Route verification from wireless networks

• US 9,606,218 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Stenneth, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US13/951,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/410, 701/430, 455/41.2, 455/550.1, 342/357.59, 342/357.64, 370/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02529 not involving signal parameters, i.e. only involving identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering

Abstract

Determination of route completion from wireless network data is presented. A recording is performed of data associated with wireless devices while traveling. The recording is compared to an expected recording of data associated with wireless networks along a route. Execution of the route is then proven based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording data associated with wireless networks encountered while traveling a path through a geographic area;

comparing, with a processor, the data associated with the wireless networks to a standard recording of wireless networks along a route;

wherein the standard recording includes an ordered list of wireless networks identified when traveling the route;

determining, with the processor, a similarity measure based on the comparing of the data associated with the wireless networks to the standard recording of wireless networks; and

validating, with the processor, whether the path traveled is the route based on the similarity measure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the route is a planned route for a pedestrian.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the similarity measure comprises a string metric that provides a quantifiable measure of the similarity between two text strings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the route was taken comprises assessing whether the similarity measure was above a minimum threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with wireless networks comprises a name for the wireless networks, a wireless signal strength for the wireless networks, and a time the wireless networks were within a communicable distance.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the standard recording of wireless networks comprises wireless networks designated as essential networks, and the determining a similarity is performed based on the existence of the essential networks in the recording of data associated with wireless networks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the similarity measure is performed during a time the traveler is scheduled to travel the route.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating an alarm when the similarity measure is below a minimum threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the similarity measure is performed after a scheduled completion of the route.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard recording of wireless networks along the route is derived at least in part from a plurality of previous recordings of wireless networks along the route.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard recording comprises a plurality of segmented recordings that correspond to segments of the route.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the path traveled is validated without determining a location.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a recording of data associated with wireless networks encountered while traveling a path from a starting point to a destination point through a geographic area, and a standard ordered recording of data associated with wireless networks encountered from the starting point to the destination point for a route; and

a controller configured to compare the recording to the standard recording to determine a similarity measure and configured to validate whether the path traveled is the route according to the similarity measure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to validate whether the route is traveled by determining whether the similarity measure meets a similarity threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alert when the similarity measure no longer meets the similarity threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a recorder configured to record the data associated with wireless networks encountered on the route.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory and controller are located remotely from the recorder.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed are operable to:

record a list of wireless networks encountered while traveling a path through a geographic area;

identify a plurality of essential wireless networks in the list;

perform a comparison of the plurality of essential wireless networks to a master list of essential wireless networks for a route; and

validate that the path traveled is the route using the comparison.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions for the comparison comprise instructions operable to measure a similarity between the list and the master list, and wherein the similarity is compared to a threshold similarity to prove the execution of the route.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the list comprises data related to the wireless networks, and wherein the data related to the wireless networks comprises a network category, a network name, a network strength of signal, or a network time of communicable identification.