Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for providing automatic maintenance of a geoposition system

• US 9,479,904 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ledlie, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US14/640,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02524 Creating or updating the radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

An apparatus for augmenting associations between places and fingerprints includes a processor and memory storing executable computer code causing the apparatus to at least perform operations including detecting fingerprint data from a beacon device(s), as the apparatus traverses one or more physical places. The fingerprint data corresponds to generated summaries of radio information corresponding to the physical places. The computer code may cause the apparatus to compare fingerprint data detected from a subset of beacon devices with canonical fingerprint data, including initial fingerprint data, corresponding to physical places to determine a closest match. The computer code may cause the apparatus to determine a location of the apparatus in the physical place based on determining fingerprint data, detected from the subset of beacon devices in the physical place, that most accurately resembles canonical fingerprint data corresponding to one of the physical places. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting one or more items of fingerprint data received from one or more beacon devices, as a device traverses one or more physical places, the fingerprint data corresponding to one or more generated summaries of radio information corresponding to the one or more physical places;

comparing at least one of the items of fingerprint data detected from a subset of beacon devices with canonical fingerprint data, comprising initial fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical places to determine a closest match; and

determining, via a processor, a location of the device in the physical place based in part on determining fingerprint data detected from the subset of the beacon devices which are in the physical place that most accurately resembles canonical fingerprint data corresponding to one of a plurality of physical places.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a prompt requesting input regarding the location of the device in an instance in which the score is below a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate; and

automatically generating a bind to obtain a new item of fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical place, that updates the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places with detected different information of the item of fingerprint data to obtain current fingerprint information for the physical place in an instance in which the score is above a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate;

calculating a plurality of confidence scores for each of the one or more physical places; and

automatically generating a bind to obtain a new item of fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical place, that updates the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places with detected different information of the item of fingerprint data to obtain current fingerprint information for the physical place in an instance in which the score is higher than the confidence scores by a predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a time period equal to an amount of time for obtaining a predetermined number of scans from the subset of beacon devices or a time period equal to an amount of time until a movement of the device is detected, wherein a plurality of scans that were collected in an instance in which the device was stationary are included in the bind.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places to correspond to the at least one item of fingerprint data in an instance in which the subset of beacon devices or characteristics of the beacon devices is different from beacon devices identified in the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places in an instance in which a calculated score indicates a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the physical places comprise at least one of physical spaces, locations, areas or regions; and

the physical place comprises a room of a building or an outdoor area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to determining the location, the method further comprises:

detecting that the device is stationary in at least one of the physical places for a predetermined time period, wherein

detecting that the device is stationary comprises detecting that the device is completely at rest or detecting that the device has not moved enough to leave the physical place.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

detect one or more items of fingerprint data received from one or more beacon devices, as the apparatus traverses one or more physical places, the fingerprint data corresponding to one or more generated summaries of radio information corresponding to the one or more physical places;

compare at least one of the items of fingerprint data detected from a subset of beacon devices with canonical fingerprint data, comprising initial fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical places to determine a closest match; and

determine a location of the apparatus in the physical place based in part on determining fingerprint data detected from the subset of the beacon devices which are in the physical place that most accurately resembles canonical fingerprint data corresponding to one of a plurality of physical places.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate a prompt requesting input regarding the location of the device in an instance in which the score is below a predetermined threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate; and

automatically generate a bind to obtain a new item of fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical place, that updates the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places with detected different information of the item of fingerprint data to obtain current fingerprint information for the physical place in an instance in which the score is above a predetermined threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate;

calculate a plurality of confidence scores for each of the one or more physical places; and

automatically generate a bind to obtain a new item of fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical place, that updates the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places with detected different information of the item of fingerprint data to obtain current fingerprint information for the physical place in an instance in which the score is higher than the confidence scores by a predetermined value.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a time period equal to an amount of time for obtaining a predetermined number of scans from the subset of beacon devices or a time period equal to an amount of time until a movement of the apparatus is detected, wherein a plurality of scans that were collected in an instance in which the apparatus was stationary are included in the bind.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

update the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places to correspond to the at least one item of fingerprint data in an instance in which the subset of beacon devices or characteristics of the beacon devices is different from beacon devices identified in the canonical fingerprint data of the one of the physical places in an instance in which a calculated score indicates a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the physical places comprise at least one of physical spaces, locations, areas or regions; and

the physical place comprises a room of a building or an outdoor area.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein prior to determine the location, the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

detect that the apparatus is stationary in at least one of the physical places for a predetermined time period; and

detect that the apparatus is stationary by detecting that the apparatus is completely at rest or detecting that the apparatus has not moved enough to leave the physical place.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that are executed by a processor, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions configured to detect one or more items of fingerprint data received from one or more beacon devices, as a device traverses one or more physical places, the fingerprint data corresponding to one or more generated summaries of radio information corresponding to the one or more physical places;

program code instructions configured to compare at least one of the items of fingerprint data detected from a subset of beacon devices with canonical fingerprint data, comprising initial fingerprint data, corresponding to the physical places to determine a closest match; and

program code instructions configured to determine a location of the device in the physical place based in part on determining fingerprint data detected from the subset of the beacon devices which are in the physical place that most accurately resembles canonical fingerprint data corresponding to one of a plurality of physical places.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to calculate a score indicating a level of confidence that the location of the device is accurate.