresponds to (i) updated position data of wireless nodes associated with the time at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device or (ii) updated location information associated with a location at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device;

reprocessing at least a portion of the sensor data with the updated additional data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device; and

modifying the history of geographic locations of the computing device based on the one or more updates to provide an updated history of geographic locations of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving sensor data collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device comprises receiving data collected from one or more sensors including a WiFi sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the history of geographic locations of the computing device is representative of previous real-time locations of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the updated additional data from the one or more sources comprises receiving updated position data of a WiFi access point in a network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the updated additional data from the one or more sources comprises receiving updated position data of one or more satellites in a global positioning system (GPS).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the updated additional data from the one or more sources comprises receiving updated geographical map data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the updated additional data from the one or more sources comprises receiving an updated floor plan of a building.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein reprocessing at least a portion of the sensor data with the updated additional data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device comprises processing based on a Viterbi algorithm or a non-linear least-squares algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises first data collected at a first instance in time and second data collected at a subsequent instance in time, and the method further comprises:

reprocessing the first data based on the second data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is associated with timestamps, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a time between a first timestamp and a second timestamp at which there is no sensor data collected; and

estimating a geographic location of the computing device at the time based on given sensor data collected at times prior to and after the time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving sensor data collected by one or more sensors of the computing device further comprises receiving a signal strength of a detected one or more nodes of a network, and the method further comprises:

determining given sensor data collected based on a given signal strength less than a threshold; and

identifying such given sensor data to be reprocessed.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that given sensor data collected by one or more sensors of the computing device is based on detection of a single type of node of a network; and

identifying such given sensor data to be reprocessed.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that given sensor data collected by one or more sensors of the computing device is based on detection of a number of nodes of a network being less than a threshold number; and

identifying such given sensor data to be reprocessed.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a device, cause the device to perform functions comprising:

receiving sensor data collected by one or more sensors of a computing device and a timestamp indicative of a time at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device;

receiving a history of geographic locations of the computing device determined based on the sensor data collected by the computing device and additional data from one or more sources;

receiving updated additional data from the one or more sources, wherein the updated additional data corresponds to (i) updated position data of wireless nodes associated with the time at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device or (ii) updated location information associated with a location at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device;

reprocessing at least a portion of the sensor data with the updated additional data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device; and

modifying the history of geographic locations of the computing device based on the one or more updates to provide an updated history of geographic locations of the computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the updated additional data from the one or more sources comprises receiving one or more of updated position data of a WiFi access point in a network, updated position data of one or more satellites in a global positioning system (GPS), updated geographical map data, and an updated floor plan of a building.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the sensor data comprises first data collected at a first instance in time and second data collected at a subsequent instance in time, and the functions further comprise:

reprocessing the first data based on the second data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the sensor data is associated with timestamps, and wherein the functions further comprise:

determining a time between a first timestamp and a second timestamp at which there is no sensor data collected; and

estimating a geographic location of the computing device at the time based on given sensor data collected at times prior to and after the time.

18. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium, configured to store instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform functions comprising;

receiving sensor data collected by one or more sensors of a computing device and a timestamp indicative of a time at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device;

receiving a history of geographic locations of the computing device determined based on the sensor data collected by the computing device and additional data from one or more sources;

receiving updated additional data from the one or more sources, wherein the updated additional data corresponds to (i) updated position data of wireless nodes associated with the time at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device or (ii) updated location information associated with a location at which the sensor data was collected by the one or more sensors of the computing device;

reprocessing at least a portion of the sensor data with the updated additional data to determine one or more updates to the history of geographic locations of the computing device; and

modifying the history of geographic locations of the computing device based on the one or more updates to provide an updated history of geographic locations of the computing device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein receiving sensor data collected by one or more sensors of the computing device further comprises receiving a signal strength of a detected one or more nodes of a network, and the functions further comprise:

determining given sensor data collected based on a given signal strength less than a threshold; and

identifying such given sensor data to be reprocessed.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that given sensor data collected by one or more sensors of the computing device is based on detection of a single type of node of a network; and

identifying such given sensor data to be reprocessed.