Method, systems and/or device for adjusting expected received signal strength signature values

• US 9,906,898 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Do, Ju-Yong, Venkatraman, Sai Pradeep, Gao, Weihua, Zhang, Gengsheng, Garin, Lionel Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US14/548,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 4554221, 4554566
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1331 Measuring real or reactive component, measuring apparent energy
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/06 TPC algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for application of determining position information for mobile devices. In specific implementations, measurement of a signal travel time and a signal'"'"'s strength may be combined to characterize a transmission power of the signal'"'"'s transmitter. The characterized transmission power may be applied to affect expected signal strength signature values for use of the signal'"'"'s transmitter may be updated in order to enhance a location based service where location may be effected by accuracy of a transmitter'"'"'s power.

Claims

1. A method for estimating transmission power comprising, at a server:

obtaining a measurement of a travel time of a first signal transmitted between a mobile device and a second device;

obtaining a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device; and

computing an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing of the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the estimated path loss is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the estimated path loss comprises a predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device has a receiver and wherein the computing of the estimated transmission power further comprises adjusting the measurement of the signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength comprises a first paired sample, the method further comprising:

obtaining a plurality of additional paired samples,

wherein the plurality of additional paired samples is comprised of a plurality of additional measurements of travel times of a plurality of third signals transmitted between the second device and the mobile device paired with a plurality of additional measurements of signal strengths of a plurality of fourth signals transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device, and

wherein the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on the plurality of additional paired samples.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing of the estimated transmission power of the second device applies to one or more location based services.

10. A server comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

obtain a measurement of a travel time of a first signal transmitted between a mobile device and a second device;

obtain a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device; and

compute an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein the mobile device has a receiver and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to compute the estimated transmission power by adjusting the measurement of the signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.

14. The server of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to compute the estimated transmission power of the second device based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the estimated path loss is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

16. The server of claim 10, wherein the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength comprises a first paired sample, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain a plurality of additional paired samples,

wherein the plurality of additional paired samples is comprised of a plurality of additional measurements of travel times of a plurality of third signals transmitted between the second device and the mobile device paired with a plurality of additional measurements of signal strengths of a plurality of fourth signals transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device, and

wherein the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on the plurality of additional paired samples.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable, storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by a server to:

obtain a measurement of a travel time of a first signal transmitted between a mobile device and a second device;

obtain a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device; and

compute an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

20. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the mobile device has a receiver and wherein the instructions are further executable by the server to compute the estimated transmission power by adjusting the measurement of the signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.

21. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the server to compute the estimated transmission power of the second device based, at least in part, on an estimated path loss.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the estimated path loss is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

23. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength comprises a first paired sample, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the server to:

obtain a plurality of additional paired samples,

wherein the plurality of additional paired samples is comprised of a plurality of additional measurements of travel times of a plurality of third signals transmitted between the second device and the mobile device paired with a plurality of additional measurements of signal strengths of a plurality of fourth signals transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device, and

wherein the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on the plurality of additional paired samples.

24. A server comprising:

means for obtaining a measurement of a travel time of a first signal transmitted between a mobile device and a second device;

means for obtaining a measurement of a signal strength of a second signal transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device; and

means for computing an estimated transmission power of the second device to adjust one or more expected signal strength signature values for application to subsequent signals acquired from the second device,

wherein the estimated transmission power is based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

25. The server of claim 24, wherein the means for computing the estimated transmission power of the second device includes means for computing an estimated path loss.

26. The server of claim 25, wherein the means for computing the estimated path loss includes means for computing the estimated path loss based, at least in part, on the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength.

27. The server of claim 24, wherein the one or more expected signal strength signature values are at multiple grid point locations of an indoor area defined by a radio heatmap.

28. The server of claim 24, wherein the measurement of the travel time is determined based, at least in part, on a measured round trip time.

29. The server of claim 24, wherein the mobile device has a receiver and wherein the means for computing the estimated transmission power further comprises means for adjusting the measurement of the signal strength based, at least in part, on a type of the receiver.

30. The server of claim 24, wherein the measurement of the travel time and the measurement of the signal strength comprises a first paired sample, the server further comprising:

means for obtaining a plurality of additional paired samples,

wherein the plurality of additional paired samples is comprised of a plurality of additional measurements of travel times of a plurality of third signals transmitted between the second device and the mobile device paired with a plurality of additional measurements of signal strengths of a plurality of fourth signals transmitted by the second device and received at the mobile device, and

wherein the estimated transmission power of the second device is based, at least in part, on the plurality of additional paired samples.