Method and apparatus for indoor/outdoor detection using ambient signals
First Claim
1. A method for performing indoor/outdoor detection for a mobile device, the method comprising:
- identifying one or more selected radio channels in an area of the mobile device, wherein the selected radio channels comprise at least one of amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or television stations;
obtaining information relating to reference outdoor signal strengths for respective ones of the selected radio channels comprising the at least one of the amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, the frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or the television stations;
measuring signal strengths for signals received via the selected radio channels;
comparing the reference outdoor signal strengths and the measured signal strengths; and
classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on a result of the comparing;
wherein comparing the reference outdoor signal strength and the measured signal strength comprises;
generating a first vector using identities of respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding reference outdoor signal strengths;
generating a second vector using the identities of the respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding measured signal strengths; and
computing a distance between the first vector and the second vector;
and wherein classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors comprises;
classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on the distance between the first vector and the second vector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for determining whether a mobile device is indoors or outdoors based on ambient signal measurements are described herein. A method for performing indoor/outdoor detection for a mobile device as described herein includes identifying one or more selected radio channels, including at least one of amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or television stations, in an area of the mobile device; obtaining information relating to reference outdoor signal strengths for the respective selected radio channels; calculating measured signal strengths for signals received via the selected radio channels; comparing the reference outdoor signal strengths and the measured signal strengths; and classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on a result of the comparison.
12 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for performing indoor/outdoor detection for a mobile device, the method comprising:
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identifying one or more selected radio channels in an area of the mobile device, wherein the selected radio channels comprise at least one of amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or television stations; obtaining information relating to reference outdoor signal strengths for respective ones of the selected radio channels comprising the at least one of the amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, the frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or the television stations; measuring signal strengths for signals received via the selected radio channels; comparing the reference outdoor signal strengths and the measured signal strengths; and classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on a result of the comparing; wherein comparing the reference outdoor signal strength and the measured signal strength comprises; generating a first vector using identities of respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding reference outdoor signal strengths; generating a second vector using the identities of the respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding measured signal strengths; and computing a distance between the first vector and the second vector; and wherein classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors comprises; classifying the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on the distance between the first vector and the second vector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A mobile device including a processor and a memory operable in a wireless communication system, the mobile device comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) signal information module configured to identify one or more selected radio channels in an area of the mobile device, wherein the selected radio channels comprise at least one of amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or television stations, and to obtain information relating to reference outdoor signal strengths for respective ones of the selected radio channels comprising the at least one of the amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, the frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or the television stations; a transceiver configured to receive wireless signals; a radio tuner communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the RF signal information module and configured to identify, from the wireless signals received by the transceiver, signals received via the selected radio channels and to measure signal strengths for the signals received via the selected radio channels; and an indoor/outdoor detection module communicatively coupled to the RF signal information module and the radio tuner and configured to perform a comparison of the reference outdoor signal strengths and the measured signal strengths and to classify the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on a result of the comparison; wherein the indoor/outdoor detection module configured to perform the comparison is configured to generate a first vector using identities of respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding reference outdoor signal strengths, generate a second vector using the identities of the respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding measured signal strengths, and compute a distance between the first vector and the second vector, and wherein the indoor/outdoor detection unit configured to classify the mobile device is configured to classify the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based on the distance between the first vector and the second vector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for performing indoor/outdoor detection, the apparatus comprising:
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a transceiver configured to receive wireless signals; a memory storing instructions; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to execute the instructions stored by the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to; identify one or more selected radio channels in an area of the apparatus, wherein the selected radio channels comprise at least one of amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or television stations; obtain information relating to reference outdoor signal strengths for respective ones of the selected radio channels comprising the at least one of the amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, the frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or the television stations; identify, from the wireless signals received by the transceiver, signals received via the selected radio channels; measure signal strengths for the signals received via the selected radio channels; and classify the apparatus as indoors or outdoors at least in part by comparing the reference outdoor signal strengths and the measured signal strengths; wherein the instructions to cause the processor to classify the apparatus comprise one or more instructions to cause the processor to; generate a first vector using identities of respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding reference outdoor signal strengths; generate a second vector using the identities of the respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding measured signal strengths; compute a distance between the first vector and the second vector; and classify the apparatus as indoors or outdoors based on the distance between the first vector and the second vector. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to:
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identify one or more selected radio channels in an area of a mobile device, wherein the selected radio channels comprise at least one of amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or television stations; obtain information relating to reference outdoor signal strengths for respective ones of the selected radio channels comprising the at least one of the amplitude modulation (AM) radio stations, the frequency modulation (FM) radio stations, or the television stations; measure signal strengths for signals received via the selected radio channels; and classify the mobile device as indoors or outdoors based at least on part on a comparison of the reference outdoor signal strengths and the measured signal strengths; wherein the instructions to cause the processor to classify the mobile device comprise one or more instructions to cause the processor to; generate a first vector using identities of respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding reference outdoor signal strengths; generate a second vector using the identities of the respective ones of the selected radio channels and their corresponding measured signal strengths; compute a distance between the first vector and the second vector; and classify the apparatus as indoors or outdoors based on the distance between the first vector and the second vector. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification