Altitude-based indoor or outdoor detection

• US 9,998,874 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NextNav, LLC
• Original Assignee: NextNav, LLC
• Inventors: Sendonaris, Andrew, Raghupathy, Arun, Joseph, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US15/276,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

Using estimates of a receiver'"'"'s altitude to determine where a receiver is located and to refine a positioning system'"'"'s estimate of a receiver'"'"'s position. Systems and methods determine whether a receiver is inside or outside a building, and may use the determination to confirm or adjust an initial estimate of the receiver'"'"'s position. Various approaches for making the determination and for assessing the initial estimate of the receiver'"'"'s position are described.

Claims

1. A method for improving an estimated position using altitude-based indoor or outdoor detection, the method comprising:

determining an estimated position of a receiver;

determining an estimated altitude of the receiver;

identifying an altitude associated with the estimated position;

determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition;

determining if the receiver is inside or outside a building depending on whether the relationship meets the first condition; and

improving one or both of the estimated position or the estimated altitude based on determining whether the receiver is inside or outside,

wherein determining if the receiver is inside or outside the building depending on whether the relationship meets the first condition comprises (i) determining that the receiver is inside the building if the relationship meets the first condition, and (ii) if the relationship does not meet the first condition;

identifying one or more generated confidence values;

receiving input regarding a first consideration;

generating a second confidence value using the input,

wherein the second confidence value represents a confidence that the receiver is inside the building and not outside the building;

generating a combined confidence value using the one or more generated confidence values and the second confidence value; and

determining if the receiver is inside or outside the building using the combined confidence value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying an altitude associated with the estimated position comprises:

identifying a point of reference using the estimated position;

identifying an altitude associated with the point of reference; and

using the altitude of the point of reference as the identified altitude.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the point of reference has location parameters that are within a threshold distance of the estimated position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition comprises:

determining an altitude difference between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude,

wherein the first condition is met if the altitude difference is greater than a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition comprises:

determining if the estimated altitude is greater than the identified altitude,

wherein the first condition is met if the estimated altitude is greater than the identified altitude.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition comprises:

determining an altitude difference between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude; and

generating, using the altitude difference, a confidence value representing a confidence that the receiver is inside the building and not outside the building,

wherein the first condition is met if the confidence value satisfies a threshold criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more generated confidence values is generated using an altitude difference between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input regarding the first consideration is a measure of an ambient audio level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined confidence value is generated by averaging the one or more generated confidence values and the second confidence value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the receiver is inside or outside the building depending on whether the relationship meets the first condition comprises:

determining, if the relationship does not meet the first condition, whether the receiver is outside or inside the building based on one or more other considerations,

wherein the one or more other considerations includes whether one or more of a measure of ambient audio, a measure of ambient temperature, a measure of RF noise, or a measure of signal strength match a corresponding threshold value of audio, temperature, RF noise, or signal strength identified for an indoor environment or an outdoor environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein improving one or both of the estimated position or the estimated altitude based on determining whether the receiver is inside or outside comprises:

using the estimated altitude, or the estimated position, to identify a bounding polygon associated with a floor in the building; and

projecting the estimated position of the receiver onto the bounding polygon to generate a second estimate of the position of the receiver.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second estimate of the position of the receiver is used as an input to a position estimation algorithm.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the position estimation algorithm comprises a Kalman Filter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein using the estimated altitude, or the estimated position, to identify a bounding polygon associated with a floor in the building comprises:

identifying a particular floor in the building that matches the estimated altitude of the receiver; and

identifying a particular bounding polygon associated with that particular floor,

wherein the particular bounding polygon is the identified bounding polygon.

15. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media embodying program instructions that, when executed by one or more machines, cause the one or more machines to perform a method for improving an estimated position using altitude-based indoor or outdoor detection, the method comprising:

determining an estimated position of a receiver;

determining an estimated altitude of the receiver;

identifying an altitude associated with the estimated position;

determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition;

determining if the receiver is inside or outside a building depending on whether the relationship meets the first condition; and

improving one or both of the estimated position or the estimated altitude based on determining whether the receiver is inside or outside,

wherein determining if the receiver is inside or outside the building depending on whether the relationship meets the first condition comprises (i) determining that the receiver is inside the building if the relationship meets the first condition, and (ii) if the relationship does not meet the first condition;

identifying one or more generated confidence values;

receiving input regarding a first consideration;

generating a second confidence value using the input,

wherein the second confidence value represents a confidence that the receiver is inside the building and not outside the building;

generating a combined confidence value using the one or more generated confidence values and the second confidence value; and

determining if the receiver is inside or outside the building using the combined confidence value.

16. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein identifying an altitude associated with the estimated position comprises:

identifying a point of reference using the estimated position;

identifying an altitude associated with the point of reference; and

using the altitude of the point of reference as the identified altitude.

17. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 16, wherein the point of reference has location parameters that are within a threshold distance of the estimated position.

18. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition comprises:

determining an altitude difference between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude,

wherein the first condition is met if the altitude difference is greater than a threshold value.

19. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition comprises:

determining if the estimated altitude is greater than the identified altitude,

wherein the first condition is met if the estimated altitude is greater than the identified altitude.

20. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein determining if a relationship between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude meets a first condition comprises:

determining an altitude difference between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude; and

generating, using the altitude difference, a confidence value representing a confidence that the receiver is inside the building and not outside the building,

wherein the first condition is met if the confidence value satisfies a threshold criteria.

21. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein one of the one or more generated confidence values is generated using an altitude difference between the estimated altitude and the identified altitude.

22. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein the input regarding the first consideration is a measure of an ambient audio level.

23. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein the combined confidence value is generated by averaging the one or more generated confidence values and the second confidence value.

24. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein determining if the receiver is inside or outside the building depending on whether the relationship meets the first condition comprises:

determining, if the relationship does not meet the first condition, whether the receiver is outside or inside the building based on one or more other considerations,

wherein the one or more other considerations includes whether one or more of a measure of ambient audio, a measure of ambient temperature, a measure of RF noise, or a measure of signal strength match a corresponding threshold value of audio, temperature, RF noise, or signal strength identified for an indoor environment or an outdoor environment.

25. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein improving one or both of the estimated position or the estimated altitude based on determining whether the receiver is inside or outside comprises:

using the estimated altitude, or the estimated position, to identify a bounding polygon associated with a floor in the building; and

projecting the estimated position of the receiver onto the bounding polygon to generate a second estimate of the position of the receiver.

26. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 25, wherein the second estimate of the position of the receiver is used as an input to a position estimation algorithm.

27. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 26, wherein the position estimation algorithm comprises a Kalman Filter.

28. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 25, wherein using the estimated altitude, or the estimated position, to identify a bounding polygon associated with a floor in the building comprises:

identifying a particular floor in the building that matches the estimated altitude of the receiver; and

identifying a particular bounding polygon associated with that particular floor,

wherein the particular bounding polygon is the identified bounding polygon.