Location determination using a companion device

• US 9,838,838 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rhee, Stephen J., Jensen, Bradley Joel, Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US14/869,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 455457, 342451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724095 Worn on the wrist, hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for a mobile device determining its location based on a location of a companion device are described. A mobile device can receive a request for determining a location of the mobile device from an application. The request can include an accuracy specification providing a lower limit on accuracy of the determined location. The mobile device can determine that the mobile device is incapable of achieving that accuracy. The mobile device can then submit a location request to a companion device that has paired with the mobile device. The companion device, upon receiving the location request, can determine a location of the companion device and provide the location of the companion device to the mobile device. The mobile device can then designate the location of the companion device as the location of the mobile device, and provide the location to the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a first location request requesting a location of the mobile device, the first location request specifying a requested accuracy level;

determining, by a location determination subsystem of the mobile device, a first location estimate of the mobile device, the first location estimate being associated with an uncertainty value that is determined by the location determination subsystem;

determining whether the uncertainty value satisfies the requested accuracy level;

in response to determining that the uncertainty value does not satisfy the requested accuracy level, determining, by the mobile device, that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device at the requested accuracy level under current conditions;

in response to determining that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device-at the requested accuracy level, submitting a second location request by the mobile device to a companion device that has paired with the mobile device, wherein the location determination subsystem is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on location assistance information received from the companion device;

comparing the specified requested accuracy level to data representing a communication range of a communication protocol between the mobile device and the companion device;

determining that the communication range between the mobile device and the companion device meets the specified requested accuracy level; and

in response to receiving a response to the second location request from the companion device, the response including the location assistance information, submitting a second location estimate corresponding to the location assistance information as a response to the first location request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the location determination subsystem is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on radio frequency (RF) fingerprint data;

the location assistance information received from the companion device includes the RF fingerprint data; and

the second location estimate is determined based on the RF fingerprint data in the location assistance information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location request is submitted as a call to a function defined in an application programming interface (API) used by an application program, and the accuracy level is designated as a parameter by the API.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the uncertainty value does not satisfy the requested accuracy level comprises determining that the requested accuracy level, as measured in terms of distance, is smaller than the uncertainty value, as measured in terms of distance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device-at the requested accuracy level comprises at least one of:

determining that the mobile device has not received radio frequency (RF) fingerprint data;

or determining that no wireless signal sources corresponding to received RF fingerprint data has been detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device submits the second location request through a wireless communication channel, the wireless communication channel being established using a protocol in which a communication range is less than the accuracy level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location assistance information includes a location of the companion device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location assistance information includes data that improves accuracy of a location estimate of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the current conditions include at least one of lack of accuracy capability or lack of location data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device at the requested accuracy level under current conditions includes at least one of 1) determining whether access points are detected, 2) determining whether signals associated with the access points are sufficiently strong for location determination, and 3) examining the detected signals and determining whether the signals are consistent with one another.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a mobile device, a first location request requesting a location of the mobile device, the first location request specifying a requested accuracy level;

determining, by a location determination subsystem of the mobile device, a first location estimate of the mobile device, the first location estimate being associated with an uncertainty value that is determined by the location determination subsystem;

in response to determining that the uncertainty value does not satisfy the requested accuracy level, determining, by the mobile device, that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device-at the requested accuracy level under current conditions;

in response to determining that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device-at the requested accuracy level, submitting a second location request by the mobile device to a companion device that has paired with the mobile device, wherein the location determination subsystem is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on location assistance information received from the companion device;

comparing the specified requested accuracy level to data representing a communication range of a communication protocol between the mobile device and the companion device;

determining that the communication range between the mobile device and the companion device meets the specified requested accuracy level; and

in response to receiving a response to the second location request from companion device, the response including the location assistance information, submitting a second location estimate corresponding to the location assistance information of the companion device as a response to the first location request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the location determination subsystem is configured to determine the location of the mobile device is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on radio frequency (RF) fingerprint data;

the location assistance information received from the companion device includes the RF fingerprint data; and

the second location estimate is determined based on the RF fingerprint data in the location assistance information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first location request is submitted as a call to a function defined in an application programming interface (API) used by an application program, and the accuracy level is designated as a parameter by the API.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein determining that the uncertainty value does not satisfy the requested accuracy level comprises determining that the requested accuracy level, as measured in terms of distance, is smaller than the uncertainty value, as measured in terms of distance.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein determining that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device-at the requested accuracy level comprises at least one of:

determining that the mobile device has not received radio frequency (RF) fingerprint data;

or

determining that no wireless signal sources corresponding to received RF fingerprint data has been detected.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device submits the second location request through a wireless communication channel, the wireless communication channel is established using a protocol in which a communication range is less than the accuracy level.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the location assistance information includes at least one of a location of the companion device or data that improves accuracy of a location estimate of the mobile device.

18. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors of a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device, a first location request requesting a location of the mobile device, the first location request specifying a requested accuracy level;

determining, by a location determination subsystem of the mobile device, a first location estimate of the mobile device, the first location estimate being associated with an uncertainty value that is determined by the location determination subsystem;

in response to determining that the uncertainty value does not satisfy the requested accuracy level, determining, by the mobile device, that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device at the requested accuracy level under current conditions;

in response to determining that the location determination subsystem of the mobile device is incapable of determining the location of the mobile device-at the requested accuracy level, submitting a second location request by the mobile device to a companion device that has paired with the mobile device, wherein the location determination subsystem is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on location assistance information received from the companion device;

comparing the specified requested accuracy level to data representing a communication range of a communication protocol between the mobile device and the companion device;

determining that the communication range between the mobile device and the companion device meets the specified requested accuracy level; and

in response to receiving a response to the second location request from companion device, the response including the location assistance information, submitting a second location estimate corresponding to the location assistance information of the companion device as a response to the first location request.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first location request is submitted as a call to a function defined in an application programming interface (API) used by an application program, and the requested accuracy level is designated as a parameter by the API.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining that uncertainty value does not satisfy the requested accuracy level comprises determining that the requested accuracy level, as measured in terms of distance, is smaller than the uncertainty value, as measured in terms of distance.