Mobile device positioning based on independently obtained barometric pressure measurements

• US 9,329,036 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Garin, Lionel Jacques, Venkatraman, Sai Pradeep, Zhang, Gengsheng, Liu, Weiyi
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US14/187,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means

Abstract

Various techniques are provided which may be implemented as methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture for use by a mobile device. In certain example implementations, a mobile device may process a barometric pressure measurement indicative of an altitude effect and a weather effect to determine a first parameter corresponding to the altitude effect and a second parameter corresponding to the weather. Such a mobile device may further determine whether it may be transitioning or may have transitioned from an initial level to another level of a multiple level structure based, at least in part, on the first and second parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a mobile device:

obtaining a signal representing a barometric pressure measurement indicative of an altitude effect and a weather effect;

determining, by applying a first filter to said signal, a first parameter corresponding to said altitude effect during a first period of time;

determining, by applying a second filter to said signal, a second parameter corresponding to said weather effect during a second period of time; and

determining whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from an initial level to another level of a multiple level structure based, at least in part, on said first parameter and said second parameter.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an altitude of said mobile device during said first period of time, and said second parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an atmospheric weather condition during said second period of time.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein determining said first parameter further comprises applying said first filter to a first plurality of signals representing barometric pressure measurements corresponding to said first period of time, and determining said second parameter further comprises applying said second filter to a second plurality of signals representing barometric pressure measurements corresponding to said second period of time.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said first filter comprises a Kalman filter and/or said second filter comprises an exponential moving average filter.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure further comprises comparing a threshold value with a difference between said first parameter and said second parameter.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said threshold value is based, at least in part, on an estimated location of said mobile device.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said threshold value is based, at least in part, on an electronic map representing at least a portion of said multiple level structure.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure further comprises determining whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure based, at least in part, on a signal parameter corresponding to a wireless signal received by said mobile device from a transmitting device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first period of time and/or said second period of time is non-contiguous.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second period of time is longer than said first period of time.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second period of time overlaps at least a portion of said first period of time.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a sensor to generate a signal representing a barometric pressure measurement indicative of an altitude effect and a weather effect; and

a processing unit to;

determine, by an application of a first filter to said signal, a first parameter corresponding to said altitude effect during a first period of time;

determine, by an application of a second filter to said signal, a second parameter from said signal corresponding to said weather effect during a second period of time; and

determine whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from an initial level to another level of a multiple level structure based, at least in part, on said first parameter and said second parameter.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein said first parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an altitude of said mobile device during said first period of time, and said second parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an atmospheric weather condition during said second period of time.

14. The mobile device as recited in claim 13, said processing unit to further:

apply said first filter to a first plurality of plurality of signals representing barometric pressure measurements corresponding to said first period of time; and

apply said second filter to a second plurality of plurality of signals representing barometric pressure measurements corresponding to said second period of time.

15. The mobile device as recited in claim 14, wherein said first filter comprises a Kalman filter and/or said second filter comprises an exponential moving average filter.

16. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, said processing unit to further:

determine whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure based, at least in part, on a comparison of a threshold value to a difference between said first parameter and said second parameter.

17. The mobile device as recited in claim 16, wherein said threshold value is based, at least in part, on:

an estimated location of said mobile device; and

/or an electronic map representing at least a portion of said multiple level structure.

18. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, and further comprising:

a communication interface, and

said processing unit to further determine whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure based, at least in part, on a signal parameter corresponding to a wireless signal received via said communication interface from a transmitting device.

19. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein said first period of time and/or said second period of time is non-contiguous.

20. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein said second period of time is longer than said first period of time.

21. An apparatus for use in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a signal representing a barometric pressure measurement indicative of an altitude effect and a weather effect;

means for determining a first parameter, by applying a first filter means to said signal, corresponding to said altitude effect during a first period of time;

means for determining a second parameter, by applying a second filter means to said signal, corresponding to said weather effect during a second period of time; and

means for determining whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from an initial level to another level of a multiple level structure based, at least in part, on said first parameter and said second parameter.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said first parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an altitude of said mobile device during said first period of time, and said second parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an atmospheric weather condition during said second period of time.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, and further comprising means for comparing a threshold value with a difference between said first parameter and said second parameter.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, and further comprising means for determining whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure based, at least in part, on a signal parameter corresponding to a wireless signal received by said mobile device from a transmitting device.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said second period of time is longer than said first period of time.

26. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer implementable instructions executable by a processing unit of a mobile device to;

obtain a signal representing a barometric pressure measurement indicative of an altitude effect and a weather effect;

determine a first parameter, by an application of a first filter to said signal, corresponding to said altitude effect during a first period of time;

determine a second parameter, by an application of a second filter to said signal, corresponding to said weather effect during a second period of time; and

determine whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from an initial level to another level of a multiple level structure based, at least in part, on said first parameter and said second parameter.

27. The article as recited in claim 26, wherein said first parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an altitude of said mobile device during said first period of time, and said second parameter is indicative of a change in said barometric pressure measurement corresponding to a likely change in an atmospheric weather condition during said second period of time.

28. The article as recited in claim 26, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to compare a threshold value with a difference between said first parameter and said second parameter.

29. The article as recited in claim 26, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to determine whether said mobile device is transitioning or has transitioned from said initial level to said another level of said multiple level structure based, at least in part, on a signal parameter corresponding to a wireless signal received by said mobile device from a transmitting device.

30. The article as recited in claim 26, wherein said second period of time is longer than said first period of time.