Mobile device position uncertainty based on a measure of potential hindrance of an estimated trajectory

• US 9,528,837 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chao, Hui, Poduri, Sameera, Pakzad, Payam, Naguib, Ayman Fawzy
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/296,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20150354969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1-100, 701300-301, 701400-541, 348/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering

Abstract

Various techniques are provided for identifying a position uncertainty of a mobile device, such as, based, at least in part, on a measure of potential hindrance of an estimated trajectory. For example, an example method may comprise estimating a trajectory of the mobile device within a particular environment, determining a measure of potential hindrance for at least a portion of the trajectory based, at least in part, on an electronic map that is indicative of a presence or an absence of one or more obstacles, and presenting an indication of a position uncertainty to a user of the mobile device. The position uncertainty may be based, at least in part, on the measure of potential hindrance.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a mobile device:

estimating a trajectory of said mobile device within a particular environment comprising an indoor region, said trajectory extending from a first position towards a second position;

determining a measure of potential hindrance for at least a portion of said trajectory based, at least in part, on an electronic map that is indicative of a presence or an absence of one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory; and

presenting an indication of a position uncertainty to a user of said mobile device, said position uncertainty being based, at least in part, on said measure of potential hindrance, wherein said indication of said position uncertainty indicates an increased position uncertainty responsive to a higher measure of potential hindrance for said at least a portion of said trajectory and said indication of said position uncertainty indicates a decreased position uncertainty responsive to a lower measure of potential hindrance.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic map is indicative of said presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a type of at least one of said one or more obstacles.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said type of said one or more obstacles comprises:

an exterior wall, an interior space-defining wall, an interior hallway-facing wall, or an interior space-dividing wall.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of said one or more obstacles comprises a wall, and wherein a first portion of said wall comprises a first type of obstacle and a second portion of said wall comprises a second type of obstacle.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said first portion of said wall is closer in distance to a transition feature of said wall than is said second portion of said wall.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of said one or more obstacles comprises:

a structural feature, a fixed non-structural feature, or a non-fixed non-structural feature.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic map is indicative of a presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a number of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said indication of said position uncertainty comprises a graphical presentation that is visibly indicative of said position uncertainty.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said indication of said position uncertainty comprises a sound presentation that is audibly indicative of said position uncertainty.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising, at said mobile device, identifying at least one of said one or more obstacles based, at least in part, on said electronic map.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising, at said mobile device, receiving a data file indicative of at least one of said one or more obstacles.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface mechanism; and

a processing unit coupled to said user interface mechanism and configured to;

estimate a trajectory of said mobile device within a particular environment comprising an indoor region, said trajectory extending from a first position towards a second position;

determine a measure of potential hindrance for at least a portion of said trajectory based, at least in part, on an electronic map that is indicative of a presence or an absence of one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory; and

initiate presentation of an indication of a position uncertainty via said user interface mechanism, said position uncertainty being based, at least in part, on said measure of potential hindrance, wherein said indication of said position uncertainty indicates an increased position uncertainty responsive to a higher measure of potential hindrance for said at least a portion of said trajectory and said indication of said position uncertainty indicates a decreased position uncertainty responsive to a lower measure of potential hindrance.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein said electronic map is indicative of a presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a type of at least one of said one or more obstacles.

14. The mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein said type of said one or more obstacles comprises:

an exterior wall, an interior space-defining wall, an interior space-dividing wall, an interior hallway-facing wall, a structural feature, a fixed non-structural feature, or a non-fixed non-structural feature.

15. The mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of said one or more obstacles comprises a wall, and wherein a first portion of said wall comprises a first type of obstacle and a second portion of said wall comprises a second type of obstacle.

16. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein said electronic map is indicative of said presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a number of said one or more obstacles.

17. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, said processing unit being further configured to identify at least one of said one or more obstacles based, at least in part, on said electronic map.

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

means for estimating a trajectory of said mobile device within a particular environment comprising an indoor region, said trajectory extending from a first position towards a second position;

means for determining a measure of potential hindrance for at least a portion of said trajectory based, at least in part, on an electronic map that is indicative of a presence or an absence of one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory; and

means for presenting an indication of a position uncertainty, said position uncertainty being based, at least in part, on said measure of potential hindrance, wherein said indication of said position uncertainty indicates an increased position uncertainty responsive to a higher measure of potential hindrance for said at least a portion of said trajectory and said indication of said position uncertainty indicates a decreased position uncertainty responsive to a lower measure of potential hindrance.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said electronic map is indicative of said presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a type of at least one of said one or more obstacles.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said type of said one or more obstacles comprises:

an exterior wall, an interior space-defining wall, an interior hallway-facing wall, an interior space-dividing wall, a structural feature, a fixed non-structural feature, or a non-fixed non-structural feature.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein at least one of said one or more obstacles comprises a wall, and wherein a first portion of said wall comprises a first type of obstacle and a second portion of said wall comprises a second type of obstacle.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said electronic map is indicative of said presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a number of said one or more obstacles.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, and further comprising means for identifying at least one of said one or more obstacles based, at least in part, on said electronic map.

24. An article comprising:

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

estimate a trajectory of said mobile device within a particular environment comprising an indoor region, said trajectory extending from a first position towards a second position;

determine a measure of potential hindrance for at least a portion of said trajectory based, at least in part, on an electronic map that is indicative of a presence or an absence of one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory; and

initiate presentation of an indication of a position uncertainty, said position uncertainty being based, at least in part, on said measure of potential hindrance,

wherein said indication of said position uncertainty indicates an increased position uncertainty responsive to a higher measure of potential hindrance for said at least a portion of said trajectory and said indication of said position uncertainty indicates a decreased position uncertainty responsive to a lower measure of potential hindrance.

25. The article as recited in claim 24, wherein said electronic map is indicative of said presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a type of at least one of said one or more obstacles.

26. The article as recited in claim 25, wherein said type of said one or more obstacles comprises:

an exterior wall, an interior space-defining wall, an interior space-dividing wall, an interior hallway-facing wall, a structural feature, a fixed non-structural feature, or a non-fixed non-structural feature.

27. The article as recited in claim 25, wherein at least one of said one or more obstacles comprises a wall, and wherein a first portion of said wall comprises a first type of obstacle and a second portion of said wall comprises a second type of obstacle.

28. The article as recited in claim 24, wherein said electronic map is indicative of said presence of said one or more obstacles within at least said portion of said trajectory, and said measure of potential hindrance is determined based, at least in part, on a number of said one or more obstacles.

29. The article as recited in claim 24, said computer implementable instructions being further executable by said processing unit to identify at least one of said one or more obstacles based, at least in part, on said electronic map.