Location correction

• US 9,291,461 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Thrun, Sebastian, Kadous, Mohammed Waleed
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, KYUNG J
• Application Number:
  US13/417,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 701/418, 701/445
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to indoor localization, for example, where GPS or other localization signals are unavailable. More particularly, the estimated location, and in some examples the estimated heading, of a client device may be displayed on a display of the client device. As the device is moved through the indoor space, its location and/or orientation may be estimated based on measurements from one or more orientation devices. Typically, as the client device moves through an indoor space, the location estimation may become less and less accurate. This may be addressed by allowing the user to correct the current location and/or heading. The correction may be logged by the client device and transmitted to a server for further processing.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a current location of a client device in an indoor space, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a current location of a client device in an indoor space based on a previous current location estimation and first measurements received from one or more orientation devices;

displaying, on a display of the client device, a map of the indoor space and a location marker indicating the current location;

receiving user input indicating a corrected current location of the client device;

receiving user input indicating a current heading of the client device; and

determining a new current location of the client device based on updated second measurements received from the one or more orientation devices and the corrected current location and the current heading.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display and receiving the user input indicating a current heading further comprises:

displaying a rotating feature on the touch-sensitive display; and

receiving input on the touch-sensitive display indicating rotation of the rotation feature to the current heading.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display and receiving the user input indicating a current heading further comprises:

displaying a compass on the touch-sensitive display; and

receiving input on the touch-sensitive display indicating a heading on the compass.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display and receiving the user input indicating a current heading further comprises receiving information indicating a finger swipe on the touch-sensitive display in a direction of the current heading with respect to the map.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a log including the corrected current location, the current heading, and the second measurements from the orientation devices.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising scanning for wireless network access point information including wireless network access point identifiers and signal strengths, and wherein the generated log includes the wireless network access point information.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the log to a server computer for further processing.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a second corrected current location of the client device;

receiving user input indicating a second current heading of the client device within a predetermined period of time after the user input indicating the current heading was received;

generating a second log including the second corrected current location and the second corrected current heading; and

when user input indicating the second corrected current location is received within a predetermined period of time after the user input indicating the corrected current location was received, associating the second log with the log including the corrected current location, the current heading, and the second measurements from the orientation devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a path of the client device through the indoor space based on the current location of the client device and the previous current location of the client device; and

after receiving the user input indicating the corrected current location, determining a corrected path based on the corrected current location, the previous current location, and the measurements received from the one or more orientation devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the corrected path on the display.

11. A device for displaying a current location of a client device in an indoor space, the device comprising:

a display for displaying information to a user and for receiving input from a user;

one or more orientation components for generating measurements about the orientation of the device;

a processor coupled to the display, the processor being configured to;

determine a current location of the device in an indoor space based on a previous current location estimation and first measurements received from one or more orientation components;

prepare, for presentation on the display, a map of the indoor space and a location marker indicating the current location;

receiving user input at the display, the user input indicating a corrected current location of the device and a current heading of the device; and

determine a new current location of the device based on updated second measurements received from the one or more orientation components and the corrected current location and the current heading.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a log including the corrected current location, the current heading, and the second measurements from the one or more orientation devices.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to scan for wireless network access point information including wireless network access point identifiers and signal strengths, and to incorporate the wireless network access point information into the log.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the log to a server computer for further processing.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a path of the device through the indoor space based on the current location of the device and the previous current location of the device; and

after receiving the user input indicating the corrected current location, determine a corrected path based on the corrected current location, the previous current location, and the measurements received from the one or more orientation devices.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to display the corrected path on the display.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive user input indicating a second corrected current location of the device;

receive user input indicating a second current heading of the device within a predetermined period of time after the user input indicating the current heading was received;

generate a second log including the second corrected current location and the second corrected current heading; and

when user input indicating the second corrected current location is received within a predetermined period of time after the user input indicating the corrected current location was received, associate the second log with the log including the corrected current location, the current heading, and the second measurements from the one or more orientation devices.

18. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of displaying a current location of a client device in an indoor space, the method comprising:

determining a current location of a client device in an indoor space based on a previous current location estimation and first measurements received from one or more orientation devices;

displaying, on a display of the client device, a map of the indoor space and a location marker indicating the current location;

receiving user input indicating a corrected current location of the client device;

receiving user input indicating a current heading of the client device; and

determining a new current location of the client device based on updated second measurements received from the one or more orientation devices and the corrected current location and the current heading; and

generating a log including the corrected current location, the current heading, and the second measurements from the orientation devices.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the log to a server computer for further processing.