Methods and apparatus relating to the use of received signals to determine wireless terminal location and/or refine location determination models
First Claim
1. A method of determining the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
- accessing a first access point antenna radiation model generated from measurements of a first antenna radiation pattern of a first access point antenna or generating the first access point antenna radiation model from a computer model of the first access point antenna;
performing a multipath correction to the first access point antenna radiation model to correct for multipath effects which are expected in an actual physical environment where the first access point antenna is to be deployed as part of a first access point, said multipath correction producing a first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model;
generating a first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, said first probability surface corresponding to the first access point for a first received signal strength, the first probability surface indicating multiple different location probabilities when a signal is received from the first access point at said first received signal strength; and
generating, based on at least said first probability surface a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal reporting receipt of a signal from said first access point having said first received signal strength.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.
72 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of determining the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
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accessing a first access point antenna radiation model generated from measurements of a first antenna radiation pattern of a first access point antenna or generating the first access point antenna radiation model from a computer model of the first access point antenna; performing a multipath correction to the first access point antenna radiation model to correct for multipath effects which are expected in an actual physical environment where the first access point antenna is to be deployed as part of a first access point, said multipath correction producing a first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; generating a first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, said first probability surface corresponding to the first access point for a first received signal strength, the first probability surface indicating multiple different location probabilities when a signal is received from the first access point at said first received signal strength; and generating, based on at least said first probability surface a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal reporting receipt of a signal from said first access point having said first received signal strength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of determining the location of a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
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accessing a first access point antenna radiation model generated from measurements of a first antenna radiation pattern of a first access point antenna or generating the first access point antenna radiation model from a computer model of the first access point antenna; performing a multipath correction to the first access point antenna radiation model to correct for multipath effects which are expected in an actual physical environment where the first access point antenna is to be deployed as part of a first access point, said multipath correction producing a first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; generating a first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, said first probability surface corresponding to the first access point for a first received signal strength, the first probability surface indicating location probabilities when a signal is received from the first access point at said first received signal strength; and wherein said generating said first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model includes; generating a first predicted received signal strength indicator (RSSI) surface from the first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; and generating the first probability surface from the first predicted received signal strength indicator surface, said first probability surface being for a first received signal strength corresponding to a first signal transmitted from the first access point, said first probability surface indicating different probabilities that a signal will be received from the first access point at the first received signal strength;
the method further comprising;generating a second probability surface corresponding to a second access point for a second received signal strength, the second probability surface indicating location probabilities when a signal is received from the second access point at said second received signal strength; generating a joint probability location estimation surface by combining at least said first and second probability surfaces to generate the joint probability location estimation surface; generating, based on at least said first probability surface a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal reporting receipt of a signal from said first access point having said first received signal strength, wherein said generating the first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal includes; determining from said joint probability location estimation surface a location having a highest probability in said joint probability location estimation surface, the determined location having the highest probability being the estimated location of the wireless terminal; wherein said wireless terminal reported receiving a signal from the first access point having the first received signal strength as indicated by a first received signal strength indicator and reported receiving a signal from the second access point having the second received signal strength as indicated by a second received signal strength indicator and wherein the estimated location of the wireless terminal was generated from said first and second received signal strength indicators; and
wherein the method further comprises;performing a machine learning operation based on the location estimate generated from said first and second received signal strength indicators to determine one or more path loss parameters, said machine learning operation including; determining which one of a plurality of different path loss parameter sets produces the smallest joint probability estimate error based on the received first and second signal strength indicators and the estimated location of the wireless terminal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A location determination device, comprising:
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memory including a first access point antenna radiation model generated from measurements of a first antenna radiation pattern of a first access point antenna or an interface for receiving said first access point antenna radiation model; and a processor configured to; access said first access point antenna radiation model; perform a multipath correction to the first access point antenna radiation model to correct for multipath effects which are expected in an actual physical environment where the first access point antenna is to be deployed as part of a first access point, said multipath correction producing a first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; generate a first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, said first probability surface corresponding to the first access point for a first received signal strength, the first probability surface indicating multiple different location probabilities when a signal is received from the first access point at said first received signal strength; and generate, based on at least said first probability surface a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal reporting receipt of a signal from said first access point having said first received signal strength. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A location determination device, comprising:
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memory including a first access point antenna radiation model generated from measurements of a first antenna radiation pattern of a first access point antenna or an interface for receiving said first access point antenna radiation model; and a processor configured to; access said first access point antenna radiation model; perform a multipath correction to the first access point antenna radiation model to correct for multipath effects which are expected in an actual physical environment where the first access point antenna is to be deployed as part of a first access point, said multipath correction producing a first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; generate a first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, said first probability surface corresponding to the first access point for a first received signal strength, the first probability surface indicating location probabilities when a signal is received from the first access point at said first received signal strength; wherein said processor is further configured, as part of being configured to generate said first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, to; generate a first predicted received signal strength indicator (RSSI) surface from the first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; and generate the first probability surface from the first predicted received signal strength indicator surface, said first probability surface being for a first received signal strength corresponding to a first signal transmitted from the first access point, said first probability surface indicating different probabilities that a signal will be received from the first access point at the first received signal strength; and
wherein the processor is further configured to;generate a second probability surface corresponding to a second access point for a second received signal strength, the second probability surface indicating location probabilities when a signal is received from the second access point at said second received signal strength; generate a joint probability location estimation surface by combining at least said first and second probability surfaces to generate the joint probability location estimation surface; and generate, based on at least said first probability surface a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal reporting receipt of a signal from said first access point having said first received signal strength; said generating a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal including determining from said joint probability location estimation surface a location having a highest probability in said joint probability location estimation surface, the determined location having the highest probability being the estimated location of the wireless terminal; and wherein said wireless terminal reported receiving a signal from the first access point having the first received signal strength as indicated by a first received signal strength indicator and reported receiving a signal from the second access point having the second received signal strength as indicated by a second received signal strength indicator and wherein the estimated location of the wireless terminal was generated from said first and second received signal strength indicators; and wherein said processor is further configured to; perform a machine learning operation based on the location estimate generated from said first and second received signal strength indicators to determine one or more path loss parameters, and determine which one of a plurality of different path loss parameter sets produces the smallest joint probability estimate error based on the received first and second signal strength indicators and the estimated location of the wireless terminal as part of the machine learning operation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a device, said non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions which when executed by at least one processor cause said device to:
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access a first access point antenna radiation model generated from measurements of a first antenna radiation pattern of a first access point antenna or generating the first access point antenna radiation model from a computer model of the first access point antenna; perform a multipath correction to the first access point antenna radiation model to correct for multipath effects which are expected in an actual physical environment where the first access point antenna is to be deployed as part of a first access point, said multipath correction producing a first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model; generate a first probability surface from said first location adjusted access point antenna radiation model, said first probability surface corresponding to the first access point for a first received signal strength, the first probability surface indicating multiple different location probabilities when a signal is received from the first access point at said first received signal strength; and generate, based on at least said first probability surface a first wireless terminal location estimate for a wireless terminal reporting receipt of a signal from said first access point having said first received signal strength.
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Specification