Position estimation of a wireless terminal in a structure using base station signal information

• US 9,544,866 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US14/540,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 340/539.2, 340/539.13, 340/525
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A wireless terminal, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The wireless terminal includes circuitry configured to receive a wireless signal transmitted from a base station; perform signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal; receive, via a graphical user interface, section information that identifies a section of a building structure for which the signal intensity measurement is to be performed; and transmit measurement information acquired by the signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal, base station identification information that indicates a base station of a transmission source of the wireless signal, and the section information. The measurement information is associated with the base station identification information and the section information. The circuitry is further configured to perform the signal intensity measurement of the received wireless signal in response to a predetermined user input operation that is received after the section information.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions being executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving a wireless signal transmitted from a base station, the wireless signal including base station identification information;

receiving internal location information for a building, the internal location information indicating a location within the building;

accessing signal intensity information of the wireless signal received from the base station in response to acceptance of a predetermined user input operation after receiving the internal location information for the building; and

transmitting the signal intensity information, the base station identification information, and the internal location information, wherein

the signal intensity information is associated with the base station identification information and the internal location information in connection with a request for an estimated position for the location within the building, and

the signal intensity information is transmitted after the acceptance of the predetermined user input operation.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein

the step of receiving includes receiving building identification information, the building identification information identifying the building,

the step of transmitting includes transmitting the building identification information, and

the signal intensity information is further associated with the building identification information in connection with the request for the estimated position for the location within the building.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

generating one or more display screens;

collecting input from a user, the collection of input including causing the generating the one or more display screens, wherein

the step of transmitting includes transmitting the signal intensity information, the base station identification information, the building identification information, and the internal location information to a position estimation server; and

the computer further includes a display configured to display the one or more display screens generated by the step of generating.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the one or more display screens includes an internal location information registration screen for registering information including the internal location information with the position estimation server, and a guidance screen.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the internal location information registration screen includes an interface for inputting the building identification information associated with the computer'"'"'s location.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the internal location information registration screen includes an interface for inputting the internal location associated with the computer'"'"'s location, the internal location being a floor or a room.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the display comprises at least one of:

a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display device, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, an Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED) device, and a lamp.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

periodically transmitting the signal intensity information, or transmitting the signal intensity information based on a predetermined user operation.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer includes one or more of:

a wireless communication function defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE);

a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication function defined by IEEE; and

a communication function associated with Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating information including at least one of;

electronic mail, audio data, visual data, and program code.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer is one of:

a mobile phone, a personal computer, a home video processing device, a personal handyphone system, a mobile music playback device, a mobile video processing device, a personal digital assistant, a home game console, a mobile game console, and a household electrical appliance.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the internal location information indicates the location of a venue within the building.

13. A method for transmitting information, the method comprising:

receiving, by circuitry of a wireless terminal, a wireless signal transmitted from a base station, the wireless signal including base station identification information;

receiving, by the circuitry, internal location information for a building, the internal location information indicating a location within the building;

accessing, by the circuitry, signal intensity information of the wireless signal received from the base station in response to acceptance of a predetermined user input operation after receiving the internal location information for the building; and

transmitting, by the circuitry, the signal intensity information, the base station identification information, and the internal location information, wherein

the signal intensity information is associated with the base station identification information and the internal location information in connection with a request for an estimated position for the location within the building, and

the signal intensity information is transmitted after the acceptance of the predetermined user input operation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the step of receiving includes receiving building identification information, the building identification information identifying the building,

the step of transmitting includes transmitting the building identification information, and

the signal intensity information is further associated with the building identification information in connection with the request for the estimated position for the location within the building.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein

the internal location information indicates the location of a venue within the building.

16. A wireless terminal, comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive a wireless signal transmitted from a base station, the wireless signal including base station identification information;

receive internal location information for a building, the internal location information indicating a location within the building;

access signal intensity information of the wireless signal received from the base station in response to acceptance of a predetermined user input operation after the internal location information for the building is received; and

transmit the signal intensity information, the base station identification information, and the internal location information, wherein

the signal intensity information is associated with the base station identification information and the internal location information in connection with a request for an estimated position for the location within the building, and

the signal intensity information is transmitted after the acceptance of the predetermined user input operation.

17. The wireless terminal of claim 16, wherein

the circuitry is further configured to

receive building identification information, the building identification information identifying the building, and

transmit the building identification information, and

the signal intensity information is further associated with the building identification information in connection with the request for the estimated position for the location within the building.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 16, wherein

the internal location information indicates the location of a venue within the building.