Sensor-assisted location fix

• US 9,606,241 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Varoglu, Devrim
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/772,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.28, 342/357.3, 342/357.31, 342/357.32, 342/357.46, 701/469, 701/500, 701/502
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

Sensor-assisted location technology is disclosed. Primary location technologies, such as GPS, can be used to determine the current location (e.g., a location fix) of a location-enabled device. In some instances, the primary location technology may be unreliable and/or consume more power than an alternative location technology. Sensors, such as accelerometers, compasses, gyrometers, and the like, can be used to supplement and/or increase the accuracy of location data. For example, a location-enabled device can identify an area with unreliable GPS location data and use sensors to calculate a more accurate location. Areas identified may be crowd-sourced. Sensors can be used to identify errors in the location data provided by primary location technology. Sensors can be used to modify a sampling interval of the primary location technology. Sensor can be used to smooth motion on a user interface between sampling intervals of the primary location technology.

Claims

1. A method of determining location using GPS data with sensor data, the method comprising:

obtaining, with a mobile device, a first set of global position satellite signals and calculating a first location fix at a first time;

subsequent to the first time, identifying an area with weak or untrusted GPS signals;

in response to identifying the area with weak or untrusted GPS signals, measuring one or more sensor values from one or more sensors of the mobile device, the one or more sensor values including an acceleration;

calculating a distance and direction traveled from the first location fix using the one or more sensor values; and

combining the distance traveled with the first location fix to obtain a second location fix at a second time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the weak or untrusted GPS signals uses a database of known areas with weak or untrusted GPS.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the database of known areas with weak or untrusted GPS is determined by harvesting crowd-sourced GPS data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the database of known areas with weak or untrusted GPS is determined by analyzing three dimensional images, aerial imagery, street views, or maps for urban canyons.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the weak or untrusted GPS signals uses a signal strength measurement from a GPS unit on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the weak or untrusted GPS signals is identified by:

obtaining, with the mobile device, a second set of global position satellite signals and calculating a third location fix at approximately the second time;

determining a difference between the second location fix and the third location fix;

comparing the difference to a threshold error; and

identifying the area as having weak or untrusted GPS if the difference is greater than the threshold error.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensor values indicate a direction of travel.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

calculating a direction traveled from the first location using the one or more sensor values.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combining the distance traveled with the first location fix comprises combining latitude and longitude coordinates of the first location fix with the calculated distance and direction traveled from the first location fix.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein in response to identifying the area with weak or untrusted GPS signals changing a mode of operation of the mobile device from a standard operating mode to an estimation mode.

9. A method of determining location using GPS data with sensor data, the method comprising:

obtaining, with a mobile device, a first set of global position satellite signals and calculating a first location fix at a first time;

measuring one or more sensor values from one or more sensors of the mobile device, the one or more sensor values including an acceleration;

calculating a distance traveled from the first location fix using the one or more sensor values;

combining the distance traveled with the first location fix to obtain a second location fix at a second time;

obtaining, with the mobile device, a second set of global position satellite signals and calculating a third location fix at approximately the second time;

determining a difference between the second location fix and the third location fix; and

comparing the difference to a threshold error.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

trusting the third location fix if the difference is within the threshold error; and

trusting the second location fix if the difference is outside the threshold error.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying a representation of the trusted location on a display of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

reducing a GPS sampling rate if the difference is within the threshold error.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

increasing the GPS sampling rate if the difference is outside the threshold error.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

marking the second location fix as an untrusted location if the difference is outside the acceptable margin of error; and

transmitting a set of one or more untrusted locations to a server, wherein the server comprises a database for storing a plurality of untrusted locations transmitted by a plurality of mobile devices.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a first set of global position satellite signals and calculating a first location fix at a first time;

subsequent to the first time, identifying an area with weak or untrusted GPS signals;

measuring one or more sensor values from one or more sensors of the mobile device, the one or more sensor values including an acceleration;

calculating a distance and direction traveled from the first location fix using the one or more sensor values; and

combining the distance traveled with the first location fix to obtain a second location fix at a second time.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the identification of the weak or untrusted GPS signals uses a database of known areas with weak or untrusted GPS.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the database of known areas with weak or untrusted GPS is determined by harvesting crowd-sourced GPS data.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the database of known areas with weak or untrusted GPS is determined by analyzing three dimensional images, aerial imagery, street views, or maps for urban canyons.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the identification of the weak or untrusted GPS signals uses a signal strength measurement from a GPS unit on the mobile device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the weak or untrusted GPS signals is identified by:

obtaining, with the mobile device, a second set of global position satellite signals and calculating a third location fix at approximately the second time;

determining a difference between the second location fix and the third location fix;

comparing the difference to a threshold error; and

identifying the area as having weak or untrusted GPS if the difference is greater than the threshold error.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensor values indicate a direction of travel.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform:

calculating a direction traveled from the first location using the one or more sensor values.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, with a mobile device, a first set of global position satellite signals and calculating a first location fix at a first time;

measuring one or more sensor values from one or more sensors of the mobile device, the one or more sensor values including an acceleration;

calculating a distance traveled from the first location fix using the one or more sensor values;

combining the distance traveled with the first location fix to obtain a second location fix at a second time;

obtaining, with the mobile device, a second set of global position satellite signals and calculating a third location fix at approximately the second time;

determining a difference between the second location fix and the third location fix; and

comparing the difference to a threshold error.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform:

trusting the third location fix if the difference is within the threshold error;

trusting the second location fix if the difference is outside the threshold error; and

displaying a representation of the trusted location on a display of the mobile device.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform:

reducing a GPS sampling rate if the difference is within the threshold error; and

increasing the GPS sampling rate if the difference is outside the threshold error.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform:

marking the second location fix as an untrusted location if the difference is outside the acceptable margin of error; and

transmitting a set of one or more untrusted locations to a server, wherein the server comprises a database for storing a plurality of untrusted locations transmitted by a plurality of mobile devices.