Electronic location information to mobile device

• US 9,641,982 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BT-Way Oy
• Original Assignee: BT-Way Oy
• Inventors: Kontturi, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US14/654,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention describes a method and system how to get the location information to a mobile device indoors or outdoors. The method and system includes that one or several nodes capable to communicate with short-distance communication network having two or more pieces of location information in their identification are placed into the area where the mobile device capable to communicate with short distance communication network should get the location information. Method and system also includes in the mobile device an application which is able to detect, analyze and deduce the location based on the pieces of location information got from the node or nodes.

Claims

1. A method for providing location information to a mobile device which location information provides the user an indication of mobile device position without requiring use of mapping software or a mapping data set, which is activated to communicate using a short distance communication network communicating between a plurality of nodes having location information associated therewith and comprising:

supplying three or more nodes for use with the communication network with identifications describing the locations of the node as location information;

supplying the mobile device with the identifications of at least three nodes including a present node from which the mobile device is receiving communication, a first adjacent node adjacent the present node from which the mobile device may have previously received communication and a second adjacent node adjacent the present node that will likely next communicate with the mobile device;

wherein the communication includes the node location information;

decoding by the mobile device the identification information of the node in relative proximity to the mobile device; and

selecting and analyzing pieces of location information in the identification of the detected and selected nodes relevant to mobile device location using an the application in the mobile device;

deducing the location of the mobile device using the application in the mobile device based on the analyzed location information received from the identification of a node without requiring the use of mapping software of a mapping data set, wherein

said step of deducing includes

detecting by the mobile device the identification of the node or nodes detected to be in proximity to the mobile device;

identifying nodes having close proximity to the present node and first and second adjacent nodes and providing the locations thereof using the application in the mobile device; and

deducing the location of the mobile device using the application in the mobile device to decide the location of the mobile device based on the analyzed pieces of location information without requiring use of mapping software or a mapping data set.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a location to place three or more nodes, an amount of the pieces of location information included in the identification and a short-distance communication capability are defined taking into account a desired accuracy.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the pieces of location information included in the identification further include two or three dimensional global position information or different types of high level concept location information or both.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the high level concept location information is selected from a group consisting of country, state, city, floor id, room id, area id, corridor id, name of the place, name of the building, type of the place, name of the company, street address, postcode, phone number, URL, internet address, shelf number, and id of the object.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mobile device detects and selects the identifications of the nodes and analyses the pieces of location information automatically and continuously or as requested by the user.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the application may be downloaded and installed from a public sites providing the service and operation is activated or de-activated by the user of the mobile device as desired.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pieces of location information included in the identification further include two or three dimensional global position information or different types of high level concept location information or both.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the high level concept location information is selected from a group consisting of country, state, city, floor id, room id, area id, corridor id, name of the place, name of the building, type of the place, name of the company, street address, postcode, phone number, URL, internet address, shelf number, and id of the object.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mobile device detects and selects the identifications of the nodes and analyses the pieces of location information automatically and continuously or as requested by the user.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the application may be downloaded and installed from a public site providing the service and operation is activated or de-activated by the user of the mobile device as desired.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mobile device detects and selects the identifications of the nodes and analyses the pieces of location information automatically and continuously or as requested by the user.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the application may be downloaded and installed from a public site providing the service and operation is activated or de-activated by the user of the mobile device as desired.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device detects and selects the identifications of the nodes and analyses the pieces of location information automatically and continuously or as requested by the user.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the application may be downloaded and installed from a public site providing the service and operation is activated or de-activated by the user of the mobile device as desired.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application may be downloaded and installed from a public sites providing the service and operation is activated or de-activated by the user of the mobile device as desired.

16. A system for providing location information to a mobile device utilizing a short distance communication network communicating between plural nodes, the system providing the user of the mobile device an indication of the mobile device position without requiring use of mapping software or a mapping data set, the mobile device detecting the identification of a node or nodes having location information associated therewith, the mobile device including an application used to deduce the location without requiring the use of mapping software of a mapping data set, the system comprising:

three or more nodes each having an identification and including a method specific code identifying node location with location information

an application processor provided in the mobile device to analyze and deduce location of the mobile device using inbuilt decision logic to decide the location of the mobile device based on location information obtained from a node in proximity to the path of the mobile device including location information of a node currently in closest detected proximity to the mobile device as well as the location information of a first adjacent node and a second adjacent node, each adjacent the node currently in closest proximity to the path of the mobile device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the mobile device is arranged to communicate using short distance communication and may communicate with user using touch of a part of a body, voice, visual, smell or some electronic or bioelectronics system integrated temporarily or permanently into the body of the user to act as an interface.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the nodes are arranged to communicate using a short distance communication and part or all the nodes identification data can be encrypted and possible to modify.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the identification includes a method specific code including the information of the communication distance capability of the node.