Applying an indication of a likelihood of a directional transition at a junction in an encoded routability graph description to a positioning function of a mobile device

• US 9,335,174 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Rajarshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US14/208,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/408, 701/433, 701468-471, 701/522, 701/533
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation

Abstract

Techniques are provided for a mobile, which may be implemented in various methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture to obtain an encoded routability graph representative of feasible paths for an indoor environment, along with values indicative of likelihoods of transition at certain junctions identifiable in the encoded routability graph, and determine one or both of an estimated position or an estimated direction of travel of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a mobile device:

receiving one or more data files comprising;

an encoded routability graph corresponding to an indoor environment represented by an encoded map, said encoded routability graph being indicative of a plurality of feasible paths within said indoor environment, said plurality of feasible paths being indicated, at least in part, by junctions selectively interconnected by edges, and

a plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition for said edges, at least one of said junctions being connected to three or more of said edges, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on one or more features of said encoded map, a number of predetermined possible origination paths in said encoded routability graph leading to said at least one of said junctions, and a number of predetermined possible destination paths that lead away from said at least one of said junctions; and

determining an estimated position of said mobile device or an estimated direction of travel of said mobile device, or a combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition and said encoded routability graph.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on, a ratio indicative of:

said number of predetermined possible destination paths leading away from said at least one of said junctions; and

said number of predetermined possible origination paths leading toward said at least one of said junctions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said number of predetermined possible origination paths and said number of predetermined possible destination paths are based, at least in part, on one or more points of interest in said encoded map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said number of predetermined possible origination paths is based, at least in part, on an all-pairs shortest path (APSP) algorithm applied to said encoded routability graph.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one of said estimated position of said mobile device, or said estimated direction of travel of said mobile device, further comprises:

affecting a particle filter based, at least in part, on said at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition indicates a probability value.

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

means for receiving one or more data files comprising;

an encoded routability graph corresponding to an indoor environment represented by an encoded map, said encoded routability graph being indicative of a plurality of feasible paths within said indoor environment, said plurality of feasible paths being indicated, at least in part, by junctions selectively interconnected by edges, and

a plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition for said edges, at least one of said junctions being connected to three or more of said edges, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on one or more features of said encoded map, a number of predetermined possible origination paths in said encoded routability graph leading to said at least one of said junctions and a number of predetermined possible destination paths that lead away from said at least one of said junctions; and

means for determining an estimated position of said mobile device or an estimated direction of travel of said mobile device, or a combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition and said encoded routability graph.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on, a ratio indicative of:

said number of predetermined possible destination paths leading away from said at least one of said junctions; and

said number of predetermined possible origination paths leading toward said at least one of said junctions.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said number of predetermined possible origination paths and said number of predetermined possible destination paths are based, at least in part, on one or more points of interest in said encoded map.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of said one or more predetermined possible origination paths is based, at least in part, on an all-pairs shortest path (APSP) algorithm applied to said encoded routability graph.

11. A mobile device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processing unit to;

receive one or more data files via said communication interface, said one or more data files comprising;

an encoded routability graph corresponding to an indoor environment represented by an encoded map, said encoded routability graph being indicative of a plurality of feasible paths within said indoor environment, said plurality of feasible paths being indicated, at least in part, by junctions selectively interconnected by edges, and

a plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition for said edges, at least one of said junctions being connected to three or more of said edges, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on one or more features of said encoded map, a number of predetermined possible origination paths in said encoded routability graph leading to said at least one of said junctions, and a number of predetermined possible destination paths that lead away from said at least one of said junctions; and

determine an estimated position of said mobile device or an estimated direction of travel of said mobile device, or a combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition and said encoded routability graph.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on, a ratio indicative of:

said number of predetermined possible destination paths leading away from said at least one of said junctions; and

said number of predetermined possible origination paths leading toward said at least one of said junctions.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein said number of predetermined possible origination paths and said number of predetermined possible destination paths are based, at least in part, on one or more points of interest in said encoded map.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein at least one of said number of predetermined possible origination paths is based, at least in part, on an all-pairs shortest path (APSP) algorithm applied to said encoded routability graph.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, said processing unit to further:

affect a particle filter based, at least in part, on said at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition.

16. An article for use in a mobile device, the article comprising:

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

receive one or more data files, said one or more data files comprising;

an encoded routability graph corresponding to an indoor environment represented by an encoded map, said encoded routability graph being indicative of a plurality of feasible paths within said indoor environment, said plurality of feasible paths being indicated, at least in part, by junctions selectively interconnected by edges, and

a plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition for said edges, at least one of said junctions being connected to three or more of said edges, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on one or more features of said encoded map, a number of predetermined possible origination paths in said encoded routability graph leading to said at least one of said junctions, and a number of predetermined possible destination paths that lead away from said at least one of said junctions; and

determine an estimated position of said mobile device or an estimated direction of travel of said mobile device, or a combination thereof, based, at least in part, on at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition and said encoded routability graph.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein said values indicative of likelihoods of transition are based, at least in part, on, a ratio indicative of:

said number of predetermined possible destination paths leading away from said at least one of said junctions; and

said number of predetermined possible origination paths leading toward said at least one of said junctions.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein said number of predetermined possible origination paths and said number of predetermined possible destination paths are based, at least in part, on one or more points of interest in said encoded map.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein at least one of said number of predetermined possible origination paths is based, at least in part, on an all-pairs shortest path (APSP) algorithm applied to said encoded routability graph.

20. The article of claim 16, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to:

affect a particle filter based, at least in part, on said at least one of said plurality of values indicative of likelihoods of transition.