System and method for mapping an indoor environment

• US 9,429,434 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neill, Thomas Germano, Smith, Carl Ferman, Fong, Alena, Kadous, Mohammed Waleed, Heywood, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US14/855,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20160003626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system and method for mapping an indoor environment. A client device may receive an indication of a starting point on a floor plan. The client device may prompt the user to travel in a particular direction and indicate when the user can no longer travel in that direction. As the user travels from the starting point in the designated direction, the client device may gather information about the indoor environment. For example, the client device may gather wireless signal strength data, cellular tower strength data, or video image data while the user travels in the designated direction. The client device may associate the gathered information with the path the user traveled from the starting point to the ending point. The client device may indicate the area for which valid location information is available based on the path the user traveled and the information the user collected.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for mapping an indoor location, the method comprising:

providing, by one or more processors, a floor plan image corresponding to the indoor location;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a first input to indicate a first location on the floor plan image;

vibrating, by the one or more processors, a mobile device at a particular interval in order to establish a walking tempo for a user walking between the first location and a second location;

gathering, by the one or more processors, location information as the user walks from the first location to the second location;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a second input to indicate the second location on the floor plan image;

determining, by the one or more processors, a path from the first location to the second location; and

generating, by the one or more processors, an indoor map using the gathered location information, the indoor map identifying the first location, the second location, and the path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the location information with at least one location within the indoor map corresponding to the path.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to gathering the location information, providing a notification for the user to walk in a straight line when traveling from the first location to the second location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising playing an audio tone in order to induce the user to move at a constant speed from the first location to the second location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to gathering the location information, providing a notification for the user to travel in a particular direction in order to reach the second location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location precision for a data gathering operation; and

using the location precision to determine a location resolution for the indoor map.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location precision is determined using a number of available wireless access points for which signal strength data is available.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the location precision includes a size of an indicator for indicating a current location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the location precision includes a width of a stripe for indicating an area of the indoor map for which the location information has been gathered.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a coverage level of the indoor map compared to the floor plan image; and

identifying the indoor map as complete when the coverage level is greater than a predetermined threshold.

11. A system for mapping an indoor location, the system comprising:

memory configured to store location information and an indoor map; and

one or more processors configured to;

provide a floor plan image corresponding to the indoor location,

receive a first input to indicate a first location on the floor plan image,

vibrate a mobile device at a particular interval in order to establish a walking tempo for a user walking between the first location and a second location,

gather the location information as the user walks from the first location to the second location,

receive a second input to indicate the second location on the floor plan image,

determine a path from the first location to the second location, and

generate the indoor map using the gathered location information, the indoor map identifying the first location, the second location, and the path.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to associate the location information with at least one location within the indoor map corresponding to the path.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, prior to gathering the location information, provide a notification for the user to walk in a straight line when traveling from the first location to the second location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, prior to gathering the location information, provide a notification for the user to travel in a particular direction in order to reach the second location.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to play an audio tone in order to induce the user to move at a constant speed from the first location to the second location.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a location precision for a data gathering operation, and

use the location precision to determine a location resolution for the indoor map.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the location precision is determined using a number of available wireless access points for which signal strength data is available.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the location precision includes a size of an indicator for indicating a current location.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the location precision includes a width of a stripe for indicating an area of the indoor map for which the location information has been gathered.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for mapping an indoor location, the method comprising:

providing a floor plan image corresponding to the indoor location;

receiving a first input to indicate a first location on the floor plan image;

vibrating a mobile device at a particular interval in order to establish a walking tempo for a user walking between the first location and a second location;

gathering location information as the user walks from the first location to the second location;

receiving a second input to indicate the second location on the floor plan image;

determining a path from the first location to the second location; and

generating an indoor map using the gathered location information, the indoor map identifying the first location, the second location, and the path.